The left needs to come to the aid of the party
James Forsyth 11:55am
The Tories are cock-a-hoop this morning. They now have the prospect of a year of a battering a government with a Prime Minister who is so weak he can’t reshuffle his Cabinet as he wishes and a Chancellor who everyone knows does not command the confidence of Number 10. If Labour is polling in the low twenties/high teens now, how low will it be after a year of lame duck government? As one Labour fixer on the left of the party said to me earlier this week, ‘there’s no constitutional requirement for there to be a Labour party.’
As Matt writes, the effort to portray those dissatisfied with Brown as Blairite-ultras is in full flow. But the truth is the discontent goes far wider than that. And the damage that Brown is doing to the Labour party is being done to the party as whole. The massive electoral losses will not be confined to any faction of the party.
Someone on the centre to centre-left of the party needs to move today. If they do, that could be enough to shove others into action and give Labour a chance to replace Brown and try to reconnect with the electorate.
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michael m
June 5th, 2009 12:00pm Report this commentThe next step for Brown is easy.
He has the Cabinet on side- all he has to do with his so called backbench rebels is to say that if they persist he will have no obligation but to ask for an immediate General Election which he will fight as PM( which he is quite entitled to do) - that would shut them up!
country mouse
June 5th, 2009 12:14pm Report this commentDon't you mean what's left needs to come to the aid of the Party?
Flemingcrag
June 5th, 2009 12:21pm Report this commentAs this BOLD, DECISIVE re-shuffle of Gordons staggers over the finish line with the help of the Arch-Dark Angel Mandelson has Gordon made history.
Does he now preside over a Government where "all the talents" are on the back-benches?
Flemingcrag
June 5th, 2009 12:22pm Report this commentAs this BOLD, DECISIVE re-shuffle of Gordons staggers over the finish line with the help of the Arch-Dark Angel Mandelson has Gordon made history.
Does he now preside over a Government where "all the talents" are on the back-benches?
CJH
June 5th, 2009 12:26pm Report this commentI agree but it is hard to see who is capable of becoming leader (bar concerns about another unelected prime minister...). Alan Johnson, although often mooted because of some sort of 'ordinary bloke' approach, has limited actual abilities. Miliband is wooden and has not made any impact on the Foreign policy agenda. Harman is just too left wing to connect with anybody. Balls.... i don't even need to comment on him
Vulture
June 5th, 2009 12:30pm Report this commentYes, just like last year, this year's coup has failed before being launched. Putsch leader Colonel Purnell has been arrested at his barracks and is awaiting execution. Exiled former dictator General Bliar has postponed his return; and the widely detested President Bruin is lumbering on only to meet a far greater Nemesis than pipsqueak Purnell: ie. the British Electorate.
mitch
June 5th, 2009 1:09pm Report this commentThe Queen can refuse a dissolution if she feels another M.P. can command a majority. Brown wouldn't get a GE automatically.
Although I suspect the Queen wouldn't refuse a dissolution given the public mood at the moment.
forsyth
June 5th, 2009 8:18pm Report this comment"As one Labour fixer on the left of the party said to me earlier this week, ‘there’s no constitutional requirement for there to be a Labour party.’"
I'm glad some of them have finally got that point. There was general laughter on Labour benches when a remark vaguely along similar lines was made during PMQs this week, but since many of those laughing certainly will not be there after an election, it seemed unwise and unreflective to me.
I hope they are replaced by the Liberals (suitably renamed), and then we can get back to discussions within sensible non-socialist politics.
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