Just when some Labour people thought things could only get better for Gordon Brown, they are getting worse. Today's edition of The Economist depicts him, Jesus-like, with arrows stuck in various parts of his body (with a smiling Tony Blair looking on). And the Sun has a devastating opinion poll which puts Labour on 23 per cent, its lowest since polling began in the 1930s, with the Tories on 49 per cent and Liberal Democrats on 17 per cent. Only one poll, true, but even worse than Labour's 24 per cent share of the vote in last week's local elections. There's no reason to doubt internet pollster YouGov, which got the London Mayor result spot on.
The tiny silver lining for Brown is that Labour would do even worse under Blair, Jack Straw, David Miliband, Alan Johnson, James Purnell, Harriet Harman or Ed Balls. Despite that, the poll will fuel the sense of panic among Labour MPs. The Cabinet isn't panicking yet - but Labour backbenchers most certainly are. A lot of them are quietly buying shares in Straw, believing he would take over if Brown is forced out before the next election. In Brown's absence in Belfast, Straw made an impressive, unifying, pro-parliament speech at Gwyneth Dunwoody's funeral yesterday, which warmed cockles of many Labour MPs. Don't rule him out.
Apologies, I stand corrected (see comments below). It is Saint Sebastian, not Jesus. Brownites would doubtless point out that St Sebastian survived the arrows against all the odds. But he was later beaten to death.
Not Jesus-like. It was Saint Sebastian who went the way of the arrows.
Posted by: Tom | Friday, 09 May 2008 at 10:18 AM
Assuredly not Jesus-like.
Gordon does appear in the Bible. He's the third servant, the one who was given 30 talents by his master. But all he did with them was bury them in the ground.
Posted by: Neil McGowan | Friday, 09 May 2008 at 10:39 AM
Jack Straw, the great United Nations salesman who sold us a pup of a war.
I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him.
Posted by: Simon | Friday, 09 May 2008 at 04:42 PM