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Mandelson back in his old role as election mastermind
Nicholas Cecil, Deputy Political Editor23 Nov 2009
Lord Mandelson has started masterminding Labour's election campaign with six months until the expected polling day, it was reported today.
The Business Secretary is said to chair an 8am conference call with No10 officials to plan the daily media strategy.
Half an hour later he meets Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman and election co-ordinator Douglas Alexander for a "general election meeting", according to the Financial Times.
The peer, who played a key role in Tony Blair's 1997 landslide victory, last week held a press conference which was seen as a trial run for getting his party's message over to voters.
The election is widely expected to be held on 6 May, although Tory MPs are on alert for Gordon Brown to go to the country in March or April.
Lord Mandelson's allies dismissed as "total rubbish" a report at the weekend that he sought to persuade the Prime Minister to make him Foreign Secretary after he was not chosen as the new EU foreign minister. Foreign Secretary David Miliband's office also rejected the claim as "rubbish".
Reader views (10)
Has this man ever been in business ?
- Nigel Sears, Southampton England, 08/01/2010 18:00
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It is easy to see Mandleson is back by the bile that is being thrown at the Tories in order to disguise the fact that Labour has no answers to Britain's present problems. What would you expect from a man who was thrown out of office three times by his all too clever ways. Beware Gordon you are being set up.
- Albert Hall, hove england, 07/12/2009 10:37
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One would have thought that he had his hands full with all the job titles attached to his name. Let's face it, serious government of this country is on hold until after the election.
Let's have it now!
- John C, Leatherhead, UK, 24/11/2009 09:02
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The only election campaign that Mandlieson, Archenemy of Truth and Democracy, is really interested in is the campaign to have no more elections.
Like the rest of the left liberal, Britain-hating elite, FEUhrer Mandlieson sees elections as an inconvenient obstacle to the furtherance of his own interests, and something to be avoided at all costs.
Given the recent "Turnip Taliban" episode, I don't see the Tory Party as a beacon of democracy either.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 23/11/2009 13:41
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Is he running these meetings on government time, or personal time? Also, how much of my money is he spending on these conference calls?
Running an election campaign should be down on his own time and with the financial backing of whatever deluded souls are still looking for a knighthood from this broken government.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 23/11/2009 13:05
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With Mandelson running the show, Labour will probably win the election. He´s convincing, knows what he´s doing and knows what he´s talking about, unlike the majority of other Labour MPs.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 23/11/2009 12:37
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Don't you find it a teensy bit alarming that, even 2 decades after Labour loses the next election, this man will still be a powerful influence in British politics because unlike the others, he's in the House of Lords?
- Roz, France, 23/11/2009 12:18
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March or April? Brown might as well go to the country now, because anyone who has a vote will have made their mind up by now.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 23/11/2009 12:07
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".. for getting his party's message over to voters."
No one is listening.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 23/11/2009 10:03
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Don't you just know the UK is a Third World banana republic police state cesspit when you have the likes of UNELECTED Meddleslime spouting spin and waffle at every opportunity on behalf of the UNELECTED Prime Minister?
- Reuben Camara, Plot 1, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR, 23/11/2009 09:39
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