Subscribe to The Spectator

Wednesday 16 May 2012

Latest issue

Buy the current issue

Jobs at Telegraph

Harriet Harman Disappoints Again

Monday, 4th May 2009

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...


Filed under: Labour (2131 more articles)

Blogs: Martin Bright | Susan Hill | Melanie Phillips | Coffee House | Faith Based

Actions: Print this article  |  Email to a friend  |  Permalink   |   Comments (12)

Post this entry to:   del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Comments Post comment

cuffleyburgers

May 4th, 2009 2:43pm Report this comment

I should say the feeling is entirely mutual

Kevyn Bodman

May 4th, 2009 4:38pm Report this comment

I 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 comment

Harrier 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 comment

Sorry 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 comment

If you want Harperson to stand just put three men in a leadership contest

ndm

May 4th, 2009 9:13pm Report this comment

I 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 comment

When 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 comment

Why 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 comment

After 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 comment

Nice one, Ronnie.

Rhoda Klapp

May 5th, 2009 6:13pm Report this comment

If she don't wanna be leader, why is she deputy leader?

Post comment

Back to top

Cartoons

Tag Cloud

Search this blog

Alex Massie's blog archive

sponsored links

Spectator recommends

Spectator classifieds

THE PRESENT FINDER

1,700 Unusual Christmas Presents Request Catalogue 01935 815 195 Quote SPEC10 for 10% discount www.presentfinder.co.uk

OLIVE BRANCH FLORISTS

Pimilco based Florist with online ordering Web: www.olivebranch.net Tel: 020 7630 1868 Fax: 020 7233 8844

RUFFS Bespoke Signet rings

62 Shore Road, Warsash, Southampton, SO31 9FT Telephone: 01489 578867 Web site: www.ruffs.co.uk