The end has come for Gordon Brown

Newmania

Oi what about Milliband is he of too , thats what I hear ?

Steve.W

Quote - "Purnell also has the countenance and personality of a future leader."

Leader of Nulabour maybe, but PM? No, never, unless you intend to vote for him!

Common Place

Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt.

A yawning credibility gap at the heart of government.

TrevorsDen

Cabinet Ministers are being rolled out to support Brown. They are all using the same form of words which is a bit suspicious ...

But anyway ... if the cabinet meekly accept being reshuffled then Brown will keep his job.

Fortunata

Acta est fabula, plaudite! - The play is over, applaud! (Said to have been emperor Augustus' last words)

Suki

Purnell's expense claims meant he had nothing to lose by going now. Any time he goes for the leadership that will be a huge problem. That's why he's done this. He can't go for the leadership any time soon.

Peter Kilfoyle is on Sky News 00.05 shouting at Adam Boulton! His assessment of Purnell (verbatim): "James Purnell has never done a proper job in his life."

Quite.

Dirty Euro

I do not see the great support for purnell as some sort of genius. I have never got my he is so highly admired by some. I am sure he is s nice person, but he was not a british Obama.
We still have 6 months to change leader. I say wait. See how the economy is doing.

Marie Rimmer CBE

Are you nuts - he is not formidable.... have any of you people been on the doorstep, chatted to the electorate....

Having been a party member for nearly half a century and leader of a large Council, I am extremely disappointed with the decision that James Purnell has taken, it is a misjudgement on his behalf. I am absolutely sure, having been out campaigning to today, listening to the electorate that the right person to lead this country through the recession and in the interests of not just the party but the Country I am in no doubt that Gordon Brown is the right person who will take us through the recession, the right person to sort the expenses mess out and the right person to be the Prime Minister of our Country

Marie Rimmer CBE – Leader of St Helens Labour Group

TGF UKIP

Another Heir of Blair receives the full Fanzine treatment by its editor. Now there really is a political big surprise.

Gordon is still no worse than even money and unless a succession of ministers of either cabinet or minister of state level follow Purnell on Friday, Gordon might well be considerably strengthened.

I also have an instinct that the voting results might not be as bad for Labour as some polls had indicated, finishing ahead of Liberals in the locals and UKIP in the euros. This would be especially so if the Cameron SocDem Greens fail to break 40 and 30 respectively.

Verity

Therefore, let us hope, TGI UKIP, that Cameron and the Heirites fail to break 40 and 30 respectively.

My prediction: Brown will survive.

Der Untergang

I keep thinking of a shambling figure in a greatcoat pinning on medals with a trembling hand to shining eyed party youths while the lights flicker and swing to the rhythm of the crump of artillery above. Despite the scorched earth appearing in our future balance sheets I am taking what comfort I can from their slow motion car crash - best gift of the week so far was the scowl on Smith's face when Grayling congratulated her on being the first woman as Home Secretary.

As for this Purnell fluff article, thanks for reminding me of why I cancelled my Spectator Subscription. Rod Liddle comes closer to my feelings on the man. And Marie - you are joking aren't you? Those wonder weapons aren't real you know.

Tiberius

I have waited years to see you write that headline, Matt.

I shall sleep soundly tonight.

A domani.

Jen

Marie, why did you find it necessary to tell us you have a CBE ?

Nick Kaplan

" I am absolutely sure, having been out campaigning to today, listening to the electorate that the right person to lead this country through the recession and in the interests of not just the party but the Country I am in no doubt that Gordon Brown is the right person who will take us through the recession, the right person to sort the expenses mess out and the right person to be the Prime Minister of our Country"

What have all these Labour people got against full-stops, grammar and, more importantly, reality?

If you are so sure this is what the electorate thinks Mrs. Rimmer, why doesn't the Dear Leader hold a general election?

Tomas

'My own nomination as worst offender is the Work and Pensions Secretary, James Purnell. He told the parliamentary authorities that his main home was in Manchester, so that he could claim a second home allowance for his pad in London. In 2004, however, he flogged his London flat — and in order to avoid capital gains tax, told the Inland Revenue that this was actually his main home. It seems clear enough to me that he was lying to someone in order to trouser a large sum of money from the taxpayer. As a sort of final ‘f*** you!’ to the taxpayer he also claimed a £395 accountancy bill, which included advice on how to avoid paying the aforementioned tax. Magnificent cheek — almost admirable in its effrontery. Purnell, you may remember, was the minister who once appeared in a photograph taken at his local hospital without having been present at the time — his office had him superimposed into the snap later. Without his knowledge, according to him. Most definitely with his knowledge, according to almost everyone else. That caused a stir for a bit'. Quote from your very own Rod Liddle.

james

I dont know whether this has been commented on but re the hotmail letter, it would seem fairly obvious to me that at least 50 Labour MP's will sign given that they are expected to stand down at the next election. What do they stand to lose....nothing. What do they stand to gain by signing....retribution for the appauling mismanagement of the expenses mess by the PM..

Fergus Pickering

If I had a CBE I'd tell youall about it. Unaccountably... Everybody breaking out into Latin at the dawn of a new age. Matt, your enthusiasm at every new Labour creep is itself truly creepy. Wht we need is a truly REACTIONARY government to UNDO all that has been done.

Verity

Marie Rimmer CBE – Leader of St Helens Labour Group: Gosh.

Der Untergang
June 5th, 2009 1:04am

I keep thinking of a shambling figure in a greatcoat pinning on medals with a trembling hand to shining eyed party youths while the lights flicker and swing to the rhythm of the crump of artillery above ... You are being too unkind to Brown and it is not the season for your fanciful, dated "greatcoats".

"shining eyed party youths while the lights flicker and swing to the rhythm of the crump of artillery above".

Sounds butch, but what do I know? I'm a girl.

Snob

"What have all these Labour people got against full-stops, grammar and, more importantly, reality?"

The two problems are intertwined.

Oscar

Good for your Marie Rimmer (CBE) - keep repeating this for the media. You will be the toast of the Conservative party today and toast tomorrow.

Vulture

Oh, do stop greasing up to the little creep and quoting Latin when he can't even write a resignation letter in decent English. He's not PM material, he's an oikish little berk with sideburns and he's as toast as the rest of the stinking NuLiebour tribe - you have no need to crawl to them anymore.

A. Upton-Ogood.

@Marie Rimmer: I'm so glad that a Brown loyalist has had the gall to post here, even though it doesn't give us any insight into your thinking.
The nation's "engine room" of middle England has been decimated by Brown and his tribe. We are the ones who have been taxed to the point of confiscation; we are the ones who have had our pensions smashed; we are the ones who in old age have had to turn increasingly to equity release to support our children and grandchildren; we are the ones who are losing our jobs at the age of fifty-ish and will probably neverf work again.
The only thing that has improved is the Labour Party's propaganda arm - no doubt paid for by taxpayers - and it appears that it's worked with you. You are as deluded as Brown.
By the way, your CBE, like all other awards, has been severely devalued in the last ten years - another insult to those who earned them in more honourable times.

Flemingcrag

If Peter Oborne is right in his assertions on the "Political Class" then sympathy for Gordon's predicament will cross party divide.
If the elitists are to quell the delight of the masses at the "fall of one of their own" then the perfect response would be an act of kindness from Peter Viggers to Gordon.
Peter should offer this "lame duck" Prime Minister sanctuary on his "duck island", the fact it is currently unoccupied should not detract from the generousity of this gesture of elitist empathy.

Raffles

Having been a school mate of Purnell i have watched his career wiith interest. He was very intelligent, good natured but clearly ambitious. I am afraid i dont buy into all the "the labour party is bigger than the both of us" routine. He has thought long and hard about this and his timing and the media operation was all rather smoothly done. What cannot be ignored by all the squealing socialists is that he has surely done the best thing for the Party. Brown is toast and except for Harman, any replacement will get a bounce of sorts in the polls. Cameron and co are all too aware of this. I want Brown to stay and the resultant demolition of the Labour Party.

Dungeekin

It seems the only person who hasn't worked out it's over is 'The Saviour Of The World' himself.

Is anyone else reminded of The Black Knight in 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'?

He just won't see he's finished, dead and buried - and the New Labour project with him. Thankfully.

Dungeekin

Michael Booth

Any replacement, Raffles? Including Balls? Surely not...

Ricky

What appears to have been airbrushed out is the fact that Purnell, Smith and Blears were up to their necks in expenses abuse - more than many of their colleagues. It's amazing how their scams have slipped under the radar as they put the blame elsewhere. The problem isn't just with the hopeless Brown...it's with the whole mess created by a a late 19th century ideology of a dated Labour Party, out of step with the 21st century....with it's paternalism...nepotism.... sovietisation...command & control authoritarianism... hopeless economic posturing...huge client state giveaway...welfare dependency...arrogance and contempt for the electorate...the list of failings is endless....and the whole Parliamentary Labour Party is culpable and signed up to it.

Obnoxio The Clown

"the best and the brightest of his generation"

Ha! You say that like it's some kind of achievement!

Paul B

Marie Rimmer CBE, are you expenses on line that we can look at please?

Paul B- Hard Pressed Father in Family of Five

Fox in a box

Marie Rimmer CBE

Perhaps you should get out of your comfort zone more often. That's certainly not what people are saying about Gordon Brown where I'm from.

I'm sure you are a very nice person, but I feel you are completely out of touch with the mood of the country.

I also fear that honours are now completely devalued, since this Government started chucking them around like doggie treats to reward their faithful apparatchiks.