The former Labour cabinet minister, Mr Peter Mandelson, yesterday revealed for the first time in public how his dramatic fall from power had affected his life. In a surprisingly candid speech to a trade union conference, he disclosed that for months he did not know what to do with himself and felt "disorientated and awkward".
He said he did not miss the trappings of power and made it clear that his "true friends" were in the Labour Party and trade union movement.
The former trade and industry secretary, who often had a frosty relations with many trade unionists, won warm applause from delegates at the annual conference of the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union in Jersey.
Many later praised his "humility" and said they would like to see him return to office following his resignation last December over a home loan row.
Mr Mandelson departed from his prepared speech on the benefits of joining the single currency, to tell the conference that he had been born into the Labour Party and had worked for the party all his working life. "You can imagine how I felt these last six months - a bit disorientated, a little awkward, not knowing quite what to do with myself." There was speculation among delegates about whether the speech, following one in Brussels early this week, heralded the start of a comeback campaign by the former highflier.
Mr Mandelson would not make any comments on whether he was being lined up for a job either in the government or in campaigning for the single currency.
He is on the council of Britain In Europe, which is leading the prosingle currency campaign and is likely to make further speeches in the coming months on the importance of the euro.