Young Peter is not, it turns out, a rival to Old Nick. Read Paul Burke’s magnificent squashing of Mandelson’s political reputation in the Spectator. Prince of Darkness, indeed. “Plodder,” says Burke. Yes, say I, but those people make the world go round, plodding round the mouse wheel.

By Old Nick of course I mean Machiavelli. And Machiavelli has a message for us, and especially to people like Mandelson. Machiavelli used a great phrase: mantenere lo stato. The one great absolutely necessary thing to do in politics is ‘to maintain the state’: that is, avoid ridiculous, expensive Miliband policies, avoid silly Mandelson gizmos and avoid daft Campbell narratives. Instead, simply hold the state together. Well, I think our ruling class forgot to maintain the state.

Read More: Politicians Have Forgotten the First Rule of Politics