The clue to why Baron Mandelson, of Foy and Hartlepool, chose to incorporate the name of a Herefordshire hamlet in his title lies hidden in the rose bush by the front door of his former weekend cottage.

Lord Mandelson may not have set foot in Foy for 16 years, but the cottage has an important place in Labour history. It was here that the architect of the party's 1997 election victory spotted the tightly furled bud that inspired Labour's red rose logo.

There were no red roses beside the door of the cottage yesterday, only pink ones, but Andrew Meek, who now owns the house, has a photograph of the bush in crimson bloom.

The three-bedroom cottage was sold to Mr Mandelson by a local farmer for £30,000 in 1984. It was one of the first and, so far, the least controversial of the newly ennobled Business Secretary's property purchases. Mr Meek, who runs a software company, lived a few doors away and bought the cottage from Mr Mandelson in 1992, giving him a healthy £40,000 profit.

He says that Mr Mandelson was a model neighbour although he made little attempt to integrate. Mr Meek is unable to recall any wild chardonnay-fuelled parties, loud samba music or empty bottles of balsamic vinegar littering the drive. He said: “If I knew of any scandal I'd tell you because I think the guy's a pillock.”

The hamlet of half a dozen red-stone homes lies on a crook in the River Wye, five miles from Ross. Jim Williams, 86, the retired farmer who sold the cottage to Mr Mandelson, said: “It was just a working man's cottage really, though it did have a bathroom and indoor toilet. He was always very pleasant and friendly whenever I saw him.” Visitors to the cottage included Mo Mowlam and Tony Blair.

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