‘</p>\r\n</p>\r\n<p style=”text-align: justify;”>If history is usually written by the victors political history is written by the survivors. One of the greatest survivors of modern politics Peter now Lord Mandelson of Foy and Hartlepool has just delivered his insider”s view of the rise and fall of New Labour in a fascinating memoir The Third Man. </p>\r\n\r\n<p style=”text-align: justify;”>He really is the ultimate comeback kid (a term he uses himself) as Mandelson survived being twice kicked out of Cabinet once for a justified misdemeanour involving undeclared mortgage help once for a fabricated error only to return last year as the hoped for saviour of Gordon Brown”s fortunes an ultimately hopeless task.</p>\r\n\r\n<p style=”text-align: justify;”>What has kept Peter Mandelson going and enabled him to remain in the game like some latterday Margaret Thatcher figure going on and on? “I have staying power that was bred into me. Also I’m a very loyal member of the Labour Party and would never walk away from it so I didn’t” he reveals.</p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p style=”text-align: justify;”>Clearly though the injustice still rankles as he adds: “I have a very strong sense of injustice. The media made up its mind before the truth emerged and everybody else’s minds and the rest is history. “Although being appointed to the European Commission in Brussels half made up for itI didn’t realise how deeply it had eaten into me until I was asked back into Government.”</p>\r\n\r\n<p style=”text-align: justify;”>This was the undue influence scandal that abruptly removed Mandelson from his Cabinet seat in charge of Northern Ireland in January 2001. He remembers his time in the province with warmth. “I liked Northern Ireland very much and would always feel I could return. I made good friendships which my sudden departure affected but I have nothing but good memories.\r\n“The work was very challenging and important but relentlessyet I associate the weekends at Hillsborough with relaxation.”</p>\r\n\r\n<p style=”text-align: justify;”>As Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 1999 to 2001 a critical time following the Good Friday AgreementPeter Mandelson was equally loved and hated.</p>\r\n\r\n<a href=”http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/features/could-this-be-peters-last-waltz-28547853.html” title=”Read the full article online here” target=”_blank”>Read the full article online here </a>’