Douglas Alexander, the International Development Secretary, has pulled out of tomorrow night's Question Time programme on BBC TV at very short notice. Presumably, he didn't want to be questioned about the problems facing his sister Wendy, who is struggling to hang on to her job as Labour's leader in Scotland after accepting an "illegal" £950 donation from a Jersey-based businessman towards her leadership campaign.
Perhaps the fact that Kenneth Clarke, still one of the biggest beasts in the Tory jungle, is on the panel is also a factor. But Alexander's decision has raised eyebrows at Westminster as he is also Labour's election campaign co-ordinator. "It's a pretty bad sign when someone like him won't go on TV to defend the party and Government," one Labour MP told me.
I understand that Labour has offered to bring a junior minister off the sub's bench to take Alexander's place but the programme is holding out for a player of Cabinet rank.
It's the second week running that "Question Time" has caused a headache for the Government. Last week, Paul Myners, chairman of a government body which encourages people to save for their retirement, attacked David Cameron and his shadow Chancellor George Osborne as "arrogant, superior young toffs" who hadn't done a serious day's work in their life.
Today the Tories are demanding his sacking, on the grounds that he shouldn't make party political statements. Myners and the Government insist he hasn't broke the rules. But the Government's statement when he was appointed in July looks rather disingenuous. It said he had never donated to a political party. However, he did give £12,700 to Gordon Brown's leadership campaign just before landing his government post. Internal party elections have left a miserable legacy for Labour north and south of the border.
Once they start running for cover, it's all over. How long will it be before there's a vote of no confidence? It can't be far off now.
Posted by: Jakers | Wednesday, 05 December 2007 at 08:20 PM
Kenneth Clarke will eat them for breakfast and not pause to spit out the bones.
Posted by: Neil McGowan | Thursday, 06 December 2007 at 02:25 AM