Only One Choice

Maybe it will be third time lucky for former Communist, Trotskyite and Lambeth Borough Councillor Peter Mandelson. I don't mind admitting I'm a rarity in the Labour Party in being happy to put on the record that I have a lot of time for Mandy, who I think made a huge contribution to making Labour electable, and was a highly effective snake minister.

Admittedly he was a bit less successful when he tried to get Tony selected as Labour candidate for Queensbridge Ward, but that's all Regent's canal water under the bridge.

Mandy's always been my sort of chap. I liked the graphological analysis that showed he shared many traits with yours truly. When I see how much the French hate him I like him even more. And I sympathised with him when he mistakenly ordered those mushy peas in the fish and chip shop, asking for a portion of the guacamole dip. After all, I once made a similar error involving a faggot and an order of foie gras. I digress. I must stop talking about faggots.

I was shocked at first by Mandy's attack on Gordon until I realised what the game is here. In my post yesterday I had reported that, according to The Observer, Tony was egging on David Miliband to mount a challenge to Gordon for the leadership.

But as soon as you read The Great Leader's denial that he made any such statement and add to that the fact that Mandy has signalled his intention to quit the moules frites brigade and return to Hartlepool, it all becomes clear.

The bespectacled rat is stirring the pot again, hoping that Brains will be so flattered with all the attention and confused with the situation that he will genuinely mount a challenge, with Mandy sweeping back into a ministerial position as a result.

It's not often that I admit to agreeing with The Independent, but I think they've got it right describing the situation as a botched coup.

The fact is that there is no choice. They are all failures and lightweights. There's only one choice and that's the man whose prudent hand on the economic tiller of state has put this country where it is today. Even if inequality is widening. And even if Gordon is a boring, dour, manipulative, traitorous, charisma-less, Stalinist, Scottish b*****d.