Alan Johnson’s interview with Alice Thomson and Rachel Sylvester changes the dynamics of the Labour leadership debate. By once again making clear that he isn’t interested in the top job and praising David Miliband in such lavish terms, Johnson has made clear that he won’t be a candidate. (Johnson admits that it was his defeat in the deputy leadership contest that “finished the little bit of ambition” he had inside him).
As Sam Coates notes, this opens up space for another contender given that Miliband is unacceptable to large chunks of the party. Sam speculates that if there is a contest it will be a straight left-right fight between Miliband and Cruddas. But I expect it will actually be a three way race with Harman or Straw running as a middle ground, unity candidate. Harman’s positioning in the last week has been typically astute. She has been sounding—unlike her cabinet colleagues—increasingly warm about Gordon as the week goes on, suggesting that she is aiming to secure the loyalist vote in a post-Brown leadership election.
The other noteworthy thing about the interview is just how weak Brown’s position is. Johnson describes Brown as “the best person at the moment” given the current financial turmoil. We are hearing this sentiment from a lot of cabinet minister at the moment and they do appear to be hinting that once the current crisis calms down the attempts to remove Brown will start up again with renewed vigour. Johnson also states that Brown will serve only one term as PM, something I do not believe we have heard from Brown himself. The Brownites have semi-publicy suggested that their man will only fight one election as PM. But there is a subtle but important difference between the two statements.
Johnson openly admits that he’s “never been a great Brown cheerleader” and pokes fun at Brown in a way it is hard to imagine him doing this time last year. Take his comments about Brown’s appearance:
“I think Gordon has a nice smile. He worked on it as well – he paid quite a lot of money for that smile.”
One suspects Gordon wasn’t smiling when he read this interview.
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