Sophie Raworth gets the Peter Mandelson treatment

Peter Mandleson appeared on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning hosted, in Andrew Marr's absence, by Sophie Raworth - who showed considerably more bravery than Andrew Marr normally shows by questioning him about the new allegations about his lack of judgement.

The interview with Peter Mandelson starts at around 41 minutes in, the pertinent part starts at around 54 minutes in and is well worth watching. Peter Mandelson switches so easily into "how dare people accuse me" mode and at around 56:30 he cannot resist attacking Sophie Raworth for "smearing" him.

The full transcript can be found on The Andrew Marr Show website from where I have taken this extract (my emphasis):

"SOPHIE RAWORTH: Talking of showy, Russian billionaires - Oleg Deripaska. How well do you know him? How much have you socialised with him?

PETER MANDELSON: The thing I want to say about these sort of muck raking stories that have appeared in some of the Conservative newspapers in the last week, doing the Conservatives' job for them, is that I have a very clear view of my public role and the responsibilities I have in that public role and how I spend my private time.

There has been innuendo in the newspapers that I gave favours or I gave benefits as Trade Commissioner to individuals because of my personal friendship with them. The entirety of the European Commission, the Director General for Trade himself has made clear that there is not one jot of truth in that; that it is 100% false and that's where I'm going to leave it and I'm not going to say anything more about it.

SOPHIE RAWORTH: Absolutely and I... No, no, all I want ask you is is it a lack of judgement then? Nobody is actually saying you have done something wrong. The Commission's most senior trade official, David O'Sullivan, says you have done nothing wrong. (Mandelson laughs)

What people are questioning is whether it is a perceived lack of judgement or a perceived conflict of interest to be seen aboard a yacht of a Russian billionaire.

PETER MANDELSON: But you're doing, you're doing exactly the same...

SOPHIE RAWORTH: I'm not, I'm asking about lack of judgement.

PETER MANDELSON: ... you're doing exactly the same as the Tories are doing...

SOPHIE RAWORTH: I'm not at all. I'm asking about lack of judgement.

PETER MANDELSON: ... and the papers. Well let me answer then.

SOPHIE RAWORTH: Go on then.

PETER MANDELSON: You're doing exactly the same as the Tories and the Tory supporting newspapers are doing. You're creating a whole lot of smoke, a whole lot of innuendo in order to try...

SOPHIE RAWORTH: I've said... Nobody's said you've done anything wrong. I'm making that very clear.

PETER MANDELSON: Well thank you very much. You've said I've done nothing wrong. Therefore what do I have to answer for?

SOPHIE RAWORTH: A lack of judgement. Appearing, socialising with somebody who could benefit from you and your position as European Trade Commissioner.

PETER MANDELSON: Sophie, Sophie, you cannot do business as a European Trade Commissioner in Russia, India, China, South Africa, Brazil, all the big emerging economies of the world without having contact with the big business and economic figures in those countries as well as the political figures.

I make a very clear distinction indeed. I do not allow any conflict of interest to arise between the contacts I have with these individuals and how I do my day job. I've now come back to British politics, I'm now a British minister, I'm governed by the ministerial code. I've signed up to the ministerial code and I will abide by the ministerial code...

SOPHIE RAWORTH: Which says avoid all perceived conflicts of interest...

PETER MANDELSON: ... and if you have, if you have any evidence, any evidence, please bring it to me, but don't try to smear me with innuendo.

SOPHIE RAWORTH: I'm not trying to smear you and I have said you have done nothing wrong. I have made that very clear. Let me just...

PETER MANDELSON: Thank you very much."

It's good to have Peter Mandelson back in British politics; whilst I don't enjoy the brief time he manages to stay in government, I really do enjoy his regular forced retirements.

Just one question, if Peter Mandelson has to resign from Cabinet again will he receive another payoff from the UK taxpayer?