Nothing can match the strange, though deeply troubling, friendship which has arisen between Peter Mandelson and George Osborne

Politics throws up peculiar bedfellows. Nothing in recent memory, however, can match the strange, though deeply troubling, friendship which has arisen between Peter Mandelson and George Osborne.

The two men talk regularly. At a London party two weeks ago, they were so transfixed in conversation that aides shooed other people away.

This new alliance is especially unlikely considering their notorious meeting off the Greek island of Corfu on a yacht owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, whose hospitality both men were enjoying.

Afterwards, Mr Osborne claimed to journalists that the then Labour-appointed EU trade commissioner had disloyally ‘dripped pure poison’ into his ear about Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister.

Mr Mandelson took revenge by alleging that Osborne (who had unwisely been accompanied on the yacht by the Party Treasurer Andrew Feldman) had taken the opportunity to try to solicit money for the Tory Party from Russian multi-millionaire Deripaska.

Neither man emerged with any credit from this encounter — and most observers assumed they would never speak to one another again.

Not so. The first public sign of incipient friendship came in a smarmy item by Mandelson in praise of Osborne in last year’s Spectator magazine. ‘If the Tories win the next election,’ he grovelled, ‘it will be down to his political skill and determination.’

How on earth had these once sworn enemies become so chummy? According to one Tory adviser: ‘George is goggle-eyed in the presence of Peter Mandelson. He behaves like the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.’

The truth is that although they belong to rival political parties, both men have a great deal in common. They are instinctive political insiders, obsessed by the mechanisms of power — and not overly concerned about the niceties of what has to be done to win it.

Nor is it just their personalities which are similar.

This week’s state visit by China’s President Xi Jinping exemplifies their shared interests. It was the idea of Chancellor Osborne. But it was enthusiastically supported by Lord Mandelson.

Indeed, Osborne has now helped to arrange for Mandelson — who was twice forced to resign from Labour governments — to become the president of the Great Britain China Centre. This is a prestigious post, which will see him promoting mutual trust and understanding between the UK and China.

Europe is another common area of interest, for both men are ardent supporters of the EU. Mandelson is the mastermind of the campaign to keep Britain in Europe, while Osborne is the Government’s official negotiator, charged with obtaining better membership terms.

As one would expect from two sophisticated (and unscrupulous) political minds, they have already prepared a strategy. Characteristically, I fear it does not contain an ounce of genuine substance. But also, as one would expect, their plan is politically formidable.

I have learned that the Osborne/Mandelson team is already dismissive of the so-called Remain Campaign, which was launched earlier this month under the chairmanship of Lord (Stuart) Rose, who was once boss of Marks & Spencer.

It was Mandelson who orchestrated Tony Blair (pictured) walking into 10 Downing Street some 18 years ago

The truth is that Lord Rose — a genuinely decent man with an acute business brain, but who is politically gauche — is being used like a decoy duck. He will be relegated to the sidelines when a re-invigorated campaign is unveiled.

As part of their cynical strategy to keep Britain in the EU, Mandelson and Osborne want the referendum to be held at the last possible moment. The vote will not take place until 2017 — most likely in autumn. And crucially, Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission President, will by then have set in motion a series of treaty changes for the next stage of integration as the EU develops into a superstate.

These changes, foreshadowed in the so-called Five Presidents Report last June, are central to the Mandelson/Osborne masterplan.

The report envisages yet further integration among 19 countries in the single currency eurozone, binding them so tightly (financially, socially and politically) that, in effect, the eurozone will become a single country.

Not being signed up to the euro, Britain will not be part of this group and will be given a so-called ‘escape clause’, freeing us from any further moves towards closer union.

EGYPT'S PRESIDENT TO HIT THE RED CARPET If you thought the state visit by China’s President Xi Jinping was deeply unedifying, much worse is to come. In two weeks’ time, the red carpet will be rolled out for President Sisi of Egypt. Field Marshal Sisi came to power after masterminding a bloody coup against a democratically elected government. More than 1,000 people were shot dead in Rabaa Square in Cairo as they protested against the military takeover. Following the slaughter of pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square, it took Britain more than 15 years to invite a Chinese president for a state visit. Just two years have passed since the Rabaa Square massacre. Undoubtedly, there will be street protests against this butchering field marshal. I intend to join them. Advertisement

It is vital to stress the importance of these developments.

It means that David Cameron will be armed with powerful weapons to argue for Britain’s continued membership of the EU, even if he fails to win the concessions for Britain that he has said he aims to achieve.

He will be able to argue, very plausibly, that EU membership gives the UK the best of both worlds: that is, we remain part of the wider European trading area, while escaping the onerous burdens of membership of a new European superstate.

What’s more, the Europhiles will be helped by Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is expected to give her blessing to Britain having ‘associate status’.

The Yes camp — with Osborne and Mandelson plotting behind the scenes — are convinced that all this will convince the majority of the British people to vote to remain in the EU. Also, they expect the No campaign to be destabilised by these apparent concessions to the British people. In any case, they scent divisions in the ‘Leave’ camp, with some wanting to quit the EU at all costs, while others are prepared to remain if reforms are achieved.

Although there is a long time to go before the referendum, Osborne and Mandelson are acquiring a winning set of cards.

And what next, if the Yes side win? Mr Cameron has let it be known that he will step down shortly after the referendum. If he keeps his promise — and his wife Samantha will make certain he does — Mandelson will be there to guide his trusted buddy George Osborne to replace him as PM.

Of course, it was Mandelson who orchestrated Tony Blair walking into 10 Downing Street more than 18 years ago. As they say in Brussels: ‘Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.’ (‘The more things change, the more they stay the same.’)

What a turnaround! Who would have guessed that Peter Mandelson, who betrayed George Osborne so mercilessly seven summers ago in Corfu, would end up joining forces with him to install him as the next Tory Prime Minister?

Speaker Bercow is just not up to the job

It is axiomatic that the Commons Speaker should be above party politics. He or she should be impartial and trusted by all sides. Yet John Bercow does not have these qualities.

This week, we witnessed egregious examples of his inadequacy for the job. Tory MP Chris Philp had asked the Prime Minister if ‘green policies’ were in part behind the desperately sad closure of Tata Steel, with the loss of 1,200 jobs, because British businesses pay nearly twice as much for electricity as German and French rivals due to environmental surcharges.

It is axiomatic that the Commons Speaker should be above party politics. He or she should be impartial and trusted by all sides. Yet John Bercow (pictured) does not have these qualities

Yet Bercow refused to let the PM answer. On top of that, the Speaker accused Business Secretary Sajid Javid of being ‘discourteous and incompetent’ for giving a slightly long-winded answer to a question.

Worst of all was Bercow’s egotistical performance when welcoming the Chinese President to address both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday. Not only did Bercow let himself down again. More importantly, he let Britain down.

We are told that publication of Sir John Chilcot’s Iraq Inquiry report has been pushed back to 2017 — which means that it will be six years late.

Why the delay? The evidence presented to Chilcot was crystal clear.

For several weeks, I have been working with a BBC team to produce my own Oborne Report into what Chilcot should have concluded — based on meticulous study of public testimony to the official inquiry and using our own witnesses. The results will be broadcast on Radio 4 on Thursday at 8pm.