On the 24th April after reports that there were “warm messages” between Mandelson and Chief Secretary to the PM Darren Jones, the minister denied it on broadcast. Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg he said:
“No, I was asked what was going on in Downing Street… This was the week that I had just arrived as Chief Secretary. I don’t think I even had an office at the time. And I replied along the lines of I don’t know what’s happening. I’m not in the room. I’m sorry it all seems so difficult. And that was the exchange that I think has been referred to in piece… I wouldn’t say it was warm and I didn’t know what was taking place.”
That message was: “You’ve been doing such a great job, and you worked wonders with Trump. I’m so sorry about today.” What counts as ‘warm’ in the Jones household?
Government sources say that Mandelson has been incensed by Jones’ leadership briefings and statements on the WhatsApps and decided to blow him up this week. In case co-conspirators thought the saga was close to over…
Former Treasury minister and adviser to Burnham in the Makerfield campaign Lord Jim O’Neill, who has turned down a role in his government, said Burnham’s first statement Commons was:
“The last thing investors wanted to hear… gilt yields have risen by a 0.25% in one day, which is a lot. We’ve not had that since Liz Truss days… If your country is under the focus of ‘can they come up with a sensible fiscal strategy’ on a day when the markets think ‘well no, you’re not showing any sign of it’ you’re going to have a tough day…if it stays like this your mortgage rate is going up.”