Ken Clarke and Lord Mandelson slug it out in conference slanging match

POLITICAL heavyweights Ken Clarke and Lord Mandelson traded political blows and personal barbs during a fiery business debate yesterday.

Speaking at a British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) event in London, the Business Secretary and his Tory shadow made the case as to why their parties should be trusted with the post-election economy.

Mr Clarke said there was a need for a "fresh change" and called on voters not to overlook "13 years of complete catastrophe".

Lord Mandelson countered by attacking the Conservative Party's plans to cut public spending, stating that his political rival's figures "simply do not add up".

Over the course of the debate, Mr Clarke and Lord Mandelson locked horns on a number of issues in language which ranged from hard economic data to personal insults.

Lord Mandelson was accused of talking "piffle" by his shadow at one point when he suggested that the Labour Party was going beyond ideology in a bid to rebuild the economy.

Later, the Business Secretary accused Mr Clarke of "living and trading on his past".

The Tory frontbencher retorted: "Unlike you, Peter, I have a past I can trade on."

Lord Mandelson outlined his view that the government had to be more active in equipping the British economy to be competitive.

He added that the government could not adopt a "business as usual" approach.

He said: "The difference between us (referring to Mr Clarke] is that I do not believe that we can have quite the same business-as-usual attitude that we have had in the past."