Tories 'beatable', Mandelson insists

Tuesday, 14 July 2009 12:00 AM

By Alex Stevenson

Peter Mandelson was in fighting mood as he addressed an audience of journalists in parliament.

Speaking at a lunch of press gallery journalists, the first secretary of state said he rated Gordon Brown's chances of being prime minister in July 2010 very highly.

Lord Mandelson, as he explained, could not himself become prime minister as he is a life peer - unless there was a change of legislation, of course.

He was more serious on the economy, which he claimed was beginning to improve, and on the upcoming general election.

The business secretary was especially bullish about the Conservative party's policies, which he claimed were virtually non-existent.

"The Conservatives have become less ineffective, less dysfunctional but still beatable," he said, assessing the opposition's progress since 1997.

Lord Mandelson said he could provide an "encyclopaedic" list of policies which amounted to nothing more than a "blank" and said the Tories were "taking the public for fools" as a result.

While they would have acknowledged that David Cameron was a slightly more charming leader than his predecessors and that the Tories would cut spending the public were unlikely to be further impressed, he said.

"I think that shows contempt for the voters and I think that's how the voters will see it," Lord Mandelson added.

He admitted Labour's internal polling showed the governing party were struggling, however.

Tags:
• labour
,
• party politics