Mandelson refutes election role rumours
European Commissioner Peter Mandelson has denied rumours that he will help run Labour’s general election campaign.
The former Cabinet minister, who is widely regarded as a key architect of the New Labour project, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he would not be playing a central role in the campaign, but would be cheering on Tony Blair “from the sidelines.”
Mr Mandelson, a close friend and political ally of the prime minister, said that a third term of a Labour government would be good “not only for the sake of Britain’s place in Europe”, but also for Tony Blair’s ” policies for modernising our public services and strengthening the productive base of our economy”.
The EU trade commissioner added that Britain should use a proposed referendum on the European constitution to “re-cement” its relationship with Europe.
“Every generation or so in Britain, there needs to be an opportunity to re-state or re-cement our commitment to the European Union,” Mr Mandelson told the Today programme.
“This is one such opportunity and I think people need to seize it.”
Mr Mandelson’s recent move to Brussels is considered by some to be a political comeback, after the former minister was forced to resign from the Cabinet amid controversy on two previous occasions.
