Say it ain't so, Harriet!
Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman has denied a report she would fight for the party leadership, as speculation grows over Gordon Brown's position.
She insisted the story was "simply not true" and under "no circumstances" would she be a candidate.
She told the BBC's Today programme: "I don't want to be prime minister and I don't want to be leader of the party."
Can this be true? Surely not! Then again, Harriet seems determined to disappoint us. One does wonder, however, how many times Labour must talk about its leadership problem before anyone has the courage to actually do something about it...
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cuffleyburgers
May 4th, 2009 2:43pm Report this commentI should say the feeling is entirely mutual
Kevyn Bodman
May 4th, 2009 4:38pm Report this commentI assume she's lying.
Don't you?
So why has she said it?
The devious machinations of politicians are not always easy for honest folk to understand.
Alternatively, the sophisticated thinking of our leaders and betters is above our heads?
Jack Malpractice
May 4th, 2009 5:47pm Report this commentHarrier Harman's maths isn't very good. She thinks that if men are on average paid 20% more than women, women are paid 20% less than men. (It's 16.7%.)
JHill
May 4th, 2009 7:13pm Report this commentSorry to disagree cuffleyburgers but I hope she does become leader; she's ballot box poison and will be grist to the tory mill. Even
Hazel Blears, that irritating Labour drone, is more of a vote winner than Lady Bountiful.
Aless Bieri
May 4th, 2009 7:45pm Report this commentIf you want Harperson to stand just put three men in a leadership contest
ndm
May 4th, 2009 9:13pm Report this commentI vaguely remember back in Thatcher's day it took a long time for the Conservative Party to get serious about its leadership problem. Indeed, if memory really serves was it not some minor party figure taking on Thatcher that finally caused some senior members to join the fray?
Steve.W
May 4th, 2009 11:01pm Report this commentWhen Harriet Harpoon said - "I don't want to be prime minister and I don't want to be leader of the party."
What she omitted to say was “And I don't want anyone else to be either.”
What a funny lot they are at Nulabour!
JohnAnt
May 5th, 2009 1:54am Report this commentWhy has she denied what she plainly just said? Simples. The June elections will make the leadership a hot issue. She can safely leave it all till then. And in the meantime, she knows her opponents in the Party know she's up for it, and not prepared to give way.
john miller
May 5th, 2009 10:31am Report this commentAfter 12 years of NuLab and NuSpeak, I think we can all safely agree that what you have to do with these people is be contrary.
Listen to what they say and reverse, or, in millerspeak, "contrariwiseate" it.
You'll find it becomes much more plausible.
"She insisted the story was "Simply true" and under "any circumstances" would she be a candidate"
She told the BBC's Today programme: "I want to be prime minister and I want to be leader of the party."
See? Piece of cake, really...
Ronnie
May 5th, 2009 12:11pm Report this comment'I made it perfectly clear that I didn't want this but my colleagues, my friends and my family all told me it was my duty. My duty to the country and to the party.
It is therefore, with great humility, that I accept this nomination and have allowed my name to go forward...'
30 minutes later
'...I hope that if I am successful in the election, against Denis Skinner, that I will not let anyone down and that I can govern for all women in the country.'
mac
May 5th, 2009 5:20pm Report this commentNice one, Ronnie.
Rhoda Klapp
May 5th, 2009 6:13pm Report this commentIf she don't wanna be leader, why is she deputy leader?
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