An air of resignation about Downing Street
Peter Hoskin 2:48am
When you step back and think about it, it's really quite astonishing how fast and how emphatically Brown has fallen since his minor 'bounce' in the autumn. Sure, he was always going to struggle as the recession bit deeper and deeper. But to so swiftly get to this point - where all news is bad news; where there is little salve or comfort; and where hope is dying from suffocation - really takes some doing. Little wonder, then, that Labour now seems saturated by despair and self-loathing; something that's captured wonderfully by two comment pieces in today's papers.
The first is Andrew Rawnsley's article in the Observer, an essential portrait of life in the Downing Street bunker. The story of cabinet ministers bickering in meetings - unable to nail down an approach to take over bankers' bonuses, unable to decide whether Brown should apologise or not - is bad enough. But the final image - of Brown not saying "much at all" while all this goes on around him - suggests that this is a leader who no longer has any control, or who is resigned to his electoral fate. It's far removed from the determined figure that the PM cut back in August.
And then there's John Rentoul's effort in the Independent on Sunday. His suggestion that only Alan Johnson could "hold back" the Tories is one of the most prominent calls for a new leader, from the left, since Polly Toynbee was fêting David Miliband last year. But Rentoul recognises the unlikelihood of it all, as he writes in his final paragraph:
I wouldn't be too surprised if this core tension - between the need and the reluctance to do something drastic - becomes the story of the Labour Party over the next 18 months."One cabinet minister recently ruled out another spasm of leadership speculation, telling me that it was the 'settled will' of the party that Brown would lead it into the election. I suspect that there is truth in that: that it is the settled will of the party that it will fight on with as much dignity as it can muster, but it is not actually going to do anything that might help save it from the impending crash."
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Spinny Rourke
February 15th, 2009 8:03am Report this commentI so love the British media, they have the ability to ‘miss the point’ so well.
It is in fact time ‘they all went’ from Brown down and no I am not suggesting just the Labour party; I mean All of them.
The Labour government have not changed anything since their rise to power in the 90s, simply carried on the good work that enabled the financial industries around the globe to get us in this mess. (but lets not dwell of the whole of the last 30 years after all, we might have to face some truths).
The Tories scare the life out of me, they have proved from the start of this crisis (and before if we want to get picky) that they have one reality and it set many universes apart from the average British family. The self confessed ‘inaction’ would see us in even deeper water right now (although I’m sure they would boost employment by building more prisons to house the extra criminals their legislation would create).
The Lib Dems (bless them) really do need to rethink their strategy and maybe give Nick Clegg a less challenging role, Shadow Minister of the Art’s or something.
I think it is time for the Media to rethink their strategy as well. So I’m all for ripping it all down and starting again. Maybe let Prince Charles take a front seat for awhile, for all the bad press the man has had over the years he has still managed more success than the average financial banker or property developer. (oh maybe that’s not fair of me to point out).
Mitch
February 15th, 2009 8:04am Report this commentRats in a sack,most amusing.
mac
February 15th, 2009 8:34am Report this commentPerhaps the bunker is concentrating at present on how to relieve Mr Moore of his reputation - and his documents.
adrian drummond
February 15th, 2009 8:44am Report this commentBut can the country afford to wait 18 months?
Ann
February 15th, 2009 8:49am Report this commentWhy is this a surprise? Brownie is the most useless PM we've had in a hundred years, far worse even than Heath, a little man with no talent, integrity, honesty or even numeracy.
"Polly Toynbee was fêting David Miliband last year"
LOL. The hypocritical ignoramus fêting the useless creep.
Arthur
February 15th, 2009 9:08am Report this commentEighteen more months of this?? Bring on the revolution!
Geliant Gutfright
February 15th, 2009 9:43am Report this commentMeanwhile, the country sinks to its knees. Get 'him' off to the funny farm now and we might have the chance to start to turn things round.
Things are much, much too serious to stumble along with Brown for another 18 months just because that's when the next election happens to be.
molesworth 1
February 15th, 2009 10:01am Report this commentThey've achieved 'Critical Mess.'
TrevorsDen
February 15th, 2009 10:27am Report this commentOne of Rawnsleys remarks struck home - and it seems a good line to call Brown the Piaff of Politics. Admittedly Piaff was not as psychologically flawed as Brown but it is at least alliterative.
On the other hand the comment he quotes "It is important for us to say that we didn't get it all right about financial regulation," is a bit wide of the mark. They got nothing right about financial regulation.
Slim Jim
February 15th, 2009 11:13am Report this commentThe question is - will it be men in grey suits, or men in white coats who drag the Traitor out of the bunker?
RW
February 15th, 2009 11:25am Report this commentSo what were all those revived rumours of a June 09 election about, then? To be brilliantly timed and stage managed according to Mandy's sage advice, to confound the horrid do-nothing Tories and secure a vote of renewed confidence in Brown?
Seems like only yesterday. Ah. It *was* only yesterday. What a long time 24 hours and two opinion polls can be in politics.
JONNY
February 15th, 2009 1:43pm Report this comment'Maybe let Prince Charles take a front seat for awhile'
Think it's meant to be Feb 15 not April Fool's Day.
Lloyd
February 15th, 2009 5:16pm Report this commentIn drawing parallels between 1997 and 2009, few commentators bring out the change in sentiment.
Major was not disliked generally, just thought a tired man failing to control a sack of unpleasant sleazebuckets who needed to be euthanaised in favour of Obama Blair.
The visceral hatred toward Brown is totally different.
What I fail to understand is, after Brown's justified 12 year attack on the ERM Black Wednesday debacle, why Cameron is not highlighting that Brown's egregious regulatory, fiscal and monetary lacunae helped greatly to create the UK's particular problems.
Thesemmake the Major/Lamont/Lawson mistakes almost pale into insignificance.
We are held hostage by our deeds and it is now time for a discredited administration to hand over the baton - but to whom?
DW
February 15th, 2009 7:58pm Report this commentAbsolutely Lloyd. In 1997 the country deserved better than what Major could deliver. His hands were tied, his team were sleazy and they looked as if they were in politics for themselves, or at best, for people like themselves.(Saying this, I still believed Major to be a more honourable man per se than that charlatan Blair, and so I voted Tory.)
Lloyd says he fails to understand why Cameron isn't doing more. I would add - I don't understand why the country isn't protesting more. Why aren't there rallies in Trafalgar Square every week demanding Brown resign/call an election? This is an UNELECTED PM hurtling this country into disaster. I don't understand why the country is so resigned to accepting this.
TrevorsDen
February 15th, 2009 8:45pm Report this commentLloyd - I think its clear that the Conservatives have been attacking Browns record.
Remember Sharon Shoesmith? The head of social services who Balls threw out over BabyP??
Not sure if our Ed has actually done Gordon a favour there. The line of 'I was only in overall charge', 'It was them what was guilty not me' - these arguments did not hold water for her, so why should they work for Brown.
Herbert Thornton
February 15th, 2009 11:41pm Report this commentThere's an interesting double meaning in Peter's use of the word "resignation" though I should have thought that we can't expect Brown to resign any more than we can expect it of Robert Mugabe.
But what are the electorate to do when they themselves feel such hopeless despair? They believe that Cameron will be no better - while at the same time so many of them have been brainwashed into believing that there is no other alternative and that the BNP is absolutely unthinkable. It makes the prospect of Brown's continuing in office and that of Cameron's replacing him equally depressing possibilities.
I wonder if, somewhere, somebody is already at work designing one million pound notes?
Worried man
February 16th, 2009 12:27am Report this commentDW says; 'I don't understand why the country isn't protesting more. Why aren't there rallies in Trafalgar Square every week demanding Brown resign/call an election?'
Well, partly because we can't afford the fares, partly because the public transport system is a shambles, partly because the meedja won't report the true numbers and partly because the politzi will lie about those numbers and use tear gas and batons against us if the home secretary decides we are a danger to the security of the country.
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