Rachel Sylvester is on form today. Her column in the Times is often a source of choice Westminster revelations, and today's offerings are particularly rich.
The key one is about Lord Mandelson. We were fairly sure that Mandelson was not very happy with the pre-budget report because it was relatively feeble on the need for cutting the deficit, but Sylvester has obtained a wonderful quote to back this up.
"Don't get me started about the PBR," [Mandelson] told a friend. "I am incandescent."
Other highlights include Mandelson's answer when asked, by a child, why he continued to back Gordon Brown ("That's the only toy I have to play with"), Ed Balls staying in Downing Street until 4am on the eve of the PBR pleading for more money (other versions said it was 2am) and a cabinet minister predicting Labour is about to "go off the cliff". As I said, it's a great column. Do read the whole thing.
