TIMES really have changed for Peter Mandelson.

Four eventful years ago, he was busy masterminding Labour's breathtaking General Election victory.

Yesterday he was pleased just to be given an Alligator named Arthur.

But Mr Mandelson, who twice resigned from the Cabinet, is not bored.

He was delighted with Arthur, a small furry toy, and placed him on his shoulder.

Speaking at the Expamet factory, which makes Alleygater security fences in his Hartlepool constituency, he said: "There has been plenty of razzmatazz around here. We have had stickers and balloons galore."

Tonight he will call the numbers at Hartlepool's Rank bingo hall.

A return to the high life is not out of the question, though.

Because Labour proved yesterday they do not forget their friends.

The dissolution honours list was released last night and - shock, horror - there were peerages for Peter Temple-Morris and David Clark.

Mr Clark, former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, announced he was standing down from the Commons at the last minute.

By happy coincidence, the timing was just right for Downing Street darling David Milliband - who now has the arduous task of defending Mr Clark's

22,153 majority in South Shields.

Mr Temple-Morris was also due to have his back scratched by the Prime Minister.

Headlines don't come cheap - and he earned Labour some very pleasant coverage indeed when he defected from the Tories shortly after the 1997 election.

Young Euan Blair, meanwhile, joined them in feeling on top of the world.

He took the first step to following his father on the road to world domination by winning election to the post of deputy head boy at the London

Oratory school.

The 17-year-old's celebrations were, we can safely assume, booze-free.

Updated: 11:54 Saturday, June 02, 2001