Move over, Darling
Peter Hoskin 11:06am
Ok, I know - deckchairs, Titanic, and all that. But a reshuffle rumour in this morning's papers is still worth mentioning. Both the Sunday Telegraph and the Sunday Mirror are reporting that Brown could take the "nuclear option" of moving Alistair Darling to the Home Office, and installing someone else as Chancellor. As the Telegraph puts it:
"If Mr Darling was moved, sources said, the new Chancellor was likely to be either Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary; David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary; or Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary. The source said: "Alistair will have had two of the toughest years one could possibly imagine as Chancellor. There is a case to be made for saying he has taken the tough decisions in the Budget and, as far as possible, set us on the road to recovery....
Mr Brown has long been suspected of favouring Mr Balls, his closest cabinet ally, both for the Chancellorship and his successor as Labour leader. If, however, the job went to Mr Miliband, that could open up the possibility of a simple job swap between him and Mr Darling.
Making Mr Johnson Chancellor would have the advantage of 'binding him in' to Mr Brown. He is the favourite to become a potential 'unity candidate' for Labour leader if efforts are made to remove Mr Brown."
You can see the thinking - particularly in the case of Alan Johnson - but I still think that moving Darling would be a mistake overall. For starters, it could be taken by the public as an admission that the Government is failing on the economy. Then there's the risk that putting Balls or Miliband in No.11 could worsen the poisonous divides and jealousies in the party. And, finally, Darling - who has been fighting a running battle with Brown over the scale of public spending and borrowing - may not be the best person to rile. Anyway, we shall see.
Previous
Simon
May 10th, 2009 11:17am Report this commentDarling won't give up No.11 without a fight. He knows where all the Treasury bodies are buried and what the debt levels really are.
I imagine he will hold Gordon to ransom over this - with the threat of a resignation speech in the style of Howe back in 1990.
It won't be a nuclear reshuffle - but it will be a very very bloody one
The Watcher
May 10th, 2009 11:24am Report this commentI doubt Brown has got the guts to sack Darling, he knows where the bodies are buried. If he did and put in his placeman Balls, it would be clear that Brown was heel bent on having another massive fiscal stimulus in the PBR or Budget 2010, irrespective of the impact on borrowing, that could really spook the city.
Vulture
May 10th, 2009 11:25am Report this commentThe question is: will Bruin still be around to perfrom the reshuffle? If Liebour do as disastrously in the June elections as today's opinion polls predict, then his party will be mad to cling to Bruin and commit hari-kiri at the next GE. If they have any semblence of sanity, to save their skins a way will surely be found to defenestrate the monster and replace him with Postman Pat, (untainted by the expenses disaster) - who might at least save a couple of hundred Liebour seats oop north.
Denis Cooper
May 10th, 2009 11:31am Report this commentSo, Alistair has had two very tough years and has taken the tough decisions and set us on the road to recovery.
Does that mean that he's worn out, and would prefer to move to a less tough position?
Or is he still in fine form, and would like to stay and see his tough decisions bearing fruit?
Because if it's the latter, there's no particularly good reason to move him, is there?
oldtimer
May 10th, 2009 11:34am Report this commentNo! The nuclear option is the dissolution of Parliament so that we, the electorate, have the opportunity to pass judgement on these Honourable Members of Parliament.
Besides which, reputations are being shredded by the expenses revelations - Four Flips Darling and all that. And we have yet to hear about any Balls family financial shenanigans.
Liz Brown
May 10th, 2009 11:40am Report this commentEd Ballsup, co-respondent in of Gordo' now discredited stint as Chancellor - give me a break.............and give his role full prominence - don't take us for fools
Phil
May 10th, 2009 11:48am Report this commentThe thought of Balls becoming Chancellor should frighten the life out of all of us if it means that Brown has his hands on the borrowing and printing press tiller again.
paracelsus
May 10th, 2009 11:52am Report this commentYet again, he will put party and personal interests ahead of the country.
I found it interesting that effectively you haven't surmised that it would be better for the interests of the country that Darling be moved to a different post, but merely what might be best for Brown.
Indicative of his style of politics really!
Db
May 10th, 2009 11:52am Report this comment'Taken the tough decisions in the Budget' ?! That surely is the heart of the problem - he hasn't. He has vaguely identified them and put them off until after an election.
He obviously knows where the economic bodies are buried but his personal expenses claims (if the reports are correct) are likely to undermine his personal credibility.
TrevorsDen
May 10th, 2009 12:05pm Report this commentDarling is Browns poodle - he will do as he is told. he is probably tired of lyin g on Browns behalf over the economy.
Brown will be looking for a friendly face to accompany him around a tour of the Labour faithful at the time of the next election. Johnson would fit that bill - and whatever else Balls is he is not that.
If Labour are wiped out at the locals then brown could come under direct attack.
Daniel1979
May 10th, 2009 12:33pm Report this commentIt would be interesting if Miliband was offered the Chancellors job, then refused. That could split the whole cabinet (well, more so than at present)
pharbitis
May 10th, 2009 1:34pm Report this commentDoes it matter?
The PM is stuffed.
The govt is stuffed.
The economy is stuffed.
MPs pockets are stuffed.
We live in a kleptocracy so it matters very little who does the stuffing.
Stuff happens.
EyeSee
May 10th, 2009 1:38pm Report this commentDarling, as a lightweight, was the ideal choice for Brown to have a mouthpiece Chancellor. He was there to take the flak, nothing more. To push him into the Homme Office is just designed to finally finish him off, as it is the office held by the serially stupid.
Steve.W
May 10th, 2009 3:27pm Report this commentAlistair Darling has been Chancellor for a while, to replace him now is crazy, in fact I'd say this is “no time for a novice”!
teledu
May 10th, 2009 3:53pm Report this commentWould Brown dare move Balls to No11 if the Telegraph exposes the Balls' as abusing MPs expenses?
Of course, Balls (and his wife) may be completely innocent and have nothing to fear regarding their expense claims. Or maybe there's a cosy cabal within the Telegraph that is prepared to expose most Labour wrongdoers but not a priviliged few. Hard to believe though that might be.
Dan Brusca
May 10th, 2009 4:02pm Report this commentAs much as I like to see Labour fall apart, it's vital that Darling remain as Chancellor. If he were to be removed it would be as good as saying that government economic policy was screwed and could quite easily precipitate another wave of the financial crisis.
Super Blue
May 10th, 2009 4:20pm Report this commentSo "Not now, Darling" looks set to become "Move over, Darling"?
Moraymint
May 10th, 2009 8:33pm Report this commentWho the hell cares? We're good and truly on the road to ruin now and job shuffling will be so much p*****g into the hurricane.
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