Mandelson returns to 'yachtgate'

After the weeks of political turmoil caused by his Corfu trip last summer, Lord Mandelson could have been forgiven for never wanting to return. Yet the Business Secretary has flown back to the scene of the "yachtgate" scandal for a last-minute break.

Lord Mandelson and the shadow Chancellor, George Osborne, became the centre of the yachtgate row last year following revelations they had been entertained on the yacht of the Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska.

Lord Mandelson will be staying with friends again this time, but his spokesman said: "Peter is not going to allow what happened last year to put him off Corfu. He is there for a week but this time without Russians, yachts or George Osborne." When he returns he will take charge of the Government while Gordon Brown is on holiday.