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Friday 10 February 2012

Fear and Loathing at the Heart of Government

Tuesday, 3rd March 2009

There's some really fascinating stuff knocking around today. Rachel Sylvester's column in The Times is really quite extraordinary. She claims that in a conference call with Peter Mandelson and Ed Balls, the Prime Minister could not be persuaded to concentrate on domestic policy and kept returning to the international global crisis. Were there others involved in the call or is one of Balls or Mandelson briefing the Blairite Sylvester (hmm, I wonder)?

Pete Hoskin over at Coffee House has suggested that the level of humility in Alistair Darling's interview in today's Telegraph and similar noises from Ed Balls suggest that perhaps Brown will go for a mea culpa of his own in America. As I have said consistently that I believe Darling is a man of honour, whose loyalty was thrown back in his face last summer. This interview reinforces my view.

And then there is the strange case of Harriet Harman. The papers are full of the usual easy misogynistic hits on Harman suggesting that Brown has "slapped her down" (what a horrible expression that is) for suggesting that the government will act on Fred Goodwin's pension. But then there is Nick Watt in The Guardian who has a more sophisticated take. He suggests that Harman's intervention was a carefully calibrated intervention to position herself for the leadership. I tend to agree with him.

Watt quotes a minister who has got it about right. "Anyone who underestimates Harriet Harman is very foolish," said a minister. "I have tremendous admiration for the way in which she rehabilitated herself after being sacked from the cabinet by Tony Blair in 1998. She is a great organiser and, as a woman, she would be able to present herself as the change candidate."

I have heard Harriet being called "thick" and "incompetent" and "difficult" and (worst of all in Labour circles) "posh" but it's water off a duck's back to her. Never, ever underestimate Harman. And, above all, never underestimate her ambition.

Filed under: Alistair Darling (195 more articles) , Ed Balls (336 more articles) , Gordon Brown (906 more articles) , Harriet Harman (83 more articles) , Labour (2014 more articles) , Labour leadership (387 more articles) , Lord Mandelson (23 more articles)

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fulcanelli

March 3rd, 2009 11:28am Report this comment

Brown's in his own little world at the moment. The guy should simply not be taken seriously.

Harman is a dangerous element at the moment. Her interview on Sunday was playing to the worst elements of human nature. Would she make a credible leader? Probably not, but at least she'd hand the next decade to Cameron and the Tories. Labour would be committing suicide if they chose her as their next leader. Wouldn't that be lovely to see!

Nick Cohen

March 3rd, 2009 11:33am Report this comment

Martin, it is easier to secure an audience with the Pope than get hold of you. Give me a call on home land line when you can

Original Tony

March 3rd, 2009 12:18pm Report this comment

I despise government in all its forms. Lies, scheming and so on!

I believe one of the definitions of 'politics' is "The Art of deception".

I just live in my little world. Maybe the rest of humanity should do the same and buck the system where they can.

mac

March 3rd, 2009 12:38pm Report this comment

"As I have said consistently [that] I believe Darling is a man of honour . . ."

Ah, this man of honour:

"Alistair Darling tabled a Commons motion congratulating the Government on the legislative threats it had made to me. So now we know what he thinks of contracts that government later wishes it hadn't signed".

Tom Winsor, former Rail regulator, writing today in The Times about the knifing of Railtrack @ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5834787.ece

Pope Benedict XVI

March 3rd, 2009 12:40pm Report this comment

Martin, please can you secure me an audience with Nick Cohen.

Cheers, mate.

Kevyn Bodman

March 3rd, 2009 1:05pm Report this comment

I am not now, nor ever have been, a Roman Catholic. But with a leader who can put a smile on my face like Pope Benedict XVI here I can understand our former great secular national leader's temptation to join them.

Rhoda Klapp

March 3rd, 2009 2:05pm Report this comment

Martin, you really must explain further which members of the government are honourable and not to be under-estimated and which are incompetent crooks. I find it hard to distinguish on my own.

Max Kaye

March 3rd, 2009 3:45pm Report this comment

Oooooh! I do home Harperson succeeds in her quest for leadership of Labour - thus ensuring an even longer period in opposition. Hopefully permanent.

Hugh

March 3rd, 2009 3:52pm Report this comment

I don't think those suggesting Harman is thick, incompetent, difficult or posh are necessarily underestimating her. There's nothing that really convinces me that she couldn't be all those things and still become Labour's leader.

Andrew Cadman

March 3rd, 2009 5:51pm Report this comment

Harman IS shallow, thick and something of a bigot. It is not misogynistic to say so. She is on record of stating many comments and allegations about men which would simply not be allowed for any other group in society, and clearly believes in crass positive discrimination. She never addresses the now large amount of evidence that issues such as the gender pay gap or the lack of women in top positions have very little to do these days with male chauvinism. Still...Labour politicians as a rule have never let the facts get in the way of the theory.

Rhoda Klapp

March 3rd, 2009 5:53pm Report this comment

Oh no, she's not thick. Does she wish to take over before the final crash, and be Karl Doenitz, or leave it until after, and be Michael Foot? Jackboots or donkey jacket, Ms Harman?

Brenda

March 3rd, 2009 7:47pm Report this comment

Plenty of fear and loathing OF the government in the country at large!

Twelve years of porkers, pfi's and pecuniary pecados. The Tories may have *****ed their secretaries, researchers and the occasional cabinet colleague, but New Labour have done all this and *****ed the entire nation as well !

Fergus Pickering

March 3rd, 2009 7:48pm Report this comment

I TOLD youse all that Harriet was a sweetie. You didn't believe me, did you? Bless her little cotton socks she'll see off the Millibug and fat Balls and the rest of those useless yesterday's men.

michael

March 4th, 2009 6:38pm Report this comment

Never underestimate the electorate either, she doesn't stand a chance.

Agree with the comments on Darling though, seems to me a genuine chap.

Nicholas

March 4th, 2009 7:03pm Report this comment

Harmon is barking and if her rants were directed at anyone other than men she would have fallen foul of anti-discrimination laws by now. If she manages to take over before Labour get kicked out expect even more left-wing sisters PC barminess than under lame ducklet kilted sausage Broon. Labour wimmin are all dangerous loons and need to be sent packing on a 5-year residential re-education course in ironing, cleaning house and fetching mens slippers in the Outer Hebrides.

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