EU Trade Commissioner Enjoyed MS Hospitality

Brian Blessed writes "Today's edition of The Times contains a report that Peter Mandelson, the EU (European Union) Trade Commissioner, spent New Year's Eve as a guest of Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, in the Carribean on Mr Allen's luxury yacht. The story mentions the conflict of interest that this causes because of the protracted legal battle between Microsoft and the European Commission. Perhaps the Trade Commissioner has also been in a position to influence the progress of European Software Patent legislation?"

Comments

Re:Perception vs reality.

[purple_cobra]

If you knew anything about Mandelson's political history you might think this incident deserves a little investigation. Any search for him at the BBC's news site should turn up some useful information.

Not a great track record.

[ShaniaTwain]

Conservative leaders say that Mr Mandelson, who was twice forced to resign from the Cabinet over allegations of sleaze, should learn the lessons of the past, demanding that he should be "totally open" and branding him "naive".

TWICE?! he was twice forced to resign over allegations of sleaze?! Wow, he either has vicious enemies or he's not so much on the up and up.

Re:Not a great track record.

[T-Kir]

Mandy (Mr Mandelsons nickname iirc) was one of the main spin doctors along with Alastair Campbell and Charlie Wheelan who made the Labour party what it is today (i.e. got Blair into power). So he was a pretty powerful politician for a while, although the double resignations made it too difficult for Blair to let him have a cabinet position again.

Note, this is AFAIK and I may have missed out some salient points... but will answer your question to some degree.

Godbye Ethics , Hello luxuary cruise

[FidelCatsro]

How in the hell he thought it , Either A: acceptable , or B: a good idea , is simply beyond me .
Here is a man of immense power and persuasion taking what ammounts to a large bribe from microsoft and i have no doubts he was having a good drink enjoying ways to amicably let microsoft off on the fine , the opening up thing , oh and the Patent issue.

Tonight i am going to write a letter to my MEP and urge that they raise a question as to whether he should be thrown out of this position imediatly , and at the very lest that he get some awnsers as to why he thought this behaviour beffiting of a politican.

I do not want large lobby groups and private industry to have a strangle hold over the european commision , and if people like this are in office then i am begining to lose hope .

This will not stop me kicking up a fuss , and if you agree with me i urge you to do the same .A letter is sometimes all it takes (oh and while you at it , make sure to bug you MEP again about the patents issue)

Good old Mandy

[rleyton]

Hoho, Mandelson never learns. So much for third time lucky. For the non-Brits that might be around, Peter Mandelson is something of a Blair loyalist, who is actually now in his third senior political incarnation.

First up, he was in the cabinet culminating in Trade Secretary, but had to resign after it was discovered he had taken a loan of £373,000 (about $700,000) from another minister and not declared it in the public records.

A few years later, long enough for Blair but not the rest of the population to forget, he was back "resurrected" as it were (apt, as he's also known as the Prince of Darkness) to be the Northern Ireland secretary. Guess what, not that long after it transpired he was involved with a dodgy claim by some rather wealthy businessmen to gain British passports.

He got the Trade Commissioner job by merit Blair being blind to his foibles. So, now we discover that he's been taking benefits in kind, presumably rather on the sly, from a co-founder of Microsoft that just happens to have been landed with a hefty fine by the EU.

Why am I not surprised?

More here on the esteemed gentlemans career if you don't like bitter and twisted British political mumblings.

The Octopus

[Jon Abbott]

Peter Mandleson, the EU (European Union) Trade Commissioner, spent New Year's Eve as a guest of Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, in the Carribean on Mr Allen's luxury yacht.

Ah, yes, the Octopus ... What a hulking beast of a ship!

Re:Eruope, our corporations thank EU....

[globalar]

The business community of Europe was the driving force behind the EU, the currency change, and the new demands for change in corporate merging laws between member states. This influence was secured way back when the EU was only a coal/steel trade organization.

Make no mistake - economic interests have unified Europe, and political ones are only following suit.

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Re:Let me be the first to say

[rcs1000]

*BZZT* WRONG.

I work in finance, and checked Bloomberg yesterday (in order to argue Allen was a significant shareholder). Shockingly, it appears as if Paul Allen has sold almost all of his shares. Very quietly.

I tried to Google for a news story, but was unable to find one. Nevertheless, I would be very surprised if Allen had more than a small fraction of his wealth in Microsoft. (Certainly, compared to Vulture Ventures, Charter Communications, and that sports team he bought...)

Cheers,

Robert