“You were the weakest link -goodbye!”

THE DEPARTURE from Tony Blair’s government of former Cabinet Minister, Peter Mandelson, finds no sympathy from former Labour MP, now Socialist Party councillor Dave Nellist. Dave, who is also national Chair of The Socialist Alliance said: “If you’ve got a few hundred pounds in the bank and you want to reunite a family with members from India, or bring a visitor over for a wedding, Britain is virtually a closed door.

“But if you’ve got a few hundred million pounds in the bank – even if you’re facing arms deal corruption charges in India – then there’s a compliant New Labour Minister available to open the door for you.

“This whole episode ranks of the sort of sleaze that was common under the Tory Government – proof again that we need a new politics in this country, a new party of working people for working people imbued with genuine socialist ideas. Labour’s too mesmerised by the problems of the millionaires, instead of dealing with the problems of the millions.

“Personally, I don’t see why Peter Mandelson didn’t go the whole way, and be hung for a sheep instead of a lamb. He could have phoned up Mohammed Al Fayed and probably got £5 million for a passport! Mr Mandelson, you were the weakest link – Goodbye!”