LONDON: Britain's new Business Secretary Peter Mandelson yesterday confirmed he had consulted ex-premier Tony Blair before joining Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government.

Mandelson, a long-time Blair ally, and Brown have been rivals since the former backed Blair for the Labour Party leadership in 1994 - Blair went on to lead the party to three successive general election victories before giving way to Brown in June 2007.

Asked in an interview whether he had spoken with Blair before accepting Brown's offer to join the cabinet, Mandelson - twice a minister in Blair's governments - said: "I did talk to him, yes. He said it's a no-brainer."

Blair and Brown had a long-simmering feud while Brown was Blair's finance minister from 1997 to last year, with Brown reportedly resentful that Blair did not step aside sooner to allow him to become prime minister.

Mandelson insisted that any past disagreements between him and Brown were no longer an issue, and the pair were both part of the "Labour family."

The party is languishing in the opinion polls, with the opposition Conservatives holding a double-digit lead in most surveys.