James Forsyth James Forsyth

Dumping Darling

Gordon Brown has no chance of improving Labour’s poll ratings let alone winning the next election unless Labour can close the gap on the economy. The Tories currently have a 13 point lead on this subject according to Populus while back in September 2007 Labour were 23 points ahead on this issue.

A lot of people in Westminster will tell you that Labour can’t turn this around with Darling at Number 11. They say that he doesn’t have the authority a Chancellor needs or ‘connect’ with the public. Indeed, the post-Budget polls found that 47 percent of voters thought Darling wasn’t up to the job and it is hard to imagine that recent economic events have improved that number.

Demoting Darling, though, is fraught with risk for Brown. Darling has made clear by appearing on Andrew Rawnsley’s documentary Gordon Brown: Where did it all go wrong? and through various interviews that he has given that he won’t go quietly.

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