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Lord Mandelson is an 11th-hour candidate for a top Brussels post, it emerged today.
The Business Secretary has been approached by European colleagues over the post of EU foreign affairs chief after David Miliband ruled himself out of the running.
French newspaper Le Monde claimed that Lord Mandelson had "discreetly sounded out" president Nicolas Sarkozy over the top job.
The minister's spokesman denied the claim but did confirm that Lord Mandelson had been canvassed by EU Commissioners and other senior figures for the newly created role of "high representative".
The spokesman stressed that "there was no option of him upping sticks and leaving now". "It is true to say that... a number of people approached him," he added.
Mr Miliband is preparing to make a definitive statement to put on record his commitment to remaining as Foreign Secretary.
Meanwhile, Tony Blair's hopes of winning the role of EU President suffered another setback as Mr Sarkozy talked up the candidacy of Belgian premier Herman Van Rompuy. Swedish premier Fredrik Reinfeldt, who holds the EU presidency, told the FT today that the new Brussels jobs would be decided at a summit on 19 November.
Reader views (30)
Fresh, London-
"Does anyone on here have PROOF or EVIDENCE to support any of the wild accusations that are being made?"
Yes, plenty. Were would you like to start?
"Also, I think you'll find that one of the aims and benefits of a united Europe is that wars will be averted"
NATO secured peace in Europe and has maintained it to this day.
You are confusing a "united Europe" of cooperating nation-states with the EU, a political federation of subservient regions.
It is a common mistake for many, and a misleading association often used by EUrophiles. Europe and the EU are NOT one and the same.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 11/11/2009 17:24
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Mandlieson has already sworn to put the interests of the EU before those of Britain (he loses his EU Commission pension if he doesn't), which, along with his total rejection by voters, makes him completely unsuitable for the role of government minister.
The sooner this trough-snouting traitor buggers off the better.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 11/11/2009 16:44
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"The fact that he still represents the Labour party beggers belief."
Oh I dunno - it seems to me that he represents them quite accurately.
- Rogan, Irving, 11/11/2009 16:26
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Any chance you can drop the 'Lord' whenever you refer to Mandy? Never has anyone ever been less deserving of a title ...
- Marianne, SW France/London
Could they replace Lord with Darth?
- B Lane, London, 11/11/2009 13:55
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Hasn't this odious little man had to resign from Government two or three times ? The fact that he still represents the Labour party beggers belief.
- Noah Moore, london, 11/11/2009 13:26
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Blair, Milliband and now Mandleson. It just gets worse and worse. None of these are in anyway competent to be ubergrupenfurer of the EU.
I vote for Nigel Farage. At least he will oversea the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
- Adam, Harrow, UK, 11/11/2009 13:07
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Well it's nice to see we're still living in a "democracy" then!
A job that will represent over 375 million EU citizens yet not one single of us will be able to have a say in the decision.
Democracy?!-Don't make me sick. This EU Federal Superstate is nothing but an unaccountable, totalitarian sham.
- Anon Pc, London, UK, 11/11/2009 13:07
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Does anyone on here have PROOF or EVIDENCE to support any of the wild accusations that are being made?
Also, I think you'll find that one of the aims and benefits of a united Europe is that wars will be averted, and our troops will not be sent to fight on European soil, only to lay down their lives at the behest of any individual country's politicians, over issues that have no origins in their own country, but have escalated across Europe as countries align themselves with opposing sides.
I also think it's sick and a gross insult to call upon the sacrifices made by Harry Patch and his hundreds of thousands of fellow servicemen, women, and families in order to make petty sniping attacks. Shame on you.
Argue issues on their own merits- don't hijack their pain and sully their memory.
I know my own grandfather took the view that anything that unites countries together as friends is infinitely better than the senseless massacres of war.
- Fresh, London, 11/11/2009 13:07
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The only place he should go along with all his Labour and ex communist colleagues is to hell, and it would be questionable whether even they would want him or them there!!
- Robert Marshall, LONDON, 11/11/2009 13:01
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Any chance you can drop the 'Lord' whenever you refer to Mandy? Never has anyone ever been less deserving of a title ...
- Marianne, SW France/London, 11/11/2009 12:51
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Why is this useless and UNELECTED man allowed to be in politics at all ???? Let alone represent us, the people who did not elect him !
- Paul H, LONDON, 11/11/2009 12:43
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We must be on track for a total anihilation of the Labour Party at the next election. The public's blood is boiling at these bunch of crooks called Labour running our lives. A revolution must be under way soon.
- Frederick, London, 11/11/2009 12:32
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Whilst I agree with all the negative comments about this (don't tempt me) pompous idiot and will be delighted to see the back of him,I somehow want to see a massive labour defeat at the election with him on the scrapheap together with all his parliamentary parasites. Next time maybe we can VOTE for the people we want to be in Westminster. If he gets a job in Europe we will be stuck with him poking his nose in our business yet again. So for that reason, let's keep him for now and then show him the door permanently at the election.
- Mj, East Anglia, 11/11/2009 12:17
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Here in Italy,the prime minister Berlusconi is backing Mr Massimo D'Alema,ex communist and ex prime minister,it will be interesting to see who gets the job,Lord Mandleson or Mr D'Alema or none of them.
- David Nigel Braham, Milan Italy, 11/11/2009 12:14
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Is that not a just reward for the Traitor who has given our lovely country away? None of them will ever represent my voice, or the voices of the many. With the volume of EU members coming into our country we face a famine of asperation and vision for our youth.
Yes, the price of CHEAP EU labour is being paid for by our youth! Take a look over your shoulder Mandy, as you walk towards you ill gained glory and see us weep for our land.
- Maria, London, 11/11/2009 12:06
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Another reason to pull out of Europe.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 11/11/2009 12:00
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"It's simply amazing that so many Brits still don't realize that the Lisbon Treaty ended the U.K.'s proud 300+ years as a country." They do realise it, Phil, it's just a crime that we never got to vote on it. Meanwhile you would think that someone set to represent Europe (or the UK for that matter) would be someone that we'd actually voted for, and that rules Mandy and Blair out...... we wish!
- Paul, London, 11/11/2009 11:54
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Good, we'll be rid of him. Let him hang out with the people he's really loyal to.
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent, 11/11/2009 11:54
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I think he should become Mayor of London where he could follow in the footsteps of his grandfather Herbert Morrison who ran the LCC for many years.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 11/11/2009 11:54
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So, he can therefore refund the huge payoff he received from the EU when he returned to UK to join gloom & bust Brown's socialist gravy-train!
- Joe, Thornton Heath, London, England., 11/11/2009 11:52
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Rat, ship, deserting a.
- Les, London, 11/11/2009 11:37
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And will he be paid another resettlement package whe he leaves Westminster to take up this job? He has already been paid hundreds of thousands of our taxes when he left the EU in the first place!!! Then when he tires of the High Representatives post he'll get another few hundred thousand. What a complete and utter waste of taxes, when there are hundreds of people in the EU living in poverty!!!!!!
- Alan, carlisle uk, 11/11/2009 11:22
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A federal post to get him out of the provincial scene. How exactly are the British Foreign Minister and the other 26 foreign ministers of the new provinces suppose to fill their time now that the Foreign Minister (sorry, High Representative) of the new country is representing all 400 million Europeans?? Mandelson will be on the level of Hillary Clinton, as poor Dave Miliband is left twiddling his thumbs. It's simply amazing that so many Brits still don't realize that the Lisbon Treaty ended the U.K.'s proud 300+ years as a country. Rather fitting that Harry Patch and the other last WWI veterans passed away just months before the country they fought so hard to defend becomes an E.U. province. R.I.P. U.K. as self-governing country.
- Phil Jones, London UK, 11/11/2009 11:15
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Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, that won't half help his bank account!!!
P.S. Did his crony Tony Bliar put his name forward for the job?
- Fraser, Telford Park, 11/11/2009 10:51
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This has to be a joke. If he gets any posting in Europe, the UK should definitely pull out.
- Geraldine, London, 11/11/2009 10:48
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hope he gets it , good riddance .
- Alan Baker, essex .uk, 11/11/2009 10:46
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I support Lord Mandleson for the post of High Representative for Foriegn Affairs, anything to get the wretched man out of British Politics!
- John, Hevinham Norfolk, 11/11/2009 10:37
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This odious man would make a Class A EU politico. He has all the qualifications required. Self interest, a nice bank ballance earned by others, a total detachment on what is the actuality and what is the real world and above all he is a PROFFESIONAL politician with no regard to any of the voters.
. In any other walk of life he would be in prison.
- Aylyn, 03189 Orihuela Costa, 11/11/2009 10:13
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Well he certainly will not be hanging around in opposition after next year will he?
- Bj, East London, 11/11/2009 10:02
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The wholly discredited and unelected Meddleslime for a top job in Brussels?
That sounds about right for a jackboot autocracy.
- Reuben Camara, Plot 1, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR, 11/11/2009 09:42
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