When the histories of Gordon Brown’s premiership are written, I’m sure the events of the past week will get a prominent showing. And I’m sure, too, that Allegra Stratton’s blow-by-blow account in today’s Guardian will be among the most useful first-hand sources.
There are plenty of fascinating nuggets in there: how the plotters regard Hazel Blears’ resignation as the “moment it started to go wrong” for them; how the Hotmail plot got an email from brownn@parliament.uk – the email address of the chief whip – not because he wanted to join them, but because he wanted to sniff them out; and how numerous MPs were dissuaded from acting against Brown by a rumour that he’s gone to speak to the Queen.
But the most noteworthy passage comes at the end. Discussing a list that the plotters compiled of Labour MPs alongside a number indicating their willingness to act against Brown, Stratton makes this observation:
“Something that many got wrong this week, including media commentators, is that the majority of Labour MPs on the list wanted Alan Johnson to take over.
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