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Mandelson: No favours for Deripaska
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent28.10.08
LORD MANDELSON today admitted liking some business chiefs more than others but insisted he had done no favours for Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska.
The Business Secretary, though, continued to maintain his deafening silence over his full links to the aluminium magnate who entertained him on his £80million yacht off Corfu this summer.
He stressed that part of his job as EU Trade Commissioner, before he was recalled to the Cabinet this month, was to meet business figures in emerging economies.
"You can't hope to do business and promote European interests in those economies unless you are meeting people across the range," he told The Guardian. "So in some cases, you will like some more than others, you will meet some more than others, you will make acquaintanceships with some.
"That doesn't mean to say that a conflict of interest arises. And in this case it didn't."
As EU Trade Commissioner, Lord Mandelson signed off a relaxation of aluminium tariffs in December 2005 which benefited Mr Deripaska's business. The EC has stressed that the peer broke no rules on conflicts of interest.
Lord Mandelson told the newspaper that in his dealings with Mr Deripaska: "... I offered no favours and received no favours."
Reader views (16)
Val Daniels.
Read your comments in various papers.. How much are they paying you. You obviously have not much of clue of what is going on. That goes for Graeam in Newcastle too.
Frank, Home Counties, England.. Spot on...
- Alec, West London
Judging from the comments on here, it seems pretty conclusive that a few people are actually happy to see the eternally slimy and architect of negative politics back at the helm. Even though those people represent an absolutely miniscule proportion of people in this country, it’s still more than I expected. And to the person in spain who complained about me being boring, is that another attempt to deflect attention away from the issues at hand? I can see why you like Mandy so much, but surely you, assuming you care about Britain, must crave politicians who tell you what they will do, rather than those who tell you what others won’t do? I thought Brown might be principled enough to stand up and tell us why he should get our votes, but all he does is tell us why Cameron should not and by employing Mandelson, the dark prince of spin, he's basically told us to give up all hope of seeing anything different.
I’m bored of that sort of politics and as we’re seeing in America and saw in France, so is the rest of the Western world.
- St, London
David, my understanding is that the tariff issue was implemented when Mandelson was in office but decided some time before.
- Graeme, Newcastle
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa. Spain
"Just be thankful that we have someone in government who knows what he is doing in terms of increasing trade, and investigationg new markets."
Ha ha ha....you're having a laugh aren't you? Either that or the mass 'dumbing down' by nulabour is certainly working.
IF Mandelson was a tory I have no doubt you would be spouting anti-tory sleaze propaganda all over these message boards saying how dreadful he was. But because he's labour you're singing his praises!! Absolutely incredible. Talk about duplicitous and hypocritical.
- David, London
'No favours asked for, no favours given.' Mandy and Georgie singing from the same hymnsheet?
- Dhanraj, Basildon
See Mandy's back five minutes and already he is weeing in the swimming pool of politics. It's going to get dirtier and more personal than this story kiddlywinks. The 'Evil Lord Ming the Poo stirrer' is afoot!
BTW this is exactly what Gordon McDoom wants. The people discussing Mandy's evil froth instead of his woeful economic malfeasance.
- Rusty Shackleford, UK
What a slime ball this horrible man is; on his previous track record does anybody believe his claimed impartiality. His appointment also pretty much sums up Gordon Brown's lack of judgement.
- Ron, London
- Graeme, Newcastle
I suggest is a life long Labour voter, never had a job, been on benefits his whole life, bribed by Labour to vote for them other wise he might be forced to contribute to society.
Or is this Lord Muckies new nom de plume!
- Frank, Home Counties, England
Mandleson is the sort of politician that you only have to look at and want to wash your hands. Nothing he says should be believed until it's proven.
- Md, Wokingham
Pity really. Osborne blinked first.
- John Problem, Hackney Wick, London, UK
The question no one seems to have asked, let alone answered is just why would Oleg Deripaska be interested in the friendship and company of Mandelson if it were not for his clout in the EU and the strings he might be ables to pull. With is money and the lavish entertainment he can provide, there is any number of intelligent and witty people Deripaska can choose to meet socially. Why Mandelson? Furthermore, he still hasn't been pressed on why his answers fell so short of the truth. 1) Pretending first to have met Deripaska in 2006 fleetinglty a few times - in fact they had lunch together in the company of German Gent, Russia's then finance minister. 2) He visited Deripaska's yacht for a drinks party. No he didn't - he was a houseguest on the yacht with his own room. No one of Mandelson's intelligence, intellect and experience forgets such details unless he wishes to. And anyone who will lie in these cicumstances has something to hide. BTW Why was Mandelson never charged over his mortgage fraud, a crime for which many others, including a judge, I understand, have been sent to jail? That one died a death in very murky circumstances.
- Patrick Powell, st breward, cornwall
Graeme, Newcastle
Why lie? Do you work for the government? The aluminium tarifs were decided when Mandelson was in his EU trade job, so please don't spin untruths. Just check your details out before spouting nonsense.
The guy is probably the most bent and dishonest politician in government at the moment. he could knock Jeffrey Archer into a cocked hat. he's not going to bring Osborne down but he may bring nulabour down. He's a nasty piece of work.
- David, London
#St
Do you ever say anything different? You are so boring. Just be thankful that we have someone in government who knows what he is doing in terms of increasing trade, and investigationg new markets. Sooner him working for the common good than boy George, whose limited intellect means he is unable to do anything other than follow his nose to the next Tory donation. One begins to wonder if being regularly dropped on his head by his Bullingdon Club friends has done lasting damage. After all, he is the one who, allegedly, when asked by them what he was, replied, 'A despicable ****'.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa. Spain
St, your comment is pathetic. Of course Peter Mandelson will have to meet and socialise with business leaders, but the aluminium tariff issue was decided long before he took up the EU job. He is a talented politician and I have a high regard for him.
- Graeme, Newcastle
'Entertained' is an interesting choice of word. What does it mean in this context? What is its value? Cui Bono?
"I offered..." etc. Well, Mr Mandleson - as a man of the world - would understand that is not how things are done. Perhaps he would also ensure that at no stage would he be seen to be associated with such decisions....
- Chuck Unsworth, London
Mandy, you have you peerage, can you please just resign and take your horrible brand of politics with you. I doubt there’s more than about 3 people in this entire country who want you to be involved with our Government, something which I think will be made abundantly clear if we ever get to vote on who should be our Prime Minister.
- St, London
