Mandy 'controls levers of power'
Wednesday, 22 July 2009 12:00 AM
By politics.co.uk staff
Peter Mandelson's far-reaching influence across Whitehall is reflected by his dominance of Cabinet committees, prompting opposition condemnation.
The unelected first secretary of state, lord president of the council and business and enterprise sits on twice as many Cabinet committees as John Prescott did when he was deputy prime minister.
In total Lord Mandelson sits on 35 of the 44 Cabinet committees and sub-committees, ranging from the national economic council, through the ministerial committees on domestic affairs and life chances, to the sub-committees on Africa and flood planning.
The Conservatives reacted with anger to the news. Party chairman Eric Pickles accused Lord Mandelson of being "the real unelected prime minister pulling the strings from No 10".
"He is Gordon Brown's political life support machine, keeping the plotters at bay," Mr Pickles added.
"He sadly typifies the prime minister's unhealthy reliance on unelected officials.
Mr Brown's 'government of all the talents' continues to give him a headache. Today Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, a Foreign Office minister resigning this week, added to the row over whether British forces in Afghanistan have sufficient numbers of helicopters.
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