A Straw in the wind
James Forsyth 10:09am
Today’s Guardian reveals that Brown, unsurprisingly, plans to hang on until the last possible moment before going to the country. Brown hopes that two years will give him time to turn thing round or—more realistically—that something will turn up in this period.
More immediately, though, all eyes seem to be on Jack Straw who is, word has it, putting himself forward as the man who could tell Gordon the game is up. The Guardian reports that:
Straw really is, as Tony Blair supposedly once said of him, a political tart. He moved from the Blair camp to the Brown one at the most opportune moment for him personally and even ran Gordon’s leadership campaign. Yet, less than a year later he is being presented as the man to ease Brown out of Number Ten.Eyebrows were raised when Straw pulled out of a planned broadcast interview on Friday in the wake of the byelection defeat. It is not clear when he will next appear on the media. "Jack Straw is strangely silent," one senior Labour figure said. But this speculation was dismissed by Straw supporters. "Jack doesn't even own a grey suit," one friend said.
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Jim
May 26th, 2008 11:06am Report this commentLook at the recording of the last PMQs. I think the expression on Straw's face, as he listens to Brown, is very revealing.
Water
May 26th, 2008 11:40am Report this commentIt will be good to hear Straw confirm this as Johnson has joined Miliband in declaring his unambiguous support for Brown.
kinglear
May 26th, 2008 11:55am Report this commentSurely that's what many politicians are? There are very few who have true principles. When they do, they sweep all before them
Perry
May 26th, 2008 12:11pm Report this commentIt’s too easy really :
Song of the Man of Straw
When Gordo our Deliverer came,
To heal the Nation's Grievance,
I turn'd the Cat in Pan again,
And swore to him Allegiance:
But now’s the time to ease him out
Set conscience at a distance,
Passive Obedience is a Joke,
I need your kind assistance.
Tapestry
May 26th, 2008 12:38pm Report this commentOne senses the closing of ranks in the cabinet and a fear that a knife might be wielded by backbench MPs. The Blairites have also gone silent, as what both they and the Brownites fear are the eurosceptics - which they amusingly refer to as 'left-wingers'.
Pat
May 26th, 2008 12:45pm Report this commentThe only knife action this Government has taken is to remove the dagger from the plotters. Shame they couldn't do the same for the youths being killed and injured throughout the Nation
Nicholas
May 26th, 2008 12:56pm Report this commentThe Guardian article is sobering in its reflection of the government's head in the sand denial of its true position. And it seems the neck holding that head so firmly in the sand is made of brass.
New Labour have an incomparable record for weathering the most outrageous scandals and cock-ups by sailing on regardless and I do not expect that to change now. Any one of these issues could have brought down governments in the past but New Labour have the combination of arrogance and dementia to continue with their cloud cuckoo land belief system. In fact I think their policies will become even more extreme, bizarre and unpopular.
Brown is becoming Britain's Mugabe.
Ian C
May 26th, 2008 1:55pm Report this commentBoris should recomend Red Ken for his seat in Henley and then he can through the gauntlet in front of Brown.
We will then get the true Labour Party rather than the half-arsed pastel version we have had since Blair and Brown went out to lunch one day.
Cassius
May 26th, 2008 3:46pm Report this commentSome perspective please, Nicholas. Much as I deprecate Brown's behaviour in raiding our pockets, sucking us dry and generally in being incompetent, one should not compare him with the evil Mugabe who has much blood on his hands. A better description might be Britain's parasite.
Water
May 26th, 2008 4:19pm Report this commentGood to see the facts coming thick and fast.
DW
May 26th, 2008 4:42pm Report this commentNicholas - completely agree.
A concerned parishoner
May 26th, 2008 5:22pm Report this commentIrrespective of whoever wields the knife and after a well ordered and dignified election contest(!)surely the first and only task of the newly appointed leader would be to call a General Election. At least this would ensure that Gordon Brown would not be the shortest serving Labour Prime Minister of all time!
Richard
May 26th, 2008 5:44pm Report this commentRemember Straw when he was he up / President of the National Union of Students in the late 60's. Surprise he got as far as he did. But then looking at the shambles this Government really is, there is no real talent in the competence / capability stakes.
TrevorH
May 26th, 2008 7:38pm Report this commentStraw may well be in hiding because he does not want to answer the question, "Would you like to replace Brown as PM?"
However it could be that he also does not want to answer the question, "Whatever possessed you to promote Gordon Brown as leader?"
Along with Brown he must be the most unpopular man in the Labour Party right now.
Max Kaye
May 26th, 2008 8:33pm Report this commentStraw is a canny fox. If he plays his cards well he'll end up as a 'caretaker PM' offering Labour a 'safe pair of hands' to see it through up to the coming elections. He knows he hasn't got a snowball's chance in hell of avoiding defeat, but that doesn't worry him much as this option offers him his last ever opportunity at the top slot.
Cogito Ergosum
May 26th, 2008 9:34pm Report this commentSupermac was succeeded by Lord Home, aka Sir Alec, who by October 1964 had almost pulled the Tories back to winning. It is conceivable that Straw Man could do something similar.
Tina
May 26th, 2008 9:41pm Report this commentPersonally I favour Darling as a caretaker leader, ver Straw.
Perry, pondering a pension pot of £2m for very little
May 26th, 2008 10:15pm Report this commentAh-ha! A canny thought. Would the Man of Straw, - were he to accede or succeed to the post of Supreme leader – also get his £2m pension? – like wot the previous and present encumbrance got? That would be – let’s see - £6m between the three of them.
Tankus
May 26th, 2008 10:46pm Report this commentThats it Perry ...all down to the trough and a slice of the action...got to keep up the the blair's isnt it !
lifes grand !
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