The Third Man: Life at the Heart of New Labour

My maternal grandfather, Herbert Morrison, at the May Day parade in Hyde Park, 1939. (© Popperfoto/Getty Images)

My father and mother with my paternal grandfather, Norman Mandelson.

The budding young spin-doctor? On the phone, next to my father.

At Hendon County Grammar school.

With my mother and brother Miles at the Aldermaston anti-nuclear march in the 1960s.

With Gershom Nyaranga, Rural Dean of Musoma, Tanzania, 1972.

In my bedroom study in Princes Street, Oxford, 1976.

The Weekend World team at LWT. (© ITV/Rex Features)

Admiring the red roses with Tony Blair at the Labour Party conference in Blackpool, 1990. (© John Voos/The Independent)

Keeping a watchful eye on the platform at the same conference with Julie Hall and Philip Gould. (© John Voos/The Independent)

With Neil Kinnock in Clapham, south London, July 1990. (© Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

The Labour candidate for Hartlepool in the 1992 general election. (© Trevor Humphries/Financial Times)

At the dedication of a bench to the memory of my father, Hampstead Garden Suburb, 1991. (© Nigel Sutton)

Fielding calls from the press on an early portable phone in my beloved home at Foy, Herefordshire. (© Paul Felix/Rex Features)

Key members of the shadow cabinet economic team, 1992. (© John Stillwell / PA Archive/Press Association Images)

With a group of school children in Hartlepool.

With guest speaker Mo Mowlam and friends at a constituency summer barbeque in Hartlepool.

With Prince Charles at a reception in St James’s Palace.

Planning the 1997 general election campaign with Margaret Beckett, Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. (© Tom Stoddart/Getty Images)

New Labour’s kings of spin: with Alastair and David Hill prior to our 1997 election manifesto launch. (© Fiona Hanson/PA Archive/Press Association Images)

A new dawn: the election victory party at the Royal Festival Hall on the morning of 2 May 1997. (© Brian Harris/Rex Features)

Minister without Portfolio: outside the Cabinet Office on my first day at work.

At the Millennium Dome site with Chris Smith, Michael Heseltine, Tony Blair and John Prescott. (© John Stillwell/PA Archive/Press Association Images)

John Prescott in conversation with his mate ‘Peter’. (© Ben Curtis/ PA Archive/Press Association Images)

Relaxing in the company of Sabrina Guinness and Mick Jagger.

With Bobby and Jack on the steps of Hillsborough Castle.

At Stormont with Tony and Bill Clinton, December 2000.

The Queen visits Hillsborough. Housekeeper Olywn McCarthy keeps hold of Bobby.

Making my resignation statement outside Number 10 after leaving the government for the second time, January 2001. (© Alastair Grant/AP/Press Association Images)

With Tony in Hartlepool, September 2001. This was the first time we had been photographed together since my second resignation. (© Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Supporting the campaign for justice for the families of the victims of the Omagh bombing, 2000. (© Topfoto.co.uk)

With my constituency agent, Steve Wallace, in Hartlepool.

Anxiously awaiting the result at the Hartlepool count on the night of the 2001 general election. (© Carl Rutherford/PA Archive/Press Association Images)

Jubilation with my supporters after my victory is announced. (© Ian Hodgson/Reuters/Corbis)

At the Progressive Governance Conference in London, 2003 with President Lula of Brazil, Tony and President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa.

With Tony at the EU–China political summit in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (© Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP/Press Association Images)

Arriving at the WTO talks in Geneva, July 2008. (© Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)

Irish farmers protesting in Dublin against the proposed WTO deal. (© Collins Photo Agency, Dublin)

‘Cashmering my way into Number 10’ on my return to government for the third time, October 2008. (© Fiona Hanson/PA Wire/Press Association Images)

At the Cabinet table with Alan Johnson, David Miliband, Alistair Darling, Douglas Alexander and Ed Balls. (© Anthony Devlin/AP/ Press Association Images)

Gordon and I see the funny side during a question-and-answer session with local business people in Kent on 21 October, shortly after I rejoined the government. (© Gareth Fuller/PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Resplendent in my robes on the occasion of my introduction to the House of Lords, with Roger Liddle. (© Gary Lee/Photoshot)

On a return visit to Brussels, with the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso.

In a military aircraft during my visit to Iraq, April 2009. (© Peter Nicholls/The Times)

Comeback kid: delivering my speech to the Labour Party conference, September 2009. (© Mirrorpix)

The Mirror headline the next day summed up the mood of delegates in the hall. (© Mirrorpix)

Dancing with Hannah Rita-Mackenzie in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom during the general election campaign, April 2010. (© Graeme Robertson/Guardian News & Media Ltd 2010)

On our final day in Downing Street with Douglas Alexander, Alastair, Gordon and Ed Balls. (© Martin Argles/Guardian News & Media Ltd. 2010)

Introduction (#ulink_0f5904b5-f8d1-5d70-b329-4aa75f7c40d4)

This may seem an odd admission from someone who once embodied New Labour’s reputation for spin and control freakery, but almost everything about this book is different from what I had imagined it would be.