Anyway, it seems that Blair now has everything in place and is very happy. I can believe this, as he gives the impression of having been the kind of boy who spent more time arranging his toys than playing with them. Apparently, the reasons for Mandelson's appointment are so complex that it must be a happy accident for unionists that they've been given exactly what they wanted. Why they wanted it is another question. But the unionists appear not even to have thought of this.
British people are.
Seemingly, the unionists don't know much about him but they are attracted by the fact that he is close to Blair, of whom they approve. Now, if David Trimble approved of me so much that he wanted to meet more people like me, I'd worry. But then, Tony Blair makes no secret of his belief in the union. The UUP are also impressed by the notion that Mandelson was responsible for the result of the 1997 general election. I thought it was to do with people voting, but perhaps I'm very old-fashioned.