Further thoughts: The Mandelson scandal only reinforces what many voters think of our governing class. It will not play well in the Gorton and Denton by-election on Feb 26, which must now be on track to lose. And if Starmer is still around as PM for that result, defeat would surely be the final nail in his political coffin. Labour MPs can already be heard muttering ruefully — ‘he chose Mandelson for Washington but stopped Andy Burnham from running in Gorton!!!’