I remember Hazel Blears saying during the deputy leadership contest "No more Blairites, no more Brownites, just Labour". Then it sounded like wishful thinking; today it became a reality.
Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson have put aside the differences that go back to 1994 and shown that Labour is absolutely determined to win the next election. There will be all sorts of slings and arrows thrown at Peter over the next few days and I myself haven't always seen eye to eye with him, but I can tell you one thing about Peter Mandelson: he is Labour to his fingertips. He is loyal, strong and set to be a massive asset to the PM in three key ways.
First he will be an outstanding minister. Whatever mistakes he's made (and his life in politics has been long and tough) he has always delivered in his job: look at the respect for him in Northern Ireland, or Brussels.
Second, he will be a crucial part of the team that will define the government's strategy and campaigning and give Labour a sharper policy and presentational edge.
Third, he will show the Tories that Labour are unequivocally serious about winning. He'll be part of a cabinet, with other big beasts and a new generation of rising stars that will blow David Cameron's untested and largely unknown team out of the water.
Labour has been weakened, inevitably, since the events of 1994 and, finally, 14 years later the wounds have been healed. Peter himself will be delighted to be given a chance to show his commitment and skills. His second resignation was never fair – as shown by the subsequent inquiry – and he is now back where his talents and experience belong: at the top table of British politics.
Westminster life will be all the more interesting for having him back and I am convinced that, whatever his detractors say, the Labour party, and more importantly the country will be the better off for it. This is not so much the rebirth as the final maturing of new Labour, and whatever slick spin the Tories come up with today I can tell you they will be looking at Gordon's new cabinet and be very worried indeed.