Mandelson’s expanding empire

The indispensability of Peter Mandelson to the increasingly isolated and impotent Gordon Brown was made still plainer today when it emerged that he now  has a place on 35 important cabinet committees, namely:

National Economic Council
Better Regulation
Democratic Renewal Council
Domestic Policy Council
Domestic Affairs
Borders and Migration
Communities and Equalities
Food
Families, Children and Young People
Health and Wellbeing
Justice and Crime
Local Government and the Regions
Public Engagement and the Delivery of Services
Life Chances
Talent and Enterprise
Economic Development
Environment and Energy
Housing, Planning and Regeneration
Olympic and Paralympic Games
Productivity, Skills and Employment
Constitution
National Security, International Relations and Development
Europe
Overseas and Defence
Africa
Afghanistan and Pakistan
Trade
Protective Security and Resilience
Public Services and Public Expenditure
Public Sector Pay and Pensions
Pandemic Influenza Planning
Post Office Network
Flood planning
PM’s ad hoc Committee on International Climate Change
PM’s ad hoc International Climate Change Negotiations

For an unelected minister to wield such power within government is quite remarkable.

It is also quite unacceptable.