How Gordon plans to reconcile with the Blairites
James Forsyth 3:09pm
The big political story of the New Year will be how Gordon Brown tries to get his groove back. Peter Oborne reports in the Mail this morning that Brown’s plans include a regional tour, a possible cabinet reshuffle and a rapprochement with the Blairites. To that end, Oborne reveals: “There is now lively talk inside Downing Street that Alastair Campbell might be brought back in a senior strategic role in the New Year and, apparently, there are indications that Blair's controversial former Press Secretary would welcome such a role.
More striking still, I am assured that Cherie Blair is now certain to receive a peerage.” One wonders if a peerage will be enough to ensure that Cherie’s autobiography glosses over the Blair – Brown feud as tactfully as Campbell’s The Blair Years did. With the publciity swing for Cherie’s book scheduled to reach a crescendo at the Labour conference next year, the Brownites are desperate to minimise the damage that the book will inflict on the Prime Minister.
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TGF UKIP
December 8th, 2007 6:03pmBe interesting to see the citation for a Cherie peerage. "For services to fare-dodging" or for "exemplary grasping bad manners" or perhaps simply "for lying in the best interests of herself, her husband and the Labour Party." Mind you, perhaps Gordon should be encouraged in this; she is so widely disliked the howls of outrage will just further demonstrate what poor judgment he has.
Barry Lynch
December 8th, 2007 6:51pmThere is, I suppose, an amusing symmetry in a dying government bringing back the Lazarus of spin. The difficulty though is the stark implication that the Blair years were indeed better. For a man with an allegedly massive intellect McBroon really does seem rather obtuse. He should stop listening to Balls and Douglas if, like Burke and Hare manques, their best thought is to disinter the preposterous Campbell. As for Cherie, her rictus smile will be at home among the zombies in the House of Lords.
Teesbridge
December 8th, 2007 6:58pm"Lady Macbeth of the Mersey", presumably.
Max Kaye
December 8th, 2007 7:28pmLady Blair of Bristol Flats?
Caroline
December 8th, 2007 8:07pmAlastair coming back ? Ah...if only that were true. I can imagine those rictus smiles too - facing him - in the lobby.
Galaxy Babe
December 8th, 2007 9:25pmLady Freebee of the Manor Wed?
dexey
December 8th, 2007 10:48pmHow much has she paid for her peerage?
The Laughing Cavalier
December 9th, 2007 12:58pmThe House of Lords isn't what it used to be. With 400 or more Lifers put there by her better half she'll fit right in.
Curly
December 10th, 2007 12:51amShirley this is a bad joke?
ChrisD
December 10th, 2007 9:09amSaw an article in the media over the weekend about Charlie Whelan being brought back into the fold to advise Gordon Brown.
What with Ed Balls likening him to the Spice Girls and Mrs Thatcher while Brown dashes to Iraq for a photo shoot in front of the troops, it all sounds a bit desperate.
Have the Brownites resorted to dusting down the New Labour spin manual of best practice when tanking in the polls and in need of a headline, any headline?
David Lindsay
December 10th, 2007 4:06pmWho's going to buy this book, anyway? Only academic libraries are even going to buy her husband's. Reconcile with the Blairites, indeed! Brown might as well try and reconcile with the Jacobites or the Anti-Corn Law League. Why bother? And how many of them are even going to contest the next Election?
Oscar Miller
December 10th, 2007 9:30pmIf Gordon really does want to finish off his premiership he'll bring back Alistair and give Cherie a peerage. His enemies could not have planned it better. With intelligence like that who needs stupidity?