Not such a good story
Sir: Your profile of Charles Whelan (`All for Gordon', 25 October) recycled an inaccurate Mail on Sunday diary story (6 July). You imply that Peter Mandelson, the Minister without Portfolio, was the source of an arti- cle I wrote in the Sunday Times four weeks before the budget, which predicted that mortgage tax relief would not be reduced. Mr Mandelson was not my informant, as senior Treasury figures know full well.
I understand that the Chancellor informed the Prime Minister in early June that he did not intend to cut mortgage relief. This view was reflected by the Sunday Times (8 June) and in a Financial Times article which accurately predicted the budget's main measures (16 June). I am informed that, alarmed by the state of the housing market, Gordon Brown decided about a week before delivering his budget that MIRAS should be cut after all. I am sorry to spoil a good tale about Mr Whelan scupper- ing Mr Mandelson and me in one fell swoop.
Andrew Grice
Sunday Times,
1 Penington Street, London El The profile's author writes: A tenuous defence, the oldest in journalism: 'My story was true at the time I wrote it.'
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