There is no point pretending otherwise: the last few days have been bruising. The name on everyone’s lips is Peter Mandelson. Among many others from the New Labour era, he has had a long association with Progress, and for that reason alone it would be dishonest to dodge the issue or speak cryptically. But the truth is this: in my two and a half years in this role, my direct contact with Peter Mandelson amounts to a single brief hello, when I introduced myself.