biography
pronunciation:
[mandelson]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1954– )
|
| biography:
| Politician, born in London, UK, the grandson of Herbert Morrison. He studied at Oxford, became a television producer for Weekend World (1982–5), and was then appointed Labour Party Director for Campaigns and Communications (1985–90). Elected as MP for Hartlepool in 1992, he became an Opposition whip (1994), and shadow Civil Service spokesman (1995). In 1996 he worked exclusively on the Labour Party election campaign, and under his guidance, the party took on a more professional media presentation. After Labour's landslide victory in 1997 he became a minister without portfolio - an influential member of the cabinet, responsible for assisting the prime minister in co-ordinating, implementing, and presenting government policy. He was appointed president of the Board of Trade and secretary of state for trade and industry in 1998. He resigned from the government, although remaining an MP, late in 1998 following his failure to declare, in the Member's Register of Interests, a private mortgage loan from his cabinet colleague, Geoffrey Robinson (paymaster general). After 10 months without office, he was appointed Northern Ireland Secretary. He then played a significant part in negotiations that set up the power-sharing executive and the opening of the Northern Ireland Assembly as its governing body in December 1999. He resigned from the cabinet in 2001. |
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