For Marty: Mandy Camps It Up At Conference

[Sheilbh]

'If I can come back, we can come back' Mandelson tells Labour

Business secretary wins standing ovation at the Labour conference for highly personal speech in which he claims the general election is still 'up for grabs'

Lord Mandelson attempted to breathe life into a subdued Labour conference today by insisting that the party could, like him, return from apparent oblivion and triumph again.

The business secretary, in his first speech since his surprise return to government last year, admitted his own trepidation at being invited back into government as he set out his vision for a Labour fourth term.

"Electorally, we are in the fight for our lives," he told Labour activists. "But if I can come back, we can come back."

"I came into politics to help remake the Labour party as a party of government. My relationship with Gordon was formed when people said we'd never form a government again.

"It made us not just modernisers but fighters – and certainly not quitters. That spirit still burns as brightly within us now as it did then."

He admitted that he had been surprised as the rest of the Labour party when Gordon Brown asked him to return to government last October.

"My network of informants had let me down," he joked.

Announcing an extension of the car scrappage scheme, Mandelson pledged his full, undivided attention and loyalty to the prime minister until the party was back on top.

Turning his fire on the Tories, Mandelson said David Cameron had been "pursuing a strategy, not of real change, but change to its presentation".

"The image-making department has done its work and done it well," he said. "Who am I to criticise?"

But he warned: that is not change, it's the same old Tory policies."

Reflecting on his own return to government, Mandelson said: "When the prime minister asked me to return to the cabinet last year I felt a lot of things: shock, surprise, apprehension. Returning to the goldfish bowl and all my friends in the media," he joked.

"I've been in the movie before and the sequel and didn't like the ending but the pull of coming back was just too much."

The peer said the Labour party was "in my bones".

" I love this party even if not everyone in the party loves me," he said.

He admitted he had been "careless with the views and feelings of others" but he said the reason for that was because he was "in a hurry to be in government to help the hard-working people of this country".

He told them: "I know that Tony [Blair] said our project would only be complete when the party learned to love Peter Mandelson. He may have set the bar too high though I am trying my best.

"But the fact is our project is far from complete," he said.

Insisting the general election was still "up for grabs", Mandelson added: "We may be the underdogs, but if we show the British people that we have not lost the fighting spirit and appetite for change which has defined this party throughout its history then we can and will win.

"Win for our party, win for our country, win for the British people."

Mandelson was rewarded with a standing ovation and cheers.

I love the way he's not only come back at the top level of politics but is now able to start joking about his reputation as the Prince of Darkness

Some of this really has to be watched, though.  I love this man

[Agelastus]

Some of this really has to be watched, though.  I love this man

I'd say you need psychiatric help, if I didn't know you think the same of me.

It was certainly a good, rousing speech, something the Labour party certainly needed.

A good, rousing speech to a Labour supporter anyway. To this poor prejudiced Tory here, it unfortunately caused more laughter than cheers. 

Heh, Sheilbh, what do you think of this suggestion that Gordon Brown is on medication? I know I am biased against him, but it would make some sense of his more outrageous comments of the last few months ("I saved the world" etc.)

[Caliga]

"If I can change, youz can all change too!"

[Sheilbh]

Heh, Sheilbh, what do you think of this suggestion that Gordon Brown is on medication? I know I am biased against him, but it would make some sense of his more outrageous comments of the last few months ("I saved the world" etc.)

I don't know.  I'm not sure if it's right that the BBC question him about something like that based only on rumours, but it is something that we should know.  PMs are very able to hide health problems if they want to, so maybe the media should be aggressive even on this subject.

Having said my main feeling towards Brown is pity.  I think Tory loathing for him has let decency fall away - in a similar way to the way I think Democrats responded to Sarah Palin.  In both cases it's like they've touched a very raw nerve in their opponents.  I also think that it's about the nastiest feeding frenzy - over two years - that I've ever seen the media get into.  I just feel sorry for him now.

[Agelastus]

Unlike Palin though, the loathing against Brown has built up over a long time. It only really erupted when he was prime-minister, but there was certainly a building undercurrent of it throughout his reign as chancellor.

I agree with you about the media; I am conflicted as to whether the question should have been asked about or not, and I actively loathe the man. On balance I think it should have been asked, since he is the man we are supposed to ultimately rely on in a crisis.

[Martinus]

'If I can come back, we can come back' Mandelson tells Labour

Business secretary wins standing ovation at the Labour conference for highly personal speech in which he claims the general election is still 'up for grabs'

Lord Mandelson attempted to breathe life into a subdued Labour conference today by insisting that the party could, like him, return from apparent oblivion and triumph again.

The business secretary, in his first speech since his surprise return to government last year, admitted his own trepidation at being invited back into government as he set out his vision for a Labour fourth term.

"Electorally, we are in the fight for our lives," he told Labour activists. "But if I can come back, we can come back."

"I came into politics to help remake the Labour party as a party of government. My relationship with Gordon was formed when people said we'd never form a government again.

"It made us not just modernisers but fighters – and certainly not quitters. That spirit still burns as brightly within us now as it did then."

He admitted that he had been surprised as the rest of the Labour party when Gordon Brown asked him to return to government last October.

"My network of informants had let me down," he joked.

Announcing an extension of the car scrappage scheme, Mandelson pledged his full, undivided attention and loyalty to the prime minister until the party was back on top.

Turning his fire on the Tories, Mandelson said David Cameron had been "pursuing a strategy, not of real change, but change to its presentation".

"The image-making department has done its work and done it well," he said. "Who am I to criticise?"

But he warned: that is not change, it's the same old Tory policies."

Reflecting on his own return to government, Mandelson said: "When the prime minister asked me to return to the cabinet last year I felt a lot of things: shock, surprise, apprehension. Returning to the goldfish bowl and all my friends in the media," he joked.

"I've been in the movie before and the sequel and didn't like the ending but the pull of coming back was just too much."

The peer said the Labour party was "in my bones".

" I love this party even if not everyone in the party loves me," he said.

He admitted he had been "careless with the views and feelings of others" but he said the reason for that was because he was "in a hurry to be in government to help the hard-working people of this country".

He told them: "I know that Tony [Blair] said our project would only be complete when the party learned to love Peter Mandelson. He may have set the bar too high though I am trying my best.

"But the fact is our project is far from complete," he said.

Insisting the general election was still "up for grabs", Mandelson added: "We may be the underdogs, but if we show the British people that we have not lost the fighting spirit and appetite for change which has defined this party throughout its history then we can and will win.

"Win for our party, win for our country, win for the British people."

Mandelson was rewarded with a standing ovation and cheers.

I love the way he's not only come back at the top level of politics but is now able to start joking about his reputation as the Prince of Darkness

Some of this really has to be watched, though.  I love this man

Then do what I do: join his facebook fan page.

[Brazen]

You have to see the video to appreciate the full-on campness of his delivery, especially the "If I can come back..." line.. It's positively Widow Twanky.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISVzOdsR8I8

[Martinus]

I love the "I didn't choose this party, I was born into it" line, which is another semi-personal joke.

[Martinus]

What's up with the horrible fuschia background, btw?

[Brazen]

The whole thing smacks of self-parody, to be honest. I wouldn't be surprised if even the most satirical of comedians or impressionists don't touch it, it's already golden.

[Brazen]

What's up with the horrible fuschia background, btw?

Labour's red is fading. Just ask the unions.

Notice the dearth of red ties this year too.

[Viking]

What's up with the horrible fuschia background, btw?

Labour's red is fading. Just ask the unions.

Notice the dearth of red ties this year too.

It's a bad sign going from workers Iron Red to Imperial Purple.
It's a worse sign fucking up the Imperial Purple and ending up with ghey Fuschia.

[Sheilbh]

What's up with the horrible fuschia background, btw?

New Labour's not comfortable with red.  It's a bit too old Labour. 

The whole thing smacks of self-parody, to be honest. I wouldn't be surprised if even the most satirical of comedians or impressionists don't touch it, it's already golden.

I know, it's incredible.  It reminds me of his 'I'm a fighter not a quitter' speech.