SOME say he masterminded Labour's sweep to victory last week, others that he is nothing more than Tony Blair's "little helper", the "whipping boy" of the Left. Whatever his true role he undoubtedly holds one of the most powerful posts in the Labour Government as Minister of State without portfolio, writes Rachel Donnelly.
In all but name, most people believe that Mr Peter Mandelson is the deputy leader of the Labour party. Downing Street describes his role as "assisting in the strategic implementation of government policies and to make sure that our programme is kept on track and moving forward and to ensure these policies are effectively presented to public and to the party". In other words, he has been rewarded for presiding over a slick election campaign and given a roving brief to continue "meddling" with the public face of New Labour.
He attracts more media attention than many MP's on either frontbench and rarely a day passes without some mention of him in the gossip columns. But whatever you do, don't mention the words spin doctor".
Next to Mr Blair, and his official press secretary, Mr Alastair Campbell, Mr Mandelson is seen as the driving force behind New Labour. His "meteoric" rise on Blair's coat tails has caused some within the party to fear his influence.
There are stories of Labour MPs who are too frightened to be seen talking to journalists at Westminster, fearful of Mr Mandelson's reaction. The Labour MP, Mr Bryan Gould, with whom Mr Mandelson fell out, recalls that he is one of the most charming, but also one of the most manipulative and devious people I have ever dealt with".
Whatever the myths, Mr Mandelson has done little to deter the description of him as a Machiavellian figure. Variously described as a Svengali, a Rasputin and even the Prince of Darkness, his Spitting Image creation shows his head attached to a serpent's body.
One of the first changes Mr Mandelson undertook was to define the symbol by which the Labour party would be known. He came up with the Labour red rose - he often wears a tiny enamelled version in his lapel.