Watching Eric Pickles on Sky just now, it’s revealing just how the Tories are responding to the news of Purnell’s resignation. Pickles’ message is that Purnell agrees with Gordon Brown on all the big issues – “high debt, ID cards, and all that” – and he’s pushing the line that Purnell isn’t concerned with the functions of government but only with the survival of the Labour Party. It’s slightly disingenuous in this case, but the tactic is clear: suggesting that the Labour Party will remain the same even if – or when? – the current PM is dispatched. Yep, the Tories are on post-Brown footing.
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