Co-conspirators will remember on Wednesday Peter Mandelson promised Times Radio he would go into “meltdown” if the Tories won Hartlepool. Describing the Tory victory in Hartlepool as a mere ‘win’ now feels like an understatement. Mandelson’s Today Programme appearance therefore ended up sounding more like a mild breakdown than the promised meltdown; resorting to listing the last 42 years of general elections in order as “lose, lose, lose, lose, Blair, Blair, Blair, lose, lose, lose, lose,” saying the party must learn from this. It’s terrible advice, though we know Mandelson is now advising Starmer, so no doubt it’ll be keenly listened to…