Mandelson: Outburst against MPs

Labour's former deputy leader has appealed for a "period of silence" from Peter Mandelson.

Lord Hattersley said Mandelson had been wrong to suggest that some Labour MPs were attempting to remove Tony Blair from the leadership.

He called on the prime minister to silence Mandelson, whose remarks came in a speech last week, in order to avoid any further damaging headlines.

Speaking to GMTV's Sunday programme, Hattersley said Mandelson's tactics were wrong.

Detrimental

"I think Peter Mandelson is now a detriment to the Labour Party and think one of the things that the prime minister should do is take him aside and say 'you are my friend, I value your advice, but a period of silence would be very much welcomed'," he said.

“He ought not to use his talent in causing more trouble than the Labour Party needs at the moment."

Hattersley slammed the "very stupid strategy" being pursued by Mandelson.

“Nobody in their right mind wants to push the prime minister out, and to focus attention on them seem to me to be crazy," said the Labour peer.

“I’m afraid I don’t believe Peter had a strategy for defending the government I think he had a strategy for getting his name into the newspapers and that I think was counterproductive.

“Somehow enhancing the argument about internal strife is foolish... he knows it’s going to make no difference at all except heightening the idea that there is a crisis inside the party and I don’t believe there is a party inside the party."

Culture secretary Tessa Jowell also stepped into the row this weekend, admitting that a small number of MPs did want to depose the prime minister.

“I think much is made of this; I think a tiny minority never supported his election as leader and have never supported him since," she told GMTV.