By marginalising Mandelson, Labour has put itself in a half-Nelson

Moraymint

Meantime, we go bankrupt.

Austin Barry

Poor old Brown is completely mad: absurd finger-wagging at China, calling for international conferences on the Yemen, thinking that Harman is other than a preposterous, self-regarding absurdity who is electoral poison.

Oh, and I hear that the U.S. is calling an international conference on Luton, Leeds and Londonistan as terrorist redoubts.

Mike

The more Labour makes mistakes like this the better the chance they will be erased from history. Harmans crazed rants with her weekly diatrabes are treated by most men as 'poor dear, its that time of the month again' and for women 'my god, here she goes again putting women back into the dark ages'. No one takes her seriously but everyone knows full well if she was in charge, she bring even further destruction to British society. The only sensible approach prior to an election is to humour this poor demented soul, let her think she's in charge for now and after the election have her sectioned for her own good. Insanity & Power often make strange bed fellows and Labour have more than their fair share of afflicted politicians. However, as you can't solve the mental issues the only solution is to remove the power.

logdon

Austin Barry
January 1st, 2010 6:14pm

Not forgetting Bradford, Birmingham, Burnley, Oldham, Blackburn, Manchester, or any packed ghetto in a city near you.

They sure will be busy.

Mitch

Hahaha Cameron must think its xmas again....Harmen hahahahahaha brown truly is barking mad.

DeeJay

With Mandelson there was always a danger that he would flounce off as a response to some real or imagined sleight. It was just a matter of time.

Ben Elford

Time to wheel out that old saw attributed to Napoleon: never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.

Harman (by her own admission) automatically guarantees the alienation of roughly fifty per cent of the vote, and additionally puts off that proportion of the women who can think for themselves.

john miller

Ages ago, I toyed with the idea of starting a blog which purported to be written by Brown. The fundemental theme was that he was advised my mischievous SpAds who competed with each other to urge him to do or say the most stupid things.

The basic premise was that, although we were repeatedly told that Brown was a towering intellectual, he was, in fact, a simpleton. A premise he has demonstrated to be beyond doubt on numerous occasions.

I gave up the idea because Brown constantly made decisions like these, which are beyond parody.

Nobody, absolutely nobody, in the Labour Party - apart from Brown and Harman - can possibly think this is a good idea.

Presumably. the plan is that if any male Tory criticises her, she can scream "Sexist!" and not have to debate the point. Exactly the sort of plan that would appeal to Bumble Brown.

SUSAN HILL

I do think Harman gives women a bad name.

David Ossitt

The sun has got his hat on, hip, hip, hip, hip, hurrah, the sun has got his hat on now Harriet is allowed to play.

Best bit of news of this New Year.

charles hercock

This is all brilliant news.Mandy is the only Labour figure who can turn their tosh onto beleivable sense.We must remember Harriets court of public opinion and many other vomitworthy comments

jon dee

What a partnership this could be.

While Gordon the garrulous guru looks after our " safety and security " on the world stage with contrived and costly photo-ops, Harriet will further her leadership ambitions through her radical brand of egalitarian evangelism.

One radicalisation or two, I'm not sure. But at least we know we are bankrupt.

Moraymint

Austin Barry and logdon ...

... why do you think I live in Moray? Albeit, we did get our village Post Office robbed in broad daylight recently. I remember 10 - 15 years ago hearing the local politicos tell us that what we needed in Moray was "economic development".

Now, a decade and more on, I remain to be convinced that our quality of life here is any better than it was 10 - 15 years ago. Quite the contrary, I think. But what would do the politicos do all day of they couldn't harp on about "economic development"?

logdon

Whilst being no admirer of Ms Twankee it looks like Brown is displaying yet more of his innate and certifiably deluded inner bastard which always ends in failure.

Mandelson saved his premiership not so long ago when the rats were deserting HMS Loony Toons at a rate of knots.

Now he thinks the usability is over, our very own Cap'n Queeg with his favourite fondling Balls sends Bosun Twankee to the plank.

In steps Harman who thinks the scurvy crew should be replaced by a more inclusive crewette who know sod all about navigation, seamanship or even seawomanship for that matter and all is well?

If proof is needed this is it.

It won’t be final because, as we all know by now our You Tube am dram thespian, having tired of Nokia’s will, in his writhing desparation, clutch at any straw including the one who’s alienated most of Britain’s Police Force in an ill advised attempt at ingratiating himself with the public.

(By the way well and truly shooting himself in the foot as the instigator of the time consuming paperwork he now rails against.)

Forget Downfall. This is Brownfall. No metaphorical film needed to chart this humanoid walking talking apocalypse as he makes his way to oblivion.

DZ

Shouldn't we stand by quietly and politely and watch New Labour disintegrate? Applaud them in the only way they understand - insincerely. Don't offer good advice to them. It's such a waste.

AndyinBrum

AHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHA AHAHAHA

Oh god you're serious, its not April the 1st is it?

Noa Zrk

"Labour is making a catastrophic mistake in removing Mandelson...".
Well David, that really does depend on your point of view, doesn't it?
Speaking for myself I do opine that Harridan fully deserves the opportunity to lead Labour to what I hope and trust will be permanent electoral oblivion.

Richard Manns

Oh God... It's like Callaghan asking Benn and Foot to run the 1979 campaign...

Has Pickles got some form of mind control over Labour HQ?

john

No Labour trolls yet. Are they working to rule?

daniel maris

Ha-ha-ha!

Harman instead of Mandelson.

Mandelson is a supreme operator - quite deadly. You could gag him, tie him to a chair and handcuff him. He'd probably still be able to saw through the rope with a razor blade hidden under his cuff.

Harman is a...joke. She could connect with the Guardian Woman's page and the Islington Asylum Seekers' Support Group. And that's about it.

If this report is true then Cameron will be PM.

David Bouvier

Is it that Harman is seen as a leadership threat, and by binding her close to the campaign she is prevented from claiming she could do better? That is what the weak Tory leaders did with their biggest threats during the Thatcher-Cameron inter-regnum. Don't forget this can be all about the party rather than the election.

TomTom

the chichi equivalent of the playing fields of Eton

Why did Brown allude to the Duke of Wellington, a former Prime Minister ?

Eton Playing Fields

Then again, being alien, Brown probably doesn't know much British history

Mitch

Imagine Harmans vision of the UK.....and try not to laugh to hard.
Brown must be off his meds again.

Fragmeister

Will Ms Harman be allowed to do her daily press conferences from Pentonville?

Woody

Whilst I can't abide the woman Harman, I think you need to be a little more wary. This won't have been a rush decision. It will have been many months in the planning and deals would have been done behind the scenes, as she is backed by the Unions.
Gordon Brown will of course have a ready made scapegoat when she makes a complete 'balls' of it (I hope).
Don't forget this woman is going to get the easiest of rides from the sycophantic BBC and left-wing media.
The fact that Mandelson is staying in the background is also very sinister.
BE VERY AWARE!!

Ricky

In the Land of the Blind, the One Eyed Fool is King

Nick

Isn't Harriet Harman going to be spending time in Court this year answering charges that she drove away from the scene of an accident without leaving her contact and insurance details.

You have to admire her ability to multitask but I don't think revelations of her law-breaking will sit very well with heading uup an election campaign.

Michael Booth

@logdon: love 'Brownfall' - let's hope it comes about!

JohnW

It is, of course, nothing to do with environmentalism and everything to do with control. Socialist states are the same the world over.

Ben

Agreed, pushing Harriet as your public face is laughably misconceived, but what's wrong wioth you people sucking up to Mandygirl? He is THE most overrated politician ever. What has he really achieved? None of the big 4 offices of state, repeated humiliations and sackings, generally loathed by the voters..get a grip!!

oldtimer

If you are of a suspicious turn of mind, like me, then you should consider an alternative interpretation of this reported move.

Labour considers the election is already lost. They need to blame somebody - Brown obviously but anyone else who is a serious embarrassment. Step forward Harman. Make her campaign co-ordinator or whatever it is called so that she can be blamed too. Thus she is removed from the reckoning in the post election Labour leadership bustup between the Balls-Mandelson factions. This line of reasoning has, I suggest, the devious quality appropriate to the political machinations of the party presently in government.

Publius

Somehow I don't think the battle of Waterloo would have been won in the maisonettes of Islington.

General Zod

If you need a laugh, read this piece from the loon, Macintyre:

http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2010/01/labour-brown-election-cameron

(some of it will fuel Verity's fantasies - interesting to see what strange bedfellows align against Cameron)