Peter Mandelson goes camera shy

Peter Mandelson, once such a hog of the limelight, has suddenly gone all shy,

Press watchdog IPSO contacted national newspapers at the weekend with a warning not to bother the errant former peer as he struggles with the fall-out of being caught allegedly passing on confidential government information to a convicted paedophile. The email came after the body was “contacted by a representative acting on behalf of Peter Mandelson”.

“Mr Mandelson’s representatives state that he does not wish to speak to the media at this time,” it warned. “He requests that the press do not take photos or film, approach, or contact him via phone, email, or in-person.

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“We are happy to make editors aware of his request. We note the terms of Clause 2 (Privacy) and 3 (Harassment) of the Editor’s Code, and in particular that Clause 3 states that journalists must not persist in questioning, telephoning, pursuing or photographing individuals once asked to desist, unless justified in the public interest.”

One publication which might wish it had left Mandelson alone was the Times, which had egg on its face at the weekend after running an interview with its own former podcast pundit on the front page of its Saturday magazine.

The Times ordinarily gives a large puff on the front page of the paper to whoever is on the front of its magazine, but this weekend sought to play down the poorly-timed interview. It was only on the bottom-right of page seven that a small picture of Mandelson in a red jumper was featured, with the words: “The interview with Lord Mandelson in the magazine today went to press before police began investigating him over the leak of sensitive government information to Jeffrey Epstein and he resigned from the House of Lords.”