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Mandelson Gets Top Job
The man who masterminded Labour's successful election campaign, Peter Mandelson, has been given a key role in the government.
Tony Blair has announced that Mr Mandelson (MP for Hartlepool) is appointed Minister without Portfolio. Though outside the Cabinet, Downing Street said that he will "assist in the strategic implementation of Government policies and their effective presentation to the public".
Many feel that he is likely to retain considerable influence over the Prime Minister.
In a TV interview, Mr Mandelson made plain his belief that the government of the country had lost direction in recent years and Mr Blair realised that New Labour needed to continue to focus on the project it had set itself and the pledges made.
"I think that what he (Mr Blair) will want to do is to create a strong centre in government, so that all its various arms and departments have a very clear sense of their own direction, how they are going to form part of the overall picture, so that we can very rapidly start implementing and delivering what we stood for and what we pledged to the British people," he said.
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