Will Brown bring Blunkett back?
James Forsyth 3:41pm
Patrick Hennessy has an authoritative piece in the Sunday Telegraph about the signs that Gordon Brown is set to recall David Blunkett to the Cabinet. Hennessy reports that Blunkett dined at Chequers with Brown on an evening when Wilf Stevenson, one of Brown’s closest friends and his adviser on ‘engaging with local communities’, was also in attendance. This suggests that Blunkett might be in line to take Hazel Blears’ job at the Department of Communities and Local government.
It is easy to imagine that Brown might view Blunkett as the ideal person to beat back the BNP; on immigration Blunkett likes to talk like a British Sarkozy. Brown might also think that Blunkett would give his government more appeal to working class voters who are socially right wing but economically left wing.
However, the overwhelming message that brining Blunkett back would send would be that Labour is tired and that there is no fresh talent to bring him. There is also a risk to retuning him to the Cabinet at a time when political anger about political sleaze is so high.
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Sally Chatterjee
May 24th, 2009 4:04pm Report this commentBrown is really scraping the barrel.
Wwhen the biggest story in town is expense fiddling, back comes a man who's had to resign twice for failing to meet the required ethical standards.
mitch
May 24th, 2009 4:09pm Report this commentPerhaps if brown surrounds himself with previously disgraced ministers nobody will notice the new crop of disgraced ministers.
What next eh? blair back as PM its all that's missing then the nutter with the stutter can crawl back to the treasury.
Publius
May 24th, 2009 4:45pm Report this comment"on immigration Blunkett likes to talk like a British Sarkozy"
When will Labour ever learn that it is not what you say, but what you do that matters? Brown tried this let's-talk-BNP line before, with his "British jobs for British workers" trick. Look where that got him.
Verity
May 24th, 2009 4:52pm Report this commentOf course! Why leave any 3rd rate opportunist untapped?
(Plus, Sally Chatterjee, didn't he keep his grace and favour residence plus his car and driver long after he'd been sacked?)
Chris
May 24th, 2009 5:03pm Report this commentBrown might just be stupid enough to bring Blunkett back. But only because Brown is quite incredibly stupid.
Trevor
May 24th, 2009 5:18pm Report this commentSouth Yorkshire's Donnygate ALMOST forgave Labour, feels like like that was just a tea-party now we have FlippingGate, Duckponderosa + MPs 2nd homes playing their cards right when hostng HappyFamilies. The good news is Blunkett is gunna make us feel good and flock back to vote for main stream parties and we will find the Moon is made of cream cheese and Pierce Brosnan will easily win the next Eurovision Song Contest for the UK with his Mama Mia song. Gordon, PLEASE read the writing on the wall, we do not want you. Be a man and call the General Election. By the way, I am a Labour Party Member and the MPs have made me ashamed to tell anyone. The buck has to stop at the top, get out of your denial zone and call time before this mega disastourous political mess turns nasty.
MikeEdinburgh
May 24th, 2009 5:24pm Report this commentAfter this morning's claim in the Sunday Times regarding Andy Burnham laundering a property profit through his MP expenses so as to avoid tax it would seem Brown should replace a lot of Ministers. Will he? Probably not but in any event Blunkets return after that of Mandy could badly backfire for Brown.
Andy Leeds
May 24th, 2009 5:45pm Report this commentI think there is very little that Brown can do now to turn the tide. The expense scandal his done from him. Bringing back Blunkett - who had to resign in disgrace - will merely underline to the public how weak Brown is and how weakly he has acted over expenses, contrast with Cameron. Brown deserves his fate. He is basically out of his depth and always has been.
Edward
May 24th, 2009 5:52pm Report this commentOh dear !
Looks like we're running out of politicians. Even previously disgraced, dubiously talented ones.
They're putting the old bald tyres back on the wheels, and we're sitting in the bus.
Give me strength !
Nicholas
May 24th, 2009 6:30pm Report this commentWell they have their fascism in common.
I will be so glad when all this Brown-centric speculation ceases because there ceases to be a Labour government. Can't come soon enough.
Gawain
May 24th, 2009 6:38pm Report this commentThe Labour and Liberal parties are both playing a seedy game at the moment. Brown and the cabinet have gone to ground, letting Cameron take all the flak. This story sounds like typical spin issued at the weekend as a diversion. Meanwhile Clegg is declaring that they will not repay the £ 2.4 million donation from Michael Brown as he hadn't been revealed as a fraudster at the time he made the claim. Interesting moral interpretation. We need an election !!
Ray
May 24th, 2009 7:08pm Report this commentBlunkett might like to talk like Sarkozy but he sure didn't act like him.
perdix
May 24th, 2009 8:40pm Report this commentWhen he was a Minister Blunkett actually said that there should be "no limit" to immigration.
strapworld
May 24th, 2009 9:11pm Report this commentWhat about Gavin Strang? Now there is a giant amongst politicians!!!!!!!
Moraymint
May 24th, 2009 9:42pm Report this commentBarking mad.
Thomas Cussans
May 24th, 2009 10:19pm Report this commentThere is nothing McNutter, the great delusionist, won't try to 'reinvent' his clapped-out premiership.
There is nothing he can do that will make the remotest difference.
That he cannot – will not - recognise this obvious truth tells you all you need to know about this very odd, wholly demented man.
He is toast of the crispest kind, done to a frazzle: burnt, useless and blackened beyond recognition.
Tankus
May 24th, 2009 10:24pm Report this commentI'm just waiting for him to dig up Michael Foot
Steve.W
May 24th, 2009 11:19pm Report this commentGood to see you all loathe Blunkett, keep it up!
Verity
May 24th, 2009 11:44pm Report this commentNicholas - Waiting until there 'Ceases to be a Labour Government'?
Ceases to be a Labour Party, more like. As I've said before regarding this body that drains the life out of others in order to survive, crossroads, midnight, full moon, silver bullet. Sorted.
anthony adams
May 24th, 2009 11:54pm Report this commentTankus - better value in asking for a price on seeing Neil Kinnock take a government position.
Then we will truly have entered a surreal parallel universe where we are run by the rejects.
Verity
May 25th, 2009 12:25am Report this commentEdward notes that "They're putting the old bald tyres back on the wheels, and we're sitting in the bus."
Given that now Obama is interfering in this situation (as he interfered in Kenyan politics when he was a state senator in Chicago), we can expect some people to be thrown under that bus. Although space is getting tight under there ...
Verity
May 25th, 2009 12:27am Report this commentPublius says: ""on immigration Blunkett likes to talk like a British Sarkozy".
Can he say "my little cabbage" in French?
Verity
May 25th, 2009 3:09am Report this commentTankus
May 24th, 2009 10:24pm: I'm just waiting for him to dig up Michael Foot.
Why?
You don't think we've got enough foetid bodies sitting on the benches? What about Jack Straw?
And how interesting that Labour keeps bringing back multiple disgracees. David Blunkett, for example. Lord Rumba of Rio, for example. I belief that both have been publicly disgraced twice, if I'm not wrong. Welcomed back into the hissing, roiling snake pit that is the British Government.
Alan Douglas
May 25th, 2009 9:05am Report this commentGeorge Galloway fro Foreign Minister, if you really want new blood !
Even Bevan is nigh ....
Alan Douglas
Paul B
May 25th, 2009 9:38am Report this commentIt will be a case of the blind, leading the eh, half blind.
Sorry, taxi.
Ps Why doesn`t Brown bring back Robin Cook, whilst he at it? Got more life in him than half the cabinet.
JONNY
May 25th, 2009 10:51am Report this commentIs there an unadmitted bias in the CoffeeHouse editorial?
Whenever I send a post contradicting some of Verity's more extreme and untenable views, it never seems to see the light of day.
whilst her pieces get festooned all over the shop.
Are we open to an intelligent argument?
Or just a one-sided me-too brigade?
TGF UKIP
May 25th, 2009 4:51pm Report this commentIn a government of lying crooks why not have the most dishonest crook of the lot?
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