In the last week there have been several stories about how Stephen Carter, the PM’s chief strategist, is to be demoted or moved; Brown can hardly bear to look at him any more according to one source. But Patrick Wintour’s piece in The Guardian today suggests that Carter isn’t planning on going quietly.
Wintour reports that Carter has apparently also lost the confidence of Jeremy Heywood, the permanent secretary at Number Ten. Yet, Carter isn’t intending to resign. Friends of Carter tell Wintour that:
“He is far more effective and intelligent than the people in No 10 briefing against him. He is also a very resilient guy and is not going to be put off from doing an excellent job.
“The danger is that the schoolboy briefings could poison the atmosphere inside No 10 and make it difficult for people to work together. He started at a difficult time in February when the impact of the credit crunch had just started to hit Gordon’s poll rating. People think he is a communications specialist like Campbell – that is not his role. He has achieved a lot and has a lot more to do, and it would be a catastrophe for Gordon if he was forced out. These kind of briefings are far more damaging than anything Clarke says on the record. It must make it harder for Downing Street to operate cohesively.”
The worry for Brown is that if Carter is forced out, Carter’s version of events—hardly likely to be flattering—will leak out. Carter took a significant pay cut to join the Brown operation and he is going need to protect his own reputation and future earning potential if he leaves.
Comments