
Talking … Peter Mandelson and New Labour w/Helen Thompson
From Past Present Future by David Runciman
April 26, 2026 · 57 min · Season 17 · Episode 286
About this episode
David and Helen Thompson discuss the complex relationship between Peter Mandelson and the New Labour project.
In today’s episode David and Helen Thompson explore the tortured relationship between Peter Mandelson and the New Labour project that he helped to create and now seems finally to have destroyed. How has the whole history of New Labour been shaped by its origin in ideas of betrayal? Why did Tony Blair and Gordon Brown both end up depending on Mandelson while despairing of each other? What held their relationships together and what caused them to fall apart? Out tomorrow on PPF+: the second part of this conversation in which David and Helen bring the story up to the present: how does the drama ultimately end? To get this and all our bonus episodes plus ad-free listening sign up to PPF+ now https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus Join us on Wednesday 6th May at the Regent Street Cinema in London for the third film in our new season: a screening of The Third Man followed by a live podcast recording with writer and broadcaster Misha Glenny. Tickets available now https://bit.ly/3O5rSEY You can find out everything you need to know about this podcast – who we are, what we do, plus merch, events and full lists of all episodes and PPF+ bonus episodes on our website https://www.ppfideas.com…
People in this episode
Host: David Runciman
Guest: Helen Thompson
Topics covered
- New Labour
- politics
- betrayal
- relationships
- history
- Peter Mandelson
Keywords
- Peter Mandelson
- New Labour
- Tony Blair
- Gordon Brown
- politics
- betrayal
- history
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: New Labour, PPF+
Books & works: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Places: London
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