As usual, Rachel Sylvester’s column in the Times is essential reading. Today, she writes – contrary to Ben Brogan – that relations between Brown and Darling are poor. But goes on to suggest that Darling will hang on to his job in a “limited reshuffle” later this week. Here’s the key passage:
“A limited reshuffle – focused on merging the Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland jobs into a single constitutional secretary role – had been pencilled into the No 10 diary for this week. Mr Brown is being urged to postpone it and carry out a wider reshuffle involving Mr Darling. It would be wrong of the Prime Minister to pin the blame for his and the country’s difficulties on the Chancellor – and foolish for him to sack someone who knows where the political bodies are buried. But already Mr Brown has been forced to reassure David Miliband that his job is safe, after the Downing Street attack dogs went on the offensive against him. His political authority is starting to look dangerously weak.”
Whether the particulars are true or not, they highlight the challenge that Gordon Brown faces with this reshuffle. On the one hand he can keep things largely as they are, and risk both looking weak and prompting a collective, dissatisfied shrug from voters in the process. Or, on the other hand, he can make sweeping changes – such as giving Darling the chop – and risk adding to the ranks of those operating against him. The question for Brown is which of these two scenarios is less damaging to his prospects of short-term survival.
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