Mandy officially rules out leadership bid
By Ian Dunt
Lord Mandelson has officially ruled out standing for the Labour leadership after weeks of rumours threatened to reach fever pitch.
“I have no prospect and no plans of standing as leader of the Labour party,” he said.
“I am a member of the House of Lords. There is no opportunity for me to divest myself of my life peerage.
“A peerage is for life. A life peerage is a life peerage.”
Asked if this meant he was ruling himself out of ever running he replied: “It is me officially ruling it out.”
“In this country, if you are made a life peer, it’s for life. It’s like a life sentence.”
The business secretary has never had such considerable political capital on his side, with his return to government last year prompting the most impressive media coverage of his career.
