‘Blair and Mandelson are controlling Remain’

TONY BLAIR and Peter Mandelson are “pulling the strings” behind the Remainer alliance by giving proxy advice to Labour and Lib Dem MPS, it has been claimed.

The former prime minister and his New Labour sidekick, nicknamed the “Prince of Darkness”, are understood to be at the centre of cross-party attempts to block Brexit, including last week’s passing of a Bill, tabled by Hilary Benn, to take no deal off the table.

A source told The Daily Telegraph: “Blair and Mandelson are pulling the strings. Mandelson is the puppet master, he has had meetings via proxy with all the parties involved in the Remain alliance and sends emails with ideas. Blair’s people have been speaking to Jo Swinson’s people.”

Despite Jeremy Corbyn calling for a general election 50 times this year, last week and on Monday he voted against a motion to hold a snap Oct 15 poll.

His spokesman had indicated he would support the motion only after the Benn Bill received Royal Assent.

But it is understood that Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, and fellow Blairites in the party put Mr Corbyn under pressure not to back a ballot until after Mr Johnson had been forced under the legislation to seek an Article 50 extension until Jan 31.

The move came after Mr Blair gave a speech to the Institute for Government earlier this month describing an election before Oct 31 as an “elephant trap”.

“Boris Johnson knows that if a nodeal Brexit stands on its own as a proposition, it might well fail,” he said. “But if he mixes it up with the Brexit pledge and the Corbyn question together in a general election, he could succeed, despite a majority being against a nodeal Brexit because some may fear a Corbyn premiership more.”

An insider in the Remain camp said Lord Mandelson, who sat on the board of Britain Stronger in Europe, the official Remain campaign, sent representatives to the weekly meetings of the Remain alliance in Westminster.

Another source said Lance Price, Mr Blair’s former special adviser, had held meetings with Jo Swinson’s staff – but not the Lib Dem leader. Last night Mr Price said he was “not directly involved” with the Remain alliance, adding, “I’m just an interested observer”.

Yesterday, the Lib Dems announced they would campaign for Article 50 to be revoked at the next election. The news came after Ms Swinson admitted she would not honour a second referendum result if the majority of the British public backed Leave again.