Coming to blows
Peter Hoskin 9:00am
As always, Rachel Sylvester's column in the Telegraph is essential reading. Today she writes of how divide, doubt and mistrust have permeated every level of the Government. In particular, this revelation jumped out at me:
“Behind the scenes, things are even worse. With no clear direction from above, Cabinet ministers are at each other's throats. I am reliably informed that, after one recent Cabinet meeting, Jack Straw threatened to punch Ed Balls during a row about who was responsible for youth crime. The Justice Secretary came back to his department fuming that he had never been spoken to so rudely by a colleague in public and that he was not going to put up with it.”
We've been discussing the tensions awakened by Stephen Carter's arrival at Downing Street. But this is of a different level entirely. The cracks in Team Brown are threatening to become chasms, and it's difficult to see how they can recover the situation.
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Thomas Cussans
April 8th, 2008 9:32am Report this commentDeliberately offensive behaviour, learned from his (temporary) boss, is a central element of Balls's masterplan to take over the Labour party.
That said, has there ever been actual fisticuffs in a Cabinet meeting? It would be only too appropriate if this government was able to claim another new low in the debasement of British political life.
steve
April 8th, 2008 9:37am Report this commentWell, well it looks more like the dying days of Major everyday. When ministers start badmouthing each other in public you are finished, period. My advice to the PM is accept you have lost the backing of the people, go to the polls now and you will minimise the damage to your party, the longer you stay in power, the heavier will be the defeat. Unfortunately I would bet that just like Major he will cling on leading a drifting, dithering, pointless and incompetent goverment until the last possible moment. The only realistic hope I have is that the next few years doesn't damage society or the economy too badly.
TrevorH
April 8th, 2008 10:09am Report this comment"The only realistic hope I have is that the next few years doesn't damage society or the economy too badly." --
Well I was thinking only last night that the way things are going then the sort of country the Tories will inherit will be in a right state, and that despite the earnest intentions of being Centerist (which even as rightwingish myself I can sympathise with), even with these intentions things may well have swung so far that some drastic action will be needed.
There are symptoms/ inklings that the Tories recognise this on their recent schools announcements. And given who we currently have as education minister its highly likely that our schools will be in a complete toss-pot mess.
Any bets on a 2008-09 winter of discontent?
KB
April 8th, 2008 10:45am Report this commentI love the ambiguity of the description of the stand-off between Straw and Balls. Were they empire building ("It's my responsibility!") or trying to pass the buck ("It's your responsibility!")?
Either way works for me.
Anon
April 8th, 2008 11:01am Report this commentWho wouldn't want to punch Balls, Brown, Darling et all?
Tim Carpenter
April 8th, 2008 12:58pm Report this commentFor youth crime? The entire cabinet is responsible one way or another, and not in the way they think it means.
Austin Barry
April 8th, 2008 1:17pm Report this commentOne does worry so about poor little Hazel Blears associating with these brutes. Perhaps she could include Cabinet cohesion within her remit.
Max Kaye
April 8th, 2008 1:24pm Report this commentSurely one kicks Balls.
Caroline
April 8th, 2008 4:05pm Report this commentYou are a bit behind the game - this 'story' has been rubbished and rebutted on Ben Brogan.
Mousecatcher
April 8th, 2008 5:00pm Report this commentIt hasn't been rubbished and rebutted at all. It's been denied. By no. 10. You would hardly have expected them to have admitted it, would you?
Caroline
April 8th, 2008 9:24pm Report this commentMousecatcher. You keep dancing on the head of that pin. I freely admit that I would rather accept as gospel anything that came out of No 10 than I would an exaggerated over frothed unsubstantiated opinion piece penned by a Tory reporter over a wet Easter recess.
Nicholas
April 8th, 2008 10:38pm Report this commentA cabinet of plotters and back-stabbers - it was bound to happen. "Et tu, Balls?"
Each new government "initiative" (headline) is reminiscent of Baldrick's "cunning plan" - quite appropriate really as the odious little Robinson is a strong New Labour supporter and Boris hater.
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