Lord Mandelson ‘wants David Miliband’s job’

Prime Minister Gordon Brown faces a divided Cabinet after claims emerged over the weekend that Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, wants David Miliband's job as Foreign Secretary.

If reports in the Sunday Times and the Mail on Sunday are to be believed, the reason why Mandelson was so keen for Miliband to become the EU's first high representative - aka EU foreign secretary - was that he was hoping to step in and become the foreign secretary in his place. Mandelson's grandfather, Herbert Morrison, held the post for a short while in the 1940s, and now, it is said, Mandy fancies it for himself.

But Miliband turned down the opportunity of heading the new diplomatic service in Brussels, and decided to remain in Westminster instead, thus paving the way for Brown to nominate the little-known Baroness Ashton.

At which point, it seems, Mandelson, renowned for his mastery of backroom political manipulation, leapt into action and placed a series of frantic phone calls to Brussels – without Gordon Brown’s knowledge - in an effort to get himself appointed high representative. But to no avail.

"Gordon promised Mandelson he would get the foreign secretary job if Miliband went to Brussels," a source inside Downing Street reportedly told the Sunday Times. "That fell through. Now Mandelson is pressing Gordon very hard to make him foreign secretary anyway. He thinks it is his last chance to achieve a life-time ambition."

Mandelson is said to be incensed that the plum EU job went to the little-known Lady Ashton, the 53-year-old peer who replaced Mandelson as EU Trade Commissioner when he was called back to British domestic politics by Gordon Brown last year.

Even Brown is said to think of Ashton as a lightweight, while Mandelson, according to the Daily Mail, regards her with "barely concealed contempt".

Quite what excuse Brown is supposed to come up with to enable him to fire David Miliband and placate Mandy, nobody knows. ·