Mandelson says that Labour would have increased fees but would "never have trebled" them.
Peter Mandelson's comments on Ed Miliband at last night's Progress event have received a lot of attention this morning but some of his most revealing remarks were on another subject: tuition fees.
Mandelson conceded that Labour would have increased tuition fees but added: "We would never have trebled them and cut the teaching grant by so much." The Tories have often pointed out that Labour commissioned ... read more
Peter Mandelson and Alan Johnson urge Labour supporters to vote Yes to AV to hurt David Cameron.
With the Alternative Vote badly behind in the polls, Labour's big beasts have turned negative. In an interview in today's Independent, Peter Mandelson dispenses with high-minded arguments for reform and urges Labour supporters to vote Yes to "damage" David Cameron. He says:
Labour supporters need to use their noddle and ask themselves why Cameron is fighting so hard for a No vote. He's fighting for ... read more
“All they were interested in was getting Miliband in,” says former spin doctor. “I was sickened.”
Today's Daily Mail has what it claims is the first major newspaper interview with Charlie Whelan since Labour came to power in 1997. Whether that's hyping things a little or not, the joint interviewers, Andrew Pierce and Amanda Platell, appear to have got what they were after from the outspoken Whelan.
Here are some of the "highlights" for those of you yet to get down to ... read more
The coveted Book of the Week slot will go to the former Sunderland South MP Chris Mullin instead.
Peter Mandelson and Tony Blair, authors of the two big political memoirs of the year, have been spurned by Radio 4 in favour of the long-serving Sunderland South MP Chris Mullin. Mullin served in various junior positions in the Blair government before being sacked as Africa minister by the man himself after the 2005 election.
The second volume of Mullin's diary, which will chart the period from his departure from the ... read more
A new leader would have made a 20-to-30-seat difference to the result, says Mandelson.
In the dying days of the last Labour government, Peter Mandelson regularly acted as Gordon Brown's life-support machine, so it's startling to see him now admit that the party would have performed better under a different leader.
In an interview in today's Guardian, he tells Patrick Wintour:
If you really force me, I think probably it would make a 20 to 30 seat difference to the result. ... read more
Which Lib Dems would have made it into Gordon Brown’s cabinet and why Tony Blair was unambiguously opposed to a Lab-Lib deal.
The "news" that Nick Clegg demanded Gordon Brown's head as the price of a Lab-Lib coalition will come as a surprise to almost no one, though it's the first time we've had this story confirmed by one of the negotiators.
But the Times's serialisation of Peter Mandelson's memoir The Third Man (an important test case for the paywall) still contains much of note. Top of ... read more
Forthcoming book will pip Blair to the post, and promises to “ruffle some feathers”.
Peter Mandelson has revealed that his memoirs will be published this summer.
The "Dark Lord" is no stranger to controversy (yacht in Corfu, anyone?), or, as one of the original spin doctors, to drumming up excitement. Writing in the Times, he promises that the book will "ruffle some feathers":
The book contains a mixture of history, autobiography and emotion. It will be ... read more
Mandy: the Movie.
Set your videos for Mandy: the Movie. I hear that the resurrected Prince of Darkness is to star in a fly-on-the-wall documentary. Eager to share his transformation from Labour outcast to potential saviour, the shy and retiring Lord of All-He-Surveys is being followed everywhere by a camerawoman.
Visitors to an eighth-floor lair in the Department for Biz are surprised to be co-opted as extras, while Mandy is permanently wearing a microphone. ... read more
Mandelson remains unapologetic about drastic cuts to university budgets.
The bitter dispute between the government and universities over funding rolled on today, as vice-chancellors warned that swingeing cuts will leave thousands of students without a university place this year.
The representative group Universities UK said that last year, about 160,000 students who applied didn't get a place. With at least 75,000 extra expected to apply this year, there will simply be too many students, and no extra funds to ... read more
Peter Mandelson and Ronald Colman
Our latest lookalike is a bit of a test of memory/film knowledge. So, for those who are struggling: the English actor Ronald Colman made his name in silent films and "talkies" such as If I Were King. Perhaps a rather fitting title for a man of such Mandelsonian smoothness.
Leave your suggestions for more Mandy lookalikes in the comment box below, or send them to ... read more
"Please enter your pin now, and don't pull the chain"
Yesterday BT sent a letter to Lord Mandelson threatening legal action if he follows through with his plans for broadband liberalisation, but today it lightened the mood somewhat with daring real-life tales of people conducting conference calls in their birthday suit.
BT handles roughly 15 million audio conferences a year. It has now conducted research which finds that 68 per cent admit they have dialled in ... read more
£533m cuts to university funding point to contradiction in Labour policy
Yesterday, in what has been called "a real Christmas kick in the teeth", the Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson, announced that more than half a billion pounds will be cut from university budgets next year.
The £533m cuts include £263m that had already been set out, with an additional £270m. This will reduce next year's university budget to just £7.3bn.
In another sting, the letter said that universities which over-recruited ... read more
"which has no relevance in modern society" Thats been the same argument for so many thousands of years. The difference with Britain post Labour is the state is now systematically against...
From Indu Pendent, 15 February 09:14
"what is so irritating is the arrogant presumption that people soft-headed enough to subscribe to superstitious twaddle are somehow morally superior because they share an ill-defined delusion which...
From Sir Michael, 15 February 08:26
Can the UK achieve it’s commitment to carbon reduction targets by 2020?
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