Lord Mandelson: Labour and Lib Dems should form permanent alliance

Lord Mandelson has attempted to revive the idea of a “permanent” alliance between the Liberal Democrats and Labour.

The former Deputy Prime Minister dangled the possibility of Ed Miliband re-opening talks on a “realignment” of the two parties if Labour fails to win an outright general election victory next year.

His comments, in an article for Prospect magazine, triggered anger and suspicion among Labour traditionalists who fear Tony Blair’s supporters want to revive their agenda of a virtual merger.

Lord Mandelson wrote: “Perhaps on this topic Ed Miliband will choose to pick up where Tony Blair left off, should next year’s general election result force him to do so.”

His remarks were in a review of a new biography of former Lib-Dem grandee Lord [Roy] Jenkins, who persuaded Mr Blair to consider forming a coalition with Paddy Ashdown in 1997. But one Labour MP said: “We don’t want a coalition or any ‘realignment” with the Liberal Democrats.”