Yes, the silly season has started right on cue, with ‘mounting speculation’ (newspaper code for: 2+ journalists writing the same thing) that the next Labour leader might be none other than Baron Mandelson, of Foy in the County of Herefordshire and of Hartlepool in the County of Durham. This is, of course, utter rubbish, as everyone who’s written up the notion has been forced to concede.
But IF the impossible were to occur, and Peter Mandelson were to ascend to Number 10, he would do so thanks to one man, Liberal Democrat peer, Lord (Andrew) Phillips of Sudbury. Wikipedia takes up the story:
In July 2006, to the surprise of many people, Lord Phillips of Sudbury announced his intention to resign from the House of Lords at the age of 67 (the average age of members being 68). He criticised the “cascades” of legislation that the Labour government had introduced:
It is seriously counter-productive. No society can absorb a net increase of statute law of eight or nine thousand pages a year.’
He said he would pursue other interests, and would no longer be just a “weekend husband” to his wife.
He had wanted to vacate his seat in the House of Lords, revert to being known as Mr Phillips, and allow “new blood” from his party to take his seat. However, although hereditary peers may disclaim their titles under the Peerage Act 1963, life peers are unable to renounce their titles, and continue to hold them for life. Therefore, Phillips is to take leave of absence from the House, meaning he will be unable to attend or vote, but could return at a month’s notice.
Lord Phillips’ stand is prompting a change in the law, currently being guided through the House of Commons by Jack Straw as part of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill. As Carl Gardner notes on The Wardman Wire blog:
Part 3, clauses 29 and 30 will allow peers to resign from the Lords and disclaim their peerages; and clause 30(6) and (7) will free them to stand for election to the Commons. It’s already being suggested this is a “Mandelson clause“, which will allow the Lord High Everything Else to stand for the Commons and lead his party.
So, there you have it: if PM4PM moves from beyond being a slogan into reality, then it will be the Lib Dems wot done it.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
Welcome immigrants (2)
West End weekly ward surgeries tonight #dundeewestend
Lib Dems set up 'Reform watch'
Alistair Carmichael: Labour is falling into the same trap the Tories did on immigration
Mr Starmer, when did you abandon reason for madness?
Eigenzeit
Nonconformistradical
Andy Daer
Peter Davies
David LG
Mark Valladares
9 Comments
Very good piece Stephen. I have alluded to the “PM4PM” rumours in my column tomorrow but my personal view is that he prefers the role of eminence grise. Expect to see a host of Sunday newspaper commentators writing it up though.
He’d only end up having to resign (again) at least as a peer he has a job for life
Could he not technically be pm from the lords-like the duke of wellington?
Can you really see the left of the Labour party accepting Mandelson as leader???? He has the potential to split the party even deeper than the SDP split in the early 80s!
The phrase ‘nothing to be proud of’ springs to mind, but thankfully Mandelson will never lead Labour or this country.
I thought Mandelson and Campbell decided last year that the Labour project was doomed unless they brought some sense into the Brown premiership. As they have failed to do this, Plan B is for PM to go for PM. The two of them (with Blair) have destroyed the old Labour party so I’m not sure what Pm is intending to take over, unless its a new labour rump and hte LibDems. Don’t underestimate the man. He may fail but it won’t be for want of trying.
I do love the silly season. The press really are desperate this time round. Mandelson for PM? You have more chance of Clegg getting the job :o)
The so-called “Mandelson clause” is no such thing. It is already in effect as part of the 1963 Peerage Act (although maybe phrased differently). If it gets a name at all, then it would be the Tony Benn clause, as that was who it was constructed for:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Benn#Peerage_reform
If Mandelson wants to resign and go back to the Commons, he can already do so.
@Alex
No, Mandelson can’t resign as the law stands. The Peerage Act specifically allows “any person who … succeeds to a peerage” — where “succeeds to” means “inherits”, not “is appointed to” — to resign their peerage, and what’s more, only if they do so within twelve months of succeeding.
That said, I find it hard to believe that even a man of PM’s superb capacity for self-belief and self-delusion could imagine that he could win a Labour leadership election. Unless he’s working on a way to avoid the need for any such pesky thing as an election…