Brown’s dilemma

Robert Peston’s definitive biography of the Chancellor rocked the government. Here he sets out Brown’s plans, his promise of a ‘new individualism’ — and the nightmare he faces positioning himself in relation to Blair

At last comes the final settling of accounts between the bosses of The Two Families, Don Antonio and Don Gordono. Don Antonio, the capo di tutti capi, still sits at the head of the table. But not for much longer, as Don Gordono stares him down. In a relationship measured out in mutual accusations of betrayal over many years, the mayhem of the past few days can be traced in part to what Don Gordono sees as the great treachery of 2004.

This was when Don Antonio failed to honour what Don Gordono saw as a firm and unsolicited commitment to resign in that autumn. At the impasse, Don Gordono looked daggers on Don Antonio and intoned in his rich baritone, ‘There is nothing that you could ever say to me now that I could ever believe.’

Instead Don Antonio made his famous commitment that he would lead Labour into war against the Conservatives one last time. It was, in fact, a promise that he would not go on and on. But his departure date remained vague. In theory he could stay until 2010. But most believed he would be history some time between 2007 and 2009.

The intelligence of Don Gordono’s people was that Don Antonio had no intention of quitting as capo till 2008 — and never mind his seductive hints that he would stand down sooner. The soldiers, even some owing allegiance to Don Antonio, were becoming restless at the uncertainty over the succession. Then the coup: a theatrical and tactical series of resignations from the lower ranks of New Labour’s command structure forced Don Antonio to agree to be off during the course of the next few months.