Bagehot: The king of Corfu

摘要

Perhaps it was a genuine misunderstanding. The waves lap, the moon glistens on the wine-dark sea, the retsina flows, the stars and gold taps sparkle. In the morning, no one can agree whose idea it first was to play charades, go skinny-dipping or solicit an illegal donation from a Russian oligarch.rnAugust in Corfu: Peter Mandelson, then the European Union's trade commissioner, allegedly "dripped pure poison" about Gordon Brown into the ears of George Osborne, the shadow chancellor. Then Mr Mandelson was stunningly recalled to government as business secretary-and Mr Osborne leaked some details of their holiday chat. He was foolish to do so. The old bitterness between the newly ennobled Lord Mandelson and Mr Brown is scarcely news; indeed, their rancorous history was part of what made the appointment seem so bold. Mr Osborne's big mistake, however, was failing to anticipate some of what happened next.rnThe press began probing Lord Mandelson's connections with Oleg Deripaska, a Russian metals magnate who was also on and around (in his yacht) Corfu in August. There were insinuations (denied) that this association might have affected European policy on aluminium tariffs.