Mandelson, a key figure in the creation of New Labor alongside Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, used the phrase in Hartlepool on the night of the 2001 general election result when he returned as an MP after his second resignation from the Cabinet – this the next time he is accused of helping an Indian billionaire get a British passport. While the Tory leader may have bought herself a little more time by using the line, her apparent inspiration for it was less than impressed. “At least I said it with gusto,” the man once known in the corridors of Westminster as “the prince of darkness” told the FT. Variations of the phrase have littered political obituaries in the past, most notably those of Richard Nixon and Ian Duncan Smith, who insisted at different times that they had not resigned. Theresa May and David Cameron also sought to underline their combative credentials as they reached the end of the line. But Truss’s version appears to be more like the emotionally charged performance Mandelson gave after facing a challenge for his seat from Arthur Scargill’s Socialist Labor Party. In his victory speech he said: “It was said that I was facing political oblivion, my career in tatters, apparently never to be part of political life again. “Well they underestimated Hartlepool and they underestimated me because I’m a fighter and not a quitter.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Mandelson was later cleared of an investigation of possible abuse and went on to have a third political life after leaving the Hartlepool post he had held since 1992, and in 2004 he was appointed EU Trade Commissioner.
