Mandelson vs Clarke

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

Peter Mandelson has gone head-to-head with his Tory counterpart Ken Clarke this evening on Channel 4, talking about this morning’s news that Britain is out of recession.

After Ken Clarke warned the Tories against making “calamitous cuts” on Sunday — and with his shadow chancellor sidelined for weeks — this was an opportunity for both parties to take their arguments on the economy to the public with two of their best performers.

Iain Dale says Clarke “wiped the floor” with Mandelson. Not so: the business secretary is in charge of policy detail and dominates the conversation; Clarke is snippy and repetetive.

Clarke also calls the government’s capital investment allowances “an irrelevance” — but then, later, calls them “quite right.”

Make your own mind up below.

Unfortunately, the Channel 4 News clips cut out just as Clarke gets really uncomfortable and high-pitched:

Hat tip: Iain Dale.