Flint tells Brown, don’t sack Blears

Hazel Blears flipping her second home several times is one of the worst cases uncovered by the Telegraph. But her actions are really no worse than those of Geoff Hoon. Yet, it is Blears who has copped most of the flak from the media. Gordon Brown hasn’t helped her case by describing her actions as ‘totally unacceptable behaviour’ while defending Hoon.

There is a view that Blears, who remember criticised the PM in a newspaper article just days before this story broke, is being set up to the be the symbolic Cabinet sacking over the whole expenses business. So it is interesting to see her close friend Caroline Flint say explicitly that Blears shouldn’t be moved in the reshuffle.

After the June 4th elections, Brown’s authority will probably hit a new low. A reshuffle that was seen as factional would undermine his position within the party even further.