THE recent departure of former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson may have led to jubilation in some quarters, but this is likely to be short-lived.

The career of the so-called "Sultan of Spin" has been a very colourful one. It is a great pity that a man who has spent so much of his political life "watching the backs" of others had no one to do as much for him!

In politics, it is fascinating to watch the reactions of one-time colleagues who are quick to capitalise upon the demise of one of their own. How quickly Peter Mandelson's colleagues have forgotten that they owe their governmental jobs and related perks to his efforts in the months leading to the 1997 election.

His enemies, especially the Chancellor, may have had a celebratory drink or two to mark the occasion of Mr Mandelson's downfall. Yet his going has surely exposed the intrigues, the in-fighting and the cut-throat nature of government when personal ambitions and vanities collide in explosive fashion. These Westminster battles probably seem a million times removed from the day-to-day issues that are of concern to many voters. Indeed such incidents do much to turn people off politics and cause a further weakening of our democracy.

The power struggles that have caused so much damage to successive governments should act as a salutary reminder to all politicians, whether in central or local government, that hard-won battles for political control can be unravelled so easily. Once naked ambition takes hold, the old adage that "power corrupts" has more than a ring of truth about it.

Over-inflated egos and political life are said to go hand-in-hand. Anyone who has ever watched the TV drama House of Cards will know that there is little that the ruthless politician will not do to remove any obstacle in his way.

But, thankfully for us, that is the national scene. It couldn't possibly happen here in Bury . . . could it?

PAXMAN'S PATER