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mandelson - the crook is back

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Aug 2, 2005
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With many business sectors struggling (see the retail figures this week), doesn't UK business deserve a Secretary of State that's both competent and honest?

And, what do we get?

Mandelson.

Steve

PS Can anyone tell me what businesses he's owned and run?
 
I think he used to work in the clothing storage business. He was employed to stack menswear into the racks. He was a shirt lifter (allegedly).
 
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Is his inclusion not another manifestation of a Government Of All Talents, GOAT?
Or is goatse more appropriate?

If you don't know what it means just move on. Don't look it up. Really.
 
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Dawg said:
Is his inclusion not another manifestation of a Government Of All Talents, GOAT?
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"Government Of All Talents"... it's like something out of Orwell.

We've got a...

- chancellor who's never worked in finance

- defence secretary who's never served in the forces

- health secretary who's never worked in a hospital

- schools secretary who's never been a teacher...

(... I could go on, but you get the message...)

WTF? That wouldn't happen in the real world.

These people have ended up running key parts of the country with CVs that would get them laughed out of an interview for a comparable job in the private sector.

And, it's not like Britain is short on talent.

I meet lots of people that are talented, experienced, intelligent and honest.

If we wanted a "Government Of All Talents", we'd have no problem filling it.

So, why is the country being led by a bunch of amateurs with no relevant experience?

No wonder the economy is down the crapper.

Steve
 
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SteveGibson said:
"Government Of All Talents"... it's like something out of Orwell.

We've got a...

- chancellor who's never worked in finance

- defence secretary who's never served in the forces

- health secretary who's never worked in a hospital

- schools secretary who's never been a teacher...

(... I could go on, but you get the message...)

WTF? That wouldn't happen in the real world.

These people have ended up running key parts of the country with CVs that would get them laughed out of an interview for a comparable job in the private sector.

And, it's not like Britain is short on talent.

I meet lots of people that are talented, experienced, intelligent and honest.

If we wanted a "Government Of All Talents", we'd have no problem filling it.

So, why is the country being led by a bunch of amateurs with no relevant experience?

No wonder the economy is down the crapper.

Steve
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I suspect the people with the brains and the ability would not apply for such posts.

We live in a world of how things look ,not how they are.Hence why Cameron has far more chances of being ellected than the previous baldy Gnome.

The housewives choice is what wins elections.

Earl
 
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Mandelson might be a crook or at least not very open about his financial declarations, which is not what we want in our politicians, but I don't think making vaguely anti-gay statements like "shirt lifter" are very clever and don't really add to the debate, perhaps contributors to this discussion could knock that on the head?
 
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Is government the only job you can resign from and go back to next month? I reckon he's going for thehat trick.
 
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Rob B said:
Mandelson might be a crook or at least not very open about his financial declarations, which is not what we want in our politicians, but I don't think making vaguely anti-gay statements like "shirt lifter" are very clever and don't really add to the debate, perhaps contributors to this discussion could knock that on the head?
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Agreed.

Frankly, I wouldnt care if he humps pigs... if he was competent and he could keep his hands out the till.

Steve
 
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Heard a story about him a while back.

He was at a pompous dinner and a waiter was bringing round the butter, putting one pat on each side plate. Mandy asked for two. The waiter declined. Mandy said

"Do you know who I am -I'm a bloody Cabinet Minister, give me another butter'.

The waiter is supposed to have said. "Yes, I know who you are and I'm the guy that gives out the butter" And moved on.
 
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Rob B said:
........ at least not very open about his financial declarations......
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IIRC what he did with not declaring that loan would have been fraud if you or I had done it.

Anyway I look forward to his seminars on what we can leave off our tax returns, be good to have some real expertise at last.

On another note I see that Margaret Beckett is to be in charge of housing. I'm sure that caravanning experience will come in handy for those that get their houses repossessed.
 
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dave_n said:
So, why is the country being led by a bunch of amateurs with no relevant experience?

Because a lot of morons decided to vote them in!
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So true, now see what you are putting us through.....

Who in the right mind would openly vote Labour?.

Incompetence personified.......

Mandelson?....Give me a break.

Get rid of the lot of them now!!!!
 
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Bringing back Mandelson and Beckett is all about trying to keep the Tories out. If Labour genuinely believed they would win an election then David Miliband would be contesting and winning the leadership contest.

This strategy is all about damage limtation and they will not risk sacrificing Miliband to do it, but they will sacrifice Mandelson.

Miliband has been tipped to be leader of the Labour party by insiders for at least 5 or 6 years. They will not let Miliband go down the same route as the Tory Golden Boy, Portillo.

The minute Miliband is in ... they will either believe they can win, or be in opposition fighting to win and Brown will not be able to lead them in opposition.
 
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The thing that puzzles me is why Mandelson has left the Euro gravy train to join this carwreck of a government. He can't really believe that the long term prospects are good as a British NuLabour politico, or better than as a Euro functionaire so why is he joining a sinking ship captained by someone who is or was a bitter enemy?

(3 transport metaphors in one para..I'm flying..)
 
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Perhaps Bliar has got something on him and has twisted his arm, and I'm sure Bliar must be involved in this, or perhaps he promised to let Mandelson know where he hid the teflon suit.

The assumption has always been that it's Mandelson and Prescott who know where the skeletons are, but what do we know?
 
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Don't be too sure. We're just about to enter a full blown recession - all bets are off. We have 2 years of pain ahead, if Gordon can make it no more than one - he may yet surprise us.
 
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The CBI, FSB and the City have reacted very positively to his appointment. One leading city businessman went as far to say that his appointment was 'orgasmic'.
Although he isn't the most popular person with the general public, he's widely considered an advocate and champion for business.
 
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SteveGibson said:
With many business sectors struggling (see the retail figures this week), doesn't UK business deserve a Secretary of State that's both competent and honest?

And, what do we get?

Mandelson.

Steve

PS Can anyone tell me what businesses he's owned and run?
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He read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at St Catherine's College, Oxford University (1973-1976) and, after returning to the Labour party, became director of the British Youth Council in the late 1970s. As BYC director, he was a delegate in 1978 to the Soviet-organised World Festival of Youth and Students in Havana, Cuba, with Arthur Scargill and several future Labour cabinet colleagues.[2][3] He was elected to Lambeth Borough Council in September 1979, but retired in 1982, disillusioned with the state of Labour politics.
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He worked as a television producer with London Weekend Television on Weekend World, where he formed a durable friendship with John Birt, then LWT's Director of Programmes, before his appointment as the Labour Party's Director of Communications in 1985. In this role he was one of the first people in Britain to whom the term "spin doctor" was applied; during this period he acquired the nickname "The Prince of Darkness" (originally coined in the satirical magazine Private Eye). In 1986 he ran the campaign at the Fulham by-election that saw Labour defeat the Conservative Party.
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Can't recall any business experience as such but as usual they have to have gone to Oxford or Cambridge! lol... My take on him, is, (and this isn't classified information) he seems to be a quitter with problems committing himself!

You don't want someone like that in government. Brown is **** but at least he has held it out and not resigned within a few months of his role.
 
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Many commentators have said what I suspected: he's in the cabinet because Brown wants more spin doctors.

(BTW, does anyone remember that speech Brown gave when he took over about "no spin"... seems a long time ago...)

My prediction about Mandelson is that he'll be accused of taking backhanders from some business that's benefitted from government policy.

As usual, he'll quit. And, as usual, his cronies will allow him to avoid criminal charges.

... and then we'll get someone else who has never run a business "looking after our interests".

Steve
 
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SteveGibson said:
"Government Of All Talents"... it's like something out of Orwell.

We've got a...

- chancellor who's never worked in finance

- defence secretary who's never served in the forces

- health secretary who's never worked in a hospital

- schools secretary who's never been a teacher...

(... I could go on, but you get the message...)

WTF? That wouldn't happen in the real world.
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I beg to differ as it happens all the time in the real world as very few chairman of major public companies have worked there way up the chain.

As an example the chairman of British Airways has never flown a plane but was previously chairman of British American Tobacco which I suppose he qualified for by being a smoker and prior to that was chairman of Wiggins Teape Group, Chairman of Eagle Star and BAT Industries’ Group Managing Director, Financial Services.

If you look at the CVs of most of the chairman of major public companies they will all show similar patterns
 
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Ian J said:
I beg to differ as it happens all the time in the real world as very few chairman of major public companies have worked there way up the chain.
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In the big companies I worked for, the chairman didn't run the company, the MD did.

And, the MDs had experience of the industry prior to becoming MD.

But, maybe my experience is unusual.

Steve
 
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SteveGibson said:
We've got a...

- chancellor who's never worked in finance

- defence secretary who's never served in the forces

- health secretary who's never worked in a hospital

- schools secretary who's never been a teacher...
Click to expand...

Interesting selection and shows

Finance - a current horror story
Defense - littered with costly mistakes, equipment that either does not work or is not up to the task, massive over runs...
Health - a demoralised disaster zone
Education - most qualifications are not worth the paper they are printed on and like the health service a very demoralised staff

...they all make your point well.

As to the previous poster saying that experience in a sector not being needing, I beg to differ, apart from the vision and intelligence to take a sector forward, experience and knowledge are paramount.
 
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I think there is something in Mandy joining the Goverment in exchange for Brown getting the 12bn euros he's asking for today.... Sarcozi(sp?) openly wants Mandy gone, the snotgobbler needs the dosh, a win-win if ever I saw one, except the UK who lose by not only having the Prince of Darkness on its payroll, but the public preception Cyclops has "sorted" the financial system of the country!
 
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Ian J said:
As an example the chairman of British Airways has never flown a plane
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Just to back up what I wrote before.

The chief exec of BA is Willie Walsh and, according to wikipedia:

"At the age of 17 he became a pilot at Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus, joining as a cadet in 1979. During his time as a pilot he acted as chief negotiator for the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA) and is quoted during this time that "a reasonable man gets nowhere in negotiations". He also acquired a Master's degree in management and business administration from Trinity College, Dublin during his pilot years. 1

He later joined company management, with various positions including that of Chief Executive of then company subsidiary, Futura from 1998 to 2000."

So, the guy who runs BA has plenty of industry experience.

Steve
 
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Might be as simple as LBJ's old quote:

"Better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside pissing in."
 
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How can anybody possibly challenge the integrity and judgement of Gordon Brown?

"Homeowners rightly expect their investment to be protected by sensible policies's I am determined that, as a country, we never return to the instability, speculation, and negative equity that characterised the housing market in the 1980s and 1990s.'' Gordon Brown's Budget speech, July 1997


Focused.
 
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Industry leaders, those with years of experience, should be offered megabucks to go into politics.

Maybe.
 
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Two stories about Mandelson in the papers today:

(1) The story in the Times brings to mind tigers and their inability to change stripes in this suggestion of Mandelson-centred euro-cronyism:

"Peter Mandelson gave trade concessions worth up to £50m a year to Russia’s richest man who has entertained him on his superyacht."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4926572.ece

(2) And, just to show that your Euro-taxes are being well spent:

"Mandelson to pocket a £1m Brussels pay-off"

"The EU rule book decrees that Mandelson, who left his job as Trade Commissioner last week before completing his five-year term, will be eligible for about £78,000 a year for each of the next three years in 'transitional payments'. A total of £234,000 will be paid in instalments of £6,500 a month until the end of 2011. It will be subject to preferential tax rates devised for EU officials.

In addition, when Mandelson reaches 65, he can look forward to a guaranteed EU pension - based on his four-year stint in Brussels - starting at £31,000 a year and rising in line with the cost of living. Pensions experts said last night that to buy an income of that size would require a fund of around £750,000."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/oct/12/mandelson-labour

Steve
 
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Is government the only job you can resign from and go back to next month? I reckon he's going for thehat trick.
 
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