Kidney op Mandelson back at work

Mr Mandelson and Yvette Cooper attended the new economic council on Monday

Peter Mandelson was back at work as the new business secretary hours after having a kidney stone removed, his office said.

Mr Mandelson, who returned to the cabinet in the reshuffle, had the procedure on Monday and returned to the office by the end of the day.

He underwent some hospital tests on Sunday after experiencing kidney pain.

Gordon Brown brought him back into the cabinet on Friday, after a four year stint as EU trade commissioner.

His cabinet return was a huge surprise at Westminster as the two men have had an on-off feud dating back to Mr Mandelson's decision to back Tony Blair for the Labour leadership in 1994.

Mr Mandelson said he was surprised but proud to be invited back to the cabinet and said it was time for "all hands on deck".

Mr Brown said Mr Mandelson, who will join the House of Lords, had unrivalled experience in international business and trade.

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform said he had had some kidney pain over several days and hospital tests on Sunday confirmed that there was a small stone.

He attending the government's new National Economic Council on Monday, set up to tackle the economic crisis, before having the stone removed.

Mr Mandelson was among the first ministers to arrive at the first meeting of the new cabinet on Tuesday morning.