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The Mandelson Magic

© Carey Goodman

Last week the British Home Office revealed that Peter Mandelson had made inquiries and exerted influence to enable an Indian financier and his family to obtain British passports. The financier is under investigation by the Indian government for (yes, what else would it be?) rather illegal speculative activities involving the Bombay stock exchange. The initial allegation was that Mr. Mandelson had intervened only as a favor to the family to short-cut the normal lengthy process. The Mandelson response was to issue vigorous denials and then resign before the story could further discredit him. This means the man whose political guidance the Labour Party will seek to secure re-election victory has only a few weeks to completely rehabilitate himself before the expected May 2001 general election campaign begins. One can almost sense the delight Conservative Party candidates must feel at the prospect of a scandal-wrecked Peter Mandelson using tales of previous misdeeds by the opposition to rally the Labour faithful to the polls.

Peter Mandelson knows well that the clock is ticking against him. A day after he resigned last week, he announced that he would seek re-election to keep his Parliamentary seat. But more trouble lays ahead for the post-Mandelson cabinet. The DTI Secretary was assigned to the Northern Ireland Office, and the Deputy Foreign Secretary was assigned to the DTI. On his last day at the Foreign Office, the new DTI Secretary was accused of making racist and derogatory statements about several leaders of South Africa's governing African National Congress party. The details of that saga are still emerging. This may mean another government reshuffle before the general election is held.

It is true that the Labour Party is expected to win re-election with or without its political guru Peter Mandelson. To use a term he himself brought into standard parlance, he is a man so inextricable from "political slease" that even his friends call him the "Prince of Darkness". But with his departure, the Northern Ireland peace process takes on more uncertainty, the Home Office must re-examine its passport applications, and the financier who is still sought for prosecution by Indian courts remains outside the jurisdiction of those courts. Perhaps in his next ministerial incarnation, Mr. Mandelson will be given the role of the Chief Whip. That way he can count and report the diminishing votes of his supporters. Perhaps then he will find the back benches a bit more comfortable.