Good and bad tidings for Brown

James J

With a boundary change with Havering and the BNP snapping at Labour’s heels in Dagenham I’m not surprised Cruddas does not want an early election. He must hope something—anything will turn up.

it's = it is

"it's general "drift" " = it is general drift

Vulture

Liebour are heading for a three way split irrespective of whether Bruin goes or stays. There is the Old Left (Crud-arse; Abbott; Livingslime) temporarily allying with the Bruinites (primarily assorted Scots plus Balls, Cooper Millipede mi; and the other Bruin); versus the Bliarites.(Blears, Purnell, Byers, Clarke,
Milbum, Millipede maj; Hutton). I love the small of napalm in the morning.

Austin Barry

This endless parade of pro-Brown parrots squawking the same lines is becoming tedious. Why doesn't No. 10 just form a Brownite choir and create a tv commercial. Altogether now:

"Gordon, Gordon
Gordon is best,
I wouldn't give tuppence
for all of the rest"

Followed by:

"And now it's
Springtime for Gordon and harmony
Britain is happy and gay..."

etc.. etc.

Pete Hoskin

it's = it is: thanks for the spot - corrected now. I hadn't had enough morning caffeine...

Tiberius

I now have no doubt that Brown will survive, at least to the GE if we get one.

The last line of defence (after the shameful self-interest and the lack of patriotism shown by the Cabinet surviviors) is the PLP. I agree with Diane Abbott that tribal loyalty (in addition to those vile Cabinet traits) will ensure Brown comes away grinning again.

Coffee Housers: prepare for another year of trying to find new terminology to describe the torment New Labour continues to inflict on us.

Tomas

Such self serving self protection, and not even under the threat of death, what sort of cowardice would bubble up were they actually having to save their real flesh and bones.

CAZ

oh dear,charlie falconer has just called for mcruin to go.

john miller

The overwhelming impression given by Labour MPs is that the only reason they are in politics is for a bang and a buck.

As dear old Eric said, the purpose of power is power. If there were any sense of political purpose, any sense of will to achieve something, then there would be a movement against Brown.

But ministers drift, flounce or stroll out of Cabinet for their own, personal, ends.

MPs sit on their hands politically, whilst casting their CVs around, hoping for a bite. Just one more year on the gravy train, please dear lord.

And they wonder why estate agents and second-hand car dealers look down on them.

Stephen Solley

I find the level of this government’s arrogance astounding. Alastair Campbell’s attempt at arguing that today’s European election results won’t concern voters or more importantly members of the labour party because they already expect a poor result is almost as ludicrous as Lord Mandleson saying, on the Andrew Marr show this morning, that people thought Labour was on their side.

This is completely ridiculous, if Lord Mandelson cannot accurately analyse the utter rejection towards this labour government being illustrated by the voters of this country, locally and in European elections, then he surely cannot be fit to serve this country in a position that requires cool headed clear thinking supported by the ability to accurately assess and analyse conditions affecting the business sector.

DownTrodden

Cruddas is as craven as the rest of them. The government's (or is it the EU?) plans for Royal mail are a disgrace. But when it comes to the push he'd rather support a government hell bent on dismantling RM rather than take his P45.

Your man of principle is a man of straw.

oldtimer

Diane Abbott came up with a good turn of phrase on Boulton this am: "Gordon Brown`s fate is hanging by a thread - as a rope supports a hanging man" or words to that effect. It was the cause of much hilarity and mirth in the studio. Nonetheless, she expects GB to hang on in there; no one in the Labour party will cut the rope.

It is a measure of Labour`s unfitness for government that they have no idea, no means and no gumption to drop a useless and/or failing leader. No organisation - whether political, business, NGO or humble village cricket team - can expect to survive or command respect if it fails this elementary test. In all organisations there comes a time when the man, or woman, at the top must face the chop.

The longer Labour leaves it the worse it will be for them. Their low financial and political calculation is already exposed for what it is - squalid, self serving behaviour. The voters will not forgive them.

Nicholas

Yes, the one thing these Labour tribalists seem to have forgotten is the poor old voter. As usual it is all about Labour and one might think that the biggest challenge facing them is the prevention of a Tory government taking over, at any cost, come hell or high water and regardless of the polling.

But isn't that just so typical of the Labour psyche? As others have so succinctly commented here, if the will of the people is to have a new government who are Labour to stand in their way? And on what basis? That they know what is best for us? A level of arrogance that is indeed astounding or the bedraggled, tattered, hated Labour Ostrich has its head firmly in the sand. After 12 years of power over us they really cannot come to terms with it being taken away can they?

Highway 61 Revista

Mandelson may or may not be fit to have a position in the cabinet but he certainly has not been elected.

Brown is governing by fiat - he is as arbitrary and authoritarian as any Soviet era despot - and Marr's gailure to get an answer from his ventriloquist speaks volumes.

Brown is now a puppet on his operator's knee and Mandelson operator is hardly bothering to pretend his marionette can speak.

"Your next question?" What a cheek! What hutzpah!

Susan Hill

He will survive - till the GE that is. He`s trundled out a load of puppets like La Kinnock, Mandy is pulling the strings anyway... we`ve got a year of chaos ahead. But I bet you one thing - HMQ will have her eye on the ball.

Kevin Barry

The saddest aspect of this saga is the manifest similarity between the present state of Labour and that of the Tories in the late 90s. It seems that the lessons learned - viz. the need for party discipline, unity and focus on message and delivery - were only good for a decade or so.

To appropriate and paraphrase a Lamontism: more than a decade in office has left the Labour Party unfit for power.

Labour has a massive feat of internal house-keeping to accomplish before the next election if it is seriously to present itself as a united and coherent party worthy of a fourth consecutive term.

Voice of Reason

If only..........

Dear Gordon,

On Friday I gladly accepted the opportunity to continue serving in your cabinet believing you were the best man to lead the Labour Party through the current economic and political crisis and on to victory at the next general election.

However since then, the results from the Local and European elections have convinced me that new leadership is required if we are to prevent the ultimate calamity, namely a Conservative government. I therefore urge you to resign as leader of the Labour Party and allow us to choose a new leader who will allow us to better connect with the British public and rebuild trust and confidence in the political system as a whole but also the Labour Party, which over the past twelve years has much to be proud of and which you have played an integral part.

Yours..............

Victor, NW Kent

Each Labour politician who appears says something like "what the public really wants is........"

They are dead wrong - we want them gone. We need a new government that does not have to spend its time justifying its many failures over the past 12 years.

We cannot allow Brown to control any revision of our democracy - he is opposed to it.

We cannot allow him to attempt to dictate expenses reform - he is part of the culture of greed.

We need an urgent review of why we have troops in this unending war in Afghanistan. That cannot happen under Labour. An answer that they are there because they have to be is not sufficient. They went there to butter up Bush and promote Blair's ambitions. Two of the B's have gone.

We need a resolution of the costly ID card scheme - will it dribble on expensively or shall we terminate it formally.

We need a resolution on our relationship with the EU.That cannot happen whilst Brown gives Ministerial posts to an increasing number of ex EU MEPs and Commissioners.

Andy Leeds

All comes back to the usual thing with Labour. As a Permanent Secretary once commented with the Tories they fall out over policy and issues, but with Labour they really hate each other. Too true.

it's = it is

Thank you for your gracious comment, Pete. I have been feeling deeply ashamed of being so grumpy - also not enough coffee and too much Dark Lord in the morning - not as much fun as it sounds, obviously. Promise I won't do it again, Merlin

James J

As long as they survive long enough for the Lisbon treaty to be ratified so Cameron can get out of a referendum, then it is: ‘Mission Accomplished’ and ‘what job would you like in the EU?’

Jamie

It is noteworthy that Caroline Flint boasts that she has never voted against the government - only voicing concerns in government. So much for holding the government to account.

eastend

Mystery: why is Jon Cruddas respected.
Posh flat in Kensington. Son at very posh school near Holland Park. Not in Dagenham where he was pontificating on the need for local schools to respect 'working class culture'. The man is a complete fraud who wears very ill fitting suits.