Will Glenrothes be the end for Brown?
James Forsyth 9:38am
The financial crisis has pushed the Labour leadership down the headlines, but there does seem to be a new consensus emerging that, although Brown will not be forced out now, the last few days have made his departure in the near-future far more likely. It has certainly put more pressure on his conference speech and his much-hyped autumn fight-back.
The Glenrothes by-election is the next electoral test facing Labour and if Brown fails that, it could be the end. Jackie Ashley writes that:
“If Labour loses the coming Glenrothes byelection, key figures will go to him and say it's all over. If he tried to hang on, I'm told, there would be cabinet resignations. This may seem a lot to hang on one byelection; Brown would doubtless say that governments have always had mid-term losses and gone on to recover.What is certain is that it would be fatal for Labour to go on like this. Brown either needs to reassert his authority, and it is hard to see how he does this, or be ousted.But somehow Glenrothes seems to be the place where a last stand will happen.”
Previous
Labour Member
September 15th, 2008 9:56am Report this commentSo if Labour win Glenrothes they'll let him stay? They'd be making the Ossie O'Brien mistake all over again.
mac
September 15th, 2008 10:07am Report this commentAshley writes: "Others talk of a Miliband-Cruddas dream ticket". Then these can only be people who still believe in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and a Toynbee-esque belief in hope over experience.
Simon
September 15th, 2008 10:25am Report this commentHow many times have we been told that this is his last chance?
Too many.
I have yet to be convinced that the Cabinet has the nerve to take such decisive action
Ian C
September 15th, 2008 10:38am Report this commentThis is probably the most likley outcome. The Darling Guardian interview is looking much more credible only a few days after being trashed by so many - given the demise of Lehman Brothers and Merrill's wisdom in acting before forced to.
I have previously said that Darling will be key in Brown's removal as he knows how much room there is for manoeuvre and Brown's part in getting the country into its its appalling condition.
That other countries made the same mistakes is neither here nor there. Brown has to be felled for Britain to move on. If that means senior Labour people have to wield the knife they will, but they are dragging it out because they do not have the ruthless culture that the other two parties do.
Mike, Brighton (in India)
September 15th, 2008 11:28am Report this commentWhy Glenrothes? What has materially changed between now and Glasgow East....or Crew and Nantwich...or the 10p tax debacle...or the general election that never was...or etc etc....
Liz Brown
September 15th, 2008 11:37am Report this commentI sincerely hope so - but -
Can't we get rid of him and zanulab before the Glenrothes election?
As for Millipede and Cruddas being a dream ticket? Whose dream? Certainly not mine....nor any of the others
Greg W
September 15th, 2008 12:02pm Report this commentAshley writes: "Others talk of a Miliband-Cruddas dream ticket". Then these can only be people who still believe in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and a Toynbee-esque belief in hope over experience.
This is a fallacy because Jon Cruddas is going to lose his seat at the next GE anyway. People may balk at the idea but their is definite headway being made in his seat. Recent council by-election win and an almost weekly increasing Conservative presence on the streets.
DM
September 15th, 2008 2:11pm Report this commentI am sick of people extending the deadline for GB and his crew. They haven't even set the date for Glenrothes, last I heard anyway.
Call a GElection - then after six weeks probation and campaigning, we can ALL decide once and for all, and not just the cabinet and voters in Glenrothes..
Verity
September 15th, 2008 2:37pm Report this commentGod. You're all so passive. You're spectators in your own doom.
Over the past couple of weeks there have been around 40 pieces on this site about whether Brown is going or not, as though you are at a play with a pre-ordained end and the outcome isn't up to you.
In the same situation, Americans would have found a constitutional way to forcibly remove Brown from office.
Tiberius
September 15th, 2008 3:26pm Report this commentWell, Verity, Americans have always been good at taking the best of British and making it better. Look at Clinton over Major; or Palin over Cameron: that's just the way it is.
Verity
September 15th, 2008 4:23pm Report this commentTiberius - This is delusional on your part. They don't "take the best of British", as though "British" were exciting and desirable, rather than grubby and degraded and "making it better."
They have no reference to Britain whatsoever. They don't "look to Britain" any more than they "look to Argentina". This is the kind of delusional thinking I find spine-tinglingly embarrassing. The average American - by which I mean, around 280m of them out of a population of 301m - would not be able to find Britain on an unmarked map.
Palin has absolutely no connection in any way to Cameron. The thought that someone born in Alaska and now the chief executive of the state would have any some connection with Cameron, who's never done anything in his life, is grotesque. Do you have any idea of what an achievement becoming a governor is? There are only 50 of them. They are the chief executive of their states, reporting only to the electorate. And how on earth was Bill Clinton based on John Major?
Pathetic.
Tiberius
September 15th, 2008 4:46pm Report this commentHello, again, Verity.
I have to agree with Matt on the other thread: you ought to learn to recognize the colour grey (or is that the color gray)?
And also posts which on forums (those evil forms of communication you won't register for) would be concluded with a winking smiley.
Craig Strachan
September 16th, 2008 6:08am Report this commentVerity: "The thought that someone born in Alaska and now the chief executive of the state"
Palin was born in Idaho.
C Powell
September 16th, 2008 10:45am Report this commentVerity: the Americans took 2 years to get Nixon out of the office and never managed it with Clinton, who was impeached. So no lessons from you on our constitutional arrangements, please.
If Brown commands the party with a majority in the House of Commons he is PM and remains there for as long as those two facts hold. And it is the PM who has the power to ask the Queen for a General Election. Finding some way of removing the PM outside the constitutional requirements, just because you don't like him - as I don't - is not the answer. We've had quite enough of governments playing fast and loose with our laws and customs, thank you.
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