Penelope was looking puzzled. 'Who's Mandy, Mummy?'
'That's Lord Peter Mandleson, the former Labour Minister.'
'Why's he got a girl's name?'
'Mandy is short for Mandleson.'
'Is he really a Prince of Darkness?'
'No. That's what people call him who don't like him.'
'How is he the Third Man, Mummy?'
'Well. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were Prime Ministers and Mandy says he is the only one who really knew them both.'
'He's not very nice about his friends is he?'
'No. I don't suppose they will be friends any more.'
'He said Tony Blair thought Gordon Brown was Mad Bad & Dangerous to know. My art teacher Bert was furious about that. He said it was Lord Byron who first had that said about him. We've got a lovely portrait of Byron in the classroom and I wouldn't mind knowing him'
'Rather him than Mandy. Yes it was said about Byron. He was better with words than all those politicians.'
'Wow! You do look angry Mummy.'
'Your father has been reading every word that Mandy has written so you can tell how happy the Conservatives are.'
'Daddy told me that Brown left a mess for others to clear up. That's not very nice.'
'Your father has a poor memory, Darling. He was practically exploding when the Bankers were caught gambling and we had to help them. They are the ones who made the mess.'
'I hate all this politics. Bert says they are all as bad as each other.'
'He's an art teacher.'
'So?'
'He doesn't have to run things. He just draws pretty pictures.'
'You are so yesterday Mummy. Pictures are not pretty any more they are there to stir things up.'
'Like Mandy. He loves to stir things up. Ghastly man.'
'You like the Liberal Democrats don't you Mummy?'
'We can all change our minds.'
