Pretty Shrewd Operator

Mandelson, often tries to sell himself as a free trader. He blames the frequent protectionist things that he does on the rules that he must adhere to. Is he really telling us the truth? Andy Robertson, chief executive of NFU Scotland, and a protectionist like all of his kind, thinks otherwise.

"Mandelson is a pretty shrewd operator, and I think he understood after briefing from officials of the importance of agriculture to the rural economy right across Europe. It seems clear that he was not prepared to give any more ground."

He may be trying to spin this as a personal victory. However the importance of agriculture to the political elite, and Peter's propensity to suck up. People like him believe in nothing but furthering their own careers, and like all those who went before him, he has gone native with a vengeance.