Brown shouldn't fear the stalking horses

Mike

Agreed. No chance. Entertaining media copy though. Lots of bored political hacks looking for different ways to spin the Labour disintegration

Alex R

What about Mike Smithson's idea that Brown himself will opt to go rather than be defeated? A Michael Howard style fix up with no leadership or deputy leadership contest?

Faceless Bureaucrat

True, Matthew - but you ignore the Resignation possibility. If Brown should fall of his own accord, then none of the shenannigans you speak of are relevant. I suspect this is the prospect that really drives the the leadership hopefuls, rather than all this ridiculous 'stalking horse' nonsense. If Brown is forced into a situation where his position really is untenable (and it would need to be something other than simply the economy in free-fall), he may well take the decision to cut and run. If this this scenario appears fanciful at first glance, remember Harold Wilson...

ChrisD

I would be very surprised to see the Labour party oust Brown, they did not have the courage to make sure that he faced a leadership contest a year ago.
But, I do think that its entirely plausible that Brown will do what he has always done, back off from a real contest especially if its one he is likely to lose.
I would rate the chances of him going of his own accord as much higher than that of the Labour party asking him to go through a challenge to his leadership. And Gordon Brown will pick a time when he knows that defeat is inevitable, and without any regard for the disaster that timing will cause his party.
I don't have any sympathy for the predicament the Labour party is in, they chuckled their way through too many Conservative leaders and still did not realise just how beneficially that last contest was for David Cameron. It gave him a momentum and springboard that none of his predecessors enjoyed.
People talk about Brown having no empathy with the voters, or the voters not understanding what he stands for. That's one major problem a confident and courageous politician would have been able to address during such a contest.
If you are so scared of even fighting an internal party contest that you do everything in your power to avoid it, then I am not convinced that you will have the inner strength to face a gruelling GE campaign when the result could be defeat for the first time since 97'.

Ian C

Equal fantasies are Brown going voluntarily (he's only just tgot the job he thought was his by rights) and that it matters. The public knowledge that Labour is stuck with him (and the infighting that will result) will be utterly corrosive and almost as damaging as an actual challenge.

Fergus Pickering

I always understood Harold Wilson went because he had early Alzheimers. You're not siggesting...

DougS

It just reminds you, though, how unlikely the figures behind Brown are: Miliband comes off as a graduate student; none of the women have much substance; and, Clarke . . . well, no.

I guess that leaves the execrable Balls, who is rapidly destroying any chances he has as the British public finally gets a real dose of him, along with possibilities like John Reid, Alan Johnson and Jack Straw . . . all with the whiff of yesterday's men.

I guess this is pretty typical of long-lived governments (and with other, special considerations for New Labour in 2008): damaged older figures and younger folks who just seem unlikely.

EyeSee

Another non article By Matty, just to end up mentioning that Brown will be running for re-election. Is the Guardian not looking for someone of your talents.

Pete

Perhaps the thing we least expect is what Brown will do - call a general election now. What's he to lose? (Apart of course from the election itself which the majority say will happen whenever he calls it.)
Clinging on to the last will just re-inforce the ditherer/frightened loser image - plus things may be very much worse on many fronts by then.
Call an election now and Brown could at least dispel the clinging to high office at-all-costs charge. He could make out he's not scared; always believesd in getting a mandate and is a true democrat - and that he'd always intended calling an election this year. Some might find that plausible. Plus most nuLabour dissenters still don't know why they should vote Conservative or even what their policies are. In 2 years the Tories may well have published clear, popular policies that show a real choice from nuLabour. Now though, conservative policies are largely unclear to the public (and the party I suspect).
Brown might just have enough man in him to go to the polls sooner rather than later.

Ian Westbrook

"Trust me: Gordon will lead Labour into the next general election."

And lose. By a landslide...