The grotesque hypocrisy of Mail man Dan Hodges

“This is how parties die,” Mail on Sunday columnist Dan Hodges solemnly informed his 202,000 X followers at the weekend.

“It starts with noble intentions. Then ends in the grotesque spectacle of Labour MPs claiming hordes of people are joining their party to support a PM who claims he got hoodwinked into appointing the best mate of a notorious pedophile [sic] as his ambassador.”

Alas, X’s word count meant that Hodges did not also have to space to comment on the pundit who, upon Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador in December 2024, wrote a newspaper article with the headline “Ruthless, cynical and cunning – why Mandy is the perfect choice as US ambassador”.

“Howls of Leftist anguish simply serve to underline the wisdom of the decision,” wrote this commentator. “Mandelson has the experience for one of the most demanding briefs in British diplomacy – fostering an unlikely alliance between the socialist son of a toolmaker and the populist godfather of the global MAGA movement.

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“Ask any of his enemies, and they will cite the same flaws. ‘He’s Machiavellian.’ ‘He’s power hungry.’ ‘He’s arrogant.’ Maybe he is. But Downing Street’s calculation is that these are precisely the qualities Donald Trump respects.

“And that when Mandelson arrives at the White House early next year, the incoming President will see a confident, politically skilful, powerbroker. In other words, a kindred spirit.

“Despite the diplomatic furore, it is a good move by Keir Starmer,” concluded this commentator. “New Labour’s Prince of Darkness is now Britain’s Prince of Darkness. And in an increasingly uncertain, chaotic and dangerous world, that’s no bad thing.”

In the extremely unlikely event you’ve not already worked it out by now, that article appeared in the Mail on Sunday – and the man pouring praise on the best mate of a notorious paedophile was one Dan Hodges