They are clinging to the hope that senior Labour figures will find an emergency means of getting around the rules and installing a leader who is acceptable to them. They were given hope yesterday by Lord Mandelson, who appeared to imply that a way could be found to install a new leader more swiftly. Asked by Sky News if a Labour minority or coalition government that did not have Mr Brown as prime minister was inconceivable, Lord Mandelson said: “Frankly there are quite a number of permutations. I am not ruling out or ruling in anything.”