His government was directionless and confused, and from that murk emerged the Peter Mandelson scandal, says Guardian columnist John Harris

There were lots of contested takeaways from the Makerfield by-election this week. But the one thing that seems incontrovertible is that almost everyone wanted to get rid of Keir…

To be prime minister is a chance to impose one's character and beliefs on the nation - to mould the era. But what if the holder of this great office has no distinctive personality?