When I said, a month ago,
Brown's premiership will implode amazingly quickly. These things do.
I did not mean this quickly. A sudden collapse this autumn seemed possible. Then the Crewe by-election was called. From Labour's point of view, as I also said, it was "a write-off". But even before we get there, Frank Field's 2 minutes and 48 seconds in conversation with Mary Ann Sieghart on the BBC World Service on Sunday night has just taken the Brown roller-coaster on another momentarily disorienting plunge. Funny kind of roller-coaster, this. After an early up-hill section to a plateau with unexpectedly good views, it has been down-hill all the way, with short pauses between each lurch earthwards.
Field is, as Alan Johnson and Ed Balls have pointed out, no friend of Gordon's - although they did embrace at Lambeth Palace the other day.
But his personal unkindness may have broken some kind of barrier, and now all the scenarios for how Brown might go are being canvassed and seem plausible. What, now, if ministers were to resign, saying that the party cannot win with Brown as leader?
Brown is an economics dunce who allowed himself to be conned by the idea of PFI projects that have let every spiv in town clean up at town halls up and down the country. Another word for PFI contracts is fraud, involving billions of pounds, and everyone involved should be prosecuted- starting with the idiot at the top who let it all happen under his watch. Shame on the Labour Party, for becoming the Spiv Party. No wonder voters want shot of them.
Posted by: Graham rankin | Tuesday, 13 May 2008 at 10:51 AM
I think it is over, but I am not sure how it is going to happen. People are nervously looking around for the person who will sacrafice themselves to bring down the PM, but nobody wants to be the one to do it.
But the decision to gamble everything (in terms of recovery from 10p debacle) on a byelection which is already lost seems extraordinary and completely panic driven.
Posted by: Labour Member | Tuesday, 13 May 2008 at 12:13 PM
Good God the penny has just dropped for John Rentoul.Gordon Brown is in fact one of the worst Chancellors this country has ever has. Destroyed peoples pensions, sold our gold reserves, taxed us to the hilt in every which way possible, Tax credits are a shambles and during his stewardship was directly responsible for the deaths of many of our service peopleby depriving them of the proper equipment.
Brown is getting a good kicking basically from English people who are fed up to then back teeth by his blatant discrimination on matters relating to health, education and immigration.
Posted by: James Town | Tuesday, 13 May 2008 at 12:44 PM
I think the PM should be kept for atleast another 6 months. The next leader does not need an economic downturn to take over in.
Also the scandals should be cleared out before thext leader is in. There is no evidence foa ny possible interim leader who would help. And imposing one of the younger one as a interim leader would be unfair.
There is no hurry to change the leader. Rudd took over the Aussie labour party 6 months before he won the election.
I think some Blairites and tories seem to want ther PM to go. There is no panic in labour ranks.
Labour did bring in the mini wage, the new deal, and the increased aid to Afrca.
Posted by: DIRTY EUROPEAN SOCIALIST | Tuesday, 13 May 2008 at 12:55 PM
And who the hell do you suggest takes over from Brown, the whole lot of them have shot their bolts and are bereft of any new ideas. (not than many of them every had any)
Instead of playing silly buggers and sulking, Brown should do the decent thing and call a general election.
Posted by: flipped | Tuesday, 13 May 2008 at 04:41 PM