Peter Mandelson might have been humiliated when he was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US, but financially, he’s hardly hurting.
Forced to step away from his international lobbying firm, Global Counsel, which he founded in 2010, the former Labour heavyweight is still poised for a substantial payday.
Millions from Global Counsel
Mandelson owns a 21 percent stake in Global Counsel, a company valued at £30 million.
That alone could see him pocket £6.3 million. But the windfall doesn’t stop there. Company accounts reveal he’s also owed £1 million by Global Counsel.
Add another £300,000 owed to his company Willbury Ltd—which he fully owns and which has £1.78 million in assets—and Mandelson’s approaching an £8 million payday.
And that’s before factoring in the payout he received from the Foreign Office following his departure from his £200,000 ambassadorial role.
Westminster Shake-Ups Continue
It’s not just Mandelson making headlines. Former Scottish Secretary Ian Murray, who was also removed from office, was promptly brought back into government in the Culture department—raising eyebrows among Labour MPs who thought “fire and rehire” was off the table.
Meanwhile, within the party’s intellectual circles, Lord Glasman, founder of the influential Blue Labour group, remains one of Labour’s respected voices.
Glasman publicly warned No10 against appointing Mandelson as ambassador and recently remarked on Starmer’s fragile position: “The next six months will be decisive for him.
He may. Or he may not.” His tone leaves little doubt where he leans.
Labour’s Troubles in Local Politics
The party’s woes aren’t confined to Westminster. In Caerphilly, a Welsh Parliament by-election looms next month, and the local Labour leader, Sean Morgan, has quit the party.
He expects Plaid Cymru to take the seat and has pledged to vote for their candidate, bluntly describing Labour as “a busted flush.”
Unpopular Across the Board
Labour’s difficulties aren’t just internal. Paul Fleming, general secretary of the actors’ union Equity, summed up the public sentiment neatly: “They’re deeply unpopular, they’re broadly incompetent and nobody likes them.”
And that’s coming from someone outside the political fray, not a Tory critic.
Miliband and the Clean Energy Claims
Ed Miliband, sticking to his Climate Change portfolio after the reshuffle, painted an optimistic picture of Britain’s energy future, promising “secure unionised jobs for local people.”
Reality check: Greg Jackson, founder of Octopus Energy—which supplies 13 million homes—was recently appointed to a three-year Cabinet Office directorship, yet his company doesn’t recognise trade unions.
TfL and the £52,000 Spin Doctor
Meanwhile, London commuters, still recovering from a week-long Tube strike, might be reassured—or bemused—that Sadiq Khan’s Transport for London is advertising for a £52,000-a-year spin doctor to “safeguard” the organisation’s reputation.
Labour’s Image Problem Persists
From Mandelson’s multimillion-pound windfall to leadership missteps and public dissatisfaction, Labour seems to be struggling on multiple fronts.
Whether it’s the corridors of Westminster, the streets of Caerphilly, or the headlines of national news, the party faces challenges that no amount of spin—or spin doctor—can easily fix.