Killing with kindness

strapworld

alan johnson missed the last post!

He is truly second class!

jaydeeaitch

Sorry, but that is beyond satire.

Vulture

He never had it in him. But at least he had the honesty to recognise how totally deficient he was. Unlike someone we could name.

David Ossitt

What is he 'on'? Can you have it prescribed on the National Health?

This is a prime example of what is wrong with politics; when they have nothing to say, they speak at great length and say nothing.

mitch

One would be a massive achievement.

Knut

So true, when Brown quits after ten years of *successful* leadership. When do they start?

Ray

When Gordon steps down after ten years of 'successful' leadership Labour will have been out of office for seven.

Dorothy Wilson

We should be very wary of considering Brown as Mr Nice Guy. He is not.

philip riley billingham

Presumably then, we have at least another ten years of the Fifeshire Feartie.Bollocks.

Lee Jakeman

Free translation:
Ten years of successful leadership
=
Ten years of clinging to power by fair means or foul

Ben Elford

Oh dear. It's obviously intended as a joke, and the combination of 'ten years' with 'successful' makes it quite a good one. It's a much better way of brushing aside the question than responding with faux seriousness.

He's obviously much more at ease with himself than most of his colleagues.

Jeremy

“When Gordon steps down after ten years of successful leadership I’ll be too old anyway.”

Is he being ironic?

Does he know something about Labour's plans for the constitution that we don't?

Is he being rather too conspicuously loyal for it to be true?

Is he admitting that he is too indolent to be Labour's leader?

Is he telling a joke?

Is he admitting that his chance to be leader has already passed?

I think he's being provocative (to the right) and ironic. He knows as well as we do that Brown isn't going to be in office - or Labour leader - for another ten years. In which case that lets Johnson off the hook of his remark, doesn't it? If Brown is only leader for another ten months then, by the terms of his remark, it means that Johnson could still be a contender. And in the meantime, well, he's publicly stated his loyalty, hasn't he? I think it means that he will not be the person who directly acts to bring Brown down. But if Brown is brought down by someone else (a stalking horse, perhaps?) then Johnson would be in the clear to bid for the leadership.

In contrast to what he likes to claim for himself, that Mr Johnson is a clever and disingenuous fellow.

seb

Several overlooked pronunciamentos from Brown back in 2007 made it quiet clear then that he expected a clear run until 2017. Why, though, Johnson should exhibit the symptoms of another man's megalomania is puzzling.

Percy

I'm warming to Big Al, he's clearly human and has a sense of humour.

JONNY

He has to be joking.

As a matter of fact, he is joking.

Andy

Perhaps he means when Brown has invoked the Civil Contingencies Act and banned other political parties, he'll have achieved his goal and been [dear] leader for 10 years?