‘There is nothing saying Labour will ever win power again’

David Short

‘There is nothing saying Labour will ever win power again’

That's what I thought not many years before 1997.

Anon.

Brown was thrown to wolves because the political class could see the Brown stuff was about to hit the proverbial fan - bigtime.

The political class put out a contract on brown, this way Dave could relieve the pressure cooker that looks to explode anytime soon.

None of this matters, it's all the entertainment committee on the Titanic, it's only delaying the inevitable - the people of Britain have had enough.

Captain Coma

"In politics as in war, a retreating army can always adopt a scorched earth policy."

Unless Brown is removed, it seems inevitable that this will be his strategy. It really is reminiscent of the Hitlerian madness of the final bunker days - the egomanic delusion of total identification with the country, such that, "If I am destroyed, the country is nothing, and all that will be left are the weak and unworthy who don't deserve to live. Burn the factories and bridges! Leave nothing behind!"

Meanwhile, Himmler, Dönitz and Bormann fight like rats in a sack to inherit the glorious future of the Reich as Soviets tanks trundle up the K'Damm.

Is there some constitutional mechanism for removing Brown before he gets his Götterdämmerung? Can the Queen help us?

Simon

An excellent analysis of what is a horror story for our country. Whatever happens we are stuck with a government that is not governing for several more months.

Labour will have to find some balls from somewhere (and not Mr Ed).

Milliband is not a credible leader of our nation. He has no connection with the public - he is bland and condescending. He will not significantly improve the ratings of his party (other than by being ABG - anyone but Gordon).

The story that the Mirror are trying to peddle that Milliband will be offered No11 to keep him on board and signal the succession shows how little Labour have learned. It is not for an out-going leader to stitch things up for their chosen one. That is what left us with Gordo McNumpty

And look what that has created!

Dave B

'He did enough as Chancellor not be written off as a complete failure. '

I think his record as chancellor is already looking pretty bad, and it won't improve with time.

Matthew Wilson

A terrific analysis, Fraser. It's horrific to contemplate the prospect of two more years of a lame-duck government pursuing scorched earth policies. Strikes me that Labour's huddled bunnies don't just owe it to their party to try and avoid its electoral annihilation, they owe it to the country and the voters who pay their wages. Not that that's going to count for anything. From what you've said here, it seems the main hope may well lie with Jon Cruddas, who - let's not forget - got the most first-preference votes in last year's deputy leadership contest, in which he was by far the most impressive candidate and clearly a breed apart from the cabinet automatons. I never thought I'd say this, but it's almost a shame Livingstone isn't an MP any more as his ego is certainly titanic enough to suit him for the vital role of Brown's public executioner.

Just thinking about the Lib-Dems for a moment, do you think we might get any Labour MPs defecting in that direction in a bid to keep hold of their seats beyond the next election?

KindnessofWomen

Wow, looks like I underestimated Milibland earlier, as it seems that like the kid with the conker in the Cadbury's Fudge ad he may have done just enough to prepare the ground for Broon to be toppled.

It's an intriguing Mexican stand-off. If Broon rises to the bait and sacks Milibland, as some have urged him to do, it means Milibland would have nothing to lose by launching a leadership challenge. Which is presumably what Milibland wants to do without being painted as the aggressor. On the other hand, some are saying that if Broon doesn't sack Milibland he'll look even weaker than he does already, thus giving succour to anyone thinking of challenging him.

If we accept that Broon can't win either way, it makes you wish they'd just get on with the execution. Meanwhile, The Times has a story about Milibland cancelling a planned trip to India, supposedly in anticipation of a leadership campaign:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4437409.ece

Whatever Milibland's true strategy is, the dreadful kicking he took from Comment is free readers doesn't seem to have dampened his ardour any. Then again, I doubt if he bothered reading past the first couple of comments. After all, once he's PM he can just have everyone arrested. Brilliant.

Christopher Chantrill

Don't forget that if Labour collapses then the divided left in the UK would be united in a single party. Not exactly something devoutly to be wished for our side.

Mark

Will he go of his own free will. Maybe yes, maybe no. However, I think that he is fundamentally very weak, and will cave after a brief fight. Those demons of the night will be worrying away at him....

http://cynicuspoliticus.blogspot.com/2008/07/gordon-brown-and-stalin.html

Hysteria

Simon "Whatever happens we are stuck with a government that is not governing for several more months."

perversly this is probably what we need - less government !

David Short

I'd certainly vote for a Less Government party!

This government has tried to micro-manage absolutely everything through three administrations even though very, very few of them, if any, have any real management experience.

They have tried to take credit (and of course, allowed the population to take far too much credit of another sort) for the past bogus economic prosperity, so it's no surprise the voters will blame them now the bubble has burst.

Leonard Colquhoun

"Considering how few of them came from professions to which they could easily return" sums up one of the big problems of UK Labour and Down Under's ALP: their MPs come from a 'political class' who have never had real jobs nor led normal lives, and are thus cut off from the daily experience of voters, who treat them with contemptuously as hopelessly out of touch.

M McGregor

Brown believes that his unpopularity is caused solely by economic problems. The fact that he recognises no other reality reveals just how arrogant and bigoted the man is.

Labour has benefited for a long time from a prosperity that has little to do with its policies, enabling it to take advantage of the fact that most people's chief concern is their own personal welfare, and to implement a marxist programme completely changing our society. There has been little organised opposition from either the morally weak Conservatives, or the even weaker Anglicans, both of whom have obediently absorbed
'political correctness' like sponges.

Suitably encouraged, Labour extended its contempt for everything traditionally British to the Working Class, which actually adheres most naturally to traditional values, notwithstanding a temporary submergence under a tide of alcohol, drugs, Mediterranean holidays, and general self-indulgence.

Immigration, crime, a Third World health service, a gutter education system fit only to add to the queues of the unemployed and unemployable,a sabotaged manufacturing industry, and a Third World NHS, all hit working class people more than other groups, and became linked in the public mind with to the government's increasingly apparent dishonesty, corruption, and incompetence. Add to that a rocketing cost of living, and Labour's demise to the status of a minor party was inevitable.

For a while the Tories will have it their own way against a Labour rump probably becoming even more suicidally Hard Left, the joke LibDems, a growing BNP, and various Islamic/immigrant parties. Eventually, though, the twittering of the utterly ineffectual Conservatives incapable of contemplating anything more decisive than half-measures, will also lose mass support to the Right and Left, and we shall end up under the BNP as the alternative to an Islamic Republic.

Jackie Bates

Great article - 30 July - on Labour's possible future. Even better it rings true. Many thanks!

fearless frank

He did enough as Chancellor not be written off as a complete failure.

Well, he allowed the credit bubble to swell up during his tme at Number 11.
The fact that it burst soon after he moved next door is almost poetic.

Gervas Douglas

As all three parties are in broad agreement most substantive issues, what difference would it make if one of them were relegated in favour of another? Thank you, Tories for giving up all pretence of believing that people are better qualified to spend their money than an incompetent, parasitic state.

Peter Gompertz

Gordon Brown stapling his own hand? are there no lengths this apology for a poitician won't go to give the electorate a laugh. Tee hee.

The Laughing cavalier

Your article states " Labour could not hope to change prime ministers twice during a Parliament without consulting the electorate". Oh yes they can. All they have to do is carry on regardless; there is no mechanism to force an election.

L A Davis

I appreciate the opportunity to read Spectator articles.I am a subscriber to the Magazine with an increasing forlorn hope of getting to read the whole Magazine.
If you can get Boris in as Mayor surely you can get the Magazine delivered to Australia on a regular basis.

Donald Last

'He did enough as Chancellor not be written off as a complete failure. '

This really is the ultimate myth. When Brown set off on his debt and public spending spree it was self-evident that he had set the UK economy on the road to perdition. It is a pity 364 economists did not sign a petition saying so. They were quick to jump on Mrs Thatcher when she offended their Keynesian sensibilities. They baulked at her raising rates in a slowdown and called it suicidal and were totally wrong. This time round we saw outstanding personal debt and mortgage loans go from being equal to disposable income to 150% of household income in less than a decade. Mr Brown was running alongside steadily pushing up public debt. You could count on one hand the number of economists who stood up and said this was unsustainable and would end in tears.

Jonathan Dickson

If Milliband is considered as a leader, then they are most definitely finished.
JD.