Mandelson exacts revenge on Osborne
It's barely a week since Peter Mandelson (pictured) was welcomed back to the Government and the Prince of Darkness has already begun spinning. This time it's not aimed at his Cabinet colleagues (although that will come, no doubt), but at George Osborne, apparently in retaliation for the shadow chancellor letting slip that Mandy had "dripped pure poison" about Gordon Brown into his ear during their date at a taverna in Corfu.
According to the Independent, Mandelson has apparently been telling journalists that Osborne himself had been none too complimentary about some of his own colleagues, although he refused to disclose any details. Sure enough, however, a juicy titbit appeared yesterday in the arch-Brownite Kevin Maguire's column in the Daily Mirror. Maguire claimed that Osborne had referred to the Tory defence spokesman, Liam Fox, as "a shit".
The alleged outburst comes as no surprise to sources in the Tory Party. Says one: "It is quite true, they have never been able to stand one another," said a friend of Fox. "Liam has said as much about George in private. It goes back years to when George worked for William Hague when he was party leader. He held quite lot of influence over him and Liam hated it. They also clashed during Liam's time as party chairman."
Peter Mandelson taken into hospital
Peter Mandelson’s back in town
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