Fish and sympathy as minister's chips are down

Mark Oliver talks to the man behind the frier in Mandelson's constituency

'I would not be surprised if he left politics for good'
Special report: Mandelson resigns

Mark Oliver
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday January 24 2001 15.56 GMT

As Peter Mandelson licks his wounds, he can at least console himself with the thought that locals in his Hartlepool constituency were this morning looking on the bright side of his impending resignation.

"He's the classic absent MP, isn't he?" said Malcolm Foster, owner of Foster's Fish Grill, which counts the beleaguered Northern Ireland secretary as an occasional customer.

"He's not from here and he's never here," he said. At least, he added, Mr Mandelson would now "have more time for the town, which is where he should be anyway".

Mr Foster conceded that Mr Mandelson's interests were with the higher echelons of government.

"Well, maybe that's why the Labour party did so badly in the recent local council elections. There is a feeling they may be losing touch a tiny bit with their grass roots."

Mr Foster felt that there would be some local sympathy for a man often described in the Hartlepool Mail as "the esteemed politician".

"There has been an element of pride that our MP is a very high-flying cabinet member. You get the impression there is a lot of people out to get him. There only has to be a sniff of scandal and they're on him.

"I think it's all very unfortunate and I feel sorry for the man. I would not wish it on anyone to lose their job.

"This latest passport controversy seems to me to be a storm in a tea cup and I can't see that he has done anything very wrong."

Mr Foster could not confirm the truth of a famous apocryphal story about Mr Mandelson - who increased Labour's majority in Hartlepool by 8,782 votes in 1997 - once confusing mushy peas in a chip shop with guacamole.

He said: "Apparently he likes his chips. He's been in here one or two times, once getting the round of chip suppers in for nine people, including his bodyguards."

Mr Mandelson may now be providing Foster's Fish Grill with more regular patronage.

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Steve Bell on the passport row

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From the Guardian archive: the home loan row
22.12.1998: Mandelson, the minister and the secret £373,000 loan
24.12.1998: Mandelson resigns