Blair loses an ally

LIKE THE MILLENNIUM Dome, the symbol that the ruling New Labour had intended to impress the world with, Mr. Peter Mandelson, hailed as the pivotal figure in the party's successful attempt to woo middle England, has just been relegated to oblivion. Even if, ironically, the connection between the dome and Mr. Mandelson is not far- fetched as it turns out, there must be shock that the high-profile Minister, also known as a ``sinister minister'', should have been forced out over what on the face of it appeared like an insignificant political act. The apparent sin for which his Prime Minister chose to sacrifice his most trusted lieutenant was that he made a representation to the Home Office on how certain wealthy, non-British political friends might go about gaining British citizenship. The former Minister responsible for the Dome was doing something every parliamentarian in every democracy does in routine fashion. Besides, the risks of provoking a scandal were minimal in this case since the friends were well connected across the British political spectrum. Mr. Mandelson, however, reckoned without two factors which have ultimately nipped a rich political career in the bud. The first and more decisive factor was that his new Labour is planning to go for elections this summer in the run-up to which any impropriety, perceived or real, could prove disastrous. Second, the friends for whom he interceded, the Hindujas, were facing prosecution in their home country and had been denied British citizenship once, a decade ago. Compounding the issues was the way political opponents linked the grant of citizenship to Mr. Srichand Hinduja to the handsome donation the family gave for underwriting the cost of the Faith Zone in the Millennium Dome, the ruling party's pet project which has been abandoned as a massive failure. It was this perceived link between the donation and the grant of citizenship which triggered the chain of events leading to Mr. Mandelson's resignation. As expected, both sides have denied the alleged link.

At a time when apathy and indifference, rather than the Tories in impatient opposition, were the biggest problems faced by the ruling new Labour, it was indeed a surprise that the party should have inflicted another wound on itself as it prepares to plunge into a general election campaign. The manner in which Mr. Mandelson, considered an architect of the party's stunning landslide victory three years ago, has been forced out of office a second time clearly rules out another comeback. It also reflects a face of the Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, that he had not often displayed: a ruthlessness and efficiency in damage control, and a readiness to jettison a liability. The departure of Mr. Mandelson - he also ceases to be coordinator of the party's campaign - must nevertheless be a blow to Mr. Blair so near the expected election. Mr. Mandelson's downfall will be welcome news to the many enemies he had made within the party in his short political career and will strengthen the position of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Gordon Brown, a prospective contender for the Prime Ministership who found himself sidelined by the more savvy Blair spin doctor.

With the Tory leadership and its programme failing to catch the British voters' fancy, there is no lurking danger that Mr. Blair will be evicted from Downing Street this summer if he chooses to go for elections. But the Ulster peace process, now at a critical stage, and Mr. Blair's campaign for closer integration within the European Union may both suffer setbacks with the departure of Mr. Mandelson. Together with the need for adjustments in the trans- Atlantic equations necessitated by the second version of the Bush administration, the year ahead can bring its own challenges in international relations.

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