There's a thin line between genius and madness. It's not immediately clear which side of the divide Gordon Brown has landed with his Cabinet reshuffle.

Tony Blair once said that the true measure of whether Labour had really changed, and embraced his "New Labour" project, would be if it learned to love Peter Mandelson.

It was an admission that his good friend Mr Mandelson was loathed by sections of the party.

By that yardstick, the party hasn't changed very much. The new Business Secretary remains a divisive figure today.

So has Mr Brown made a mistake bringing him back?

To answer that question, one needs to look at what lies behind Mr Mandelson's unpopularity.

Media coverage of his return to the Cabinet has focused partly on the fact that he has already been in the Government twice - and was forced to resign both times (although, on the second occasion at least, it soon transpired that he had actually done nothing wrong).

But while this may raise questions about his fitness for office today, it has little to do with the concern felt by some Labour MPs.

The truth is that some Labour politicians still despise Mr Mandelson for his role in transforming Labour from an election-losing vehicle for the left, into a party which embraced the free market, stole the centre ground and won three election victories.

This is why London MP John McDonnell, as we report, claims that his return to Government marks a retreat into "Blairism".

But what the likes of Mr McDonnell refuse to accept is that New Labour was as much a product of Gordon Brown's imagination as Tony Blair's.

Despite the well-publicised rows between them, Mr Brown and Mr Blair share essentially the same political ideology.

Opposition to Mr Mandelson is based on the belief that Labour might once again become a recognisably socialist party, if only people like him would go away.

This is nothing more than wishful thinking. Gordon Brown is never going to lead the party back to the left, because he believes in sticking to the centre ground just as much as Mr Mandelson or Mr Blair.

The Prime Minister has plenty to gain by appointing Mr Mandelson to his cabinet. The move can be seen as evidence that he really is willing to do whatever it takes - including burying the hatchet with old enemies - to help Britain cope with the economic mess it is in.

Even his enemies usually admit that Mr Mandelson is a capable man. His experience and talent might well be useful to the Government.

On the downside, his appointment is a tacit admission that the current Parliamentary Labour Party is somewhat lacking in these things, as Mr Mandelson is not currently an MP, and will have to be given a seat in the House of Lords in order to take up his new job.

But on balance, this looks like one of Mr Brown's better decisions. It's a risk, however. If through some misfortune the new Business Secretary is forced to resign from Government a third time, the Prime Minister's critics will have a field day.

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