What the Tories think of James Purnell

Ok, so it seems like you CoffeeHousers generally don’t agree with our appraisal of James Purnell (exemplified by Fraser’s article “Meet James Purnell: the best hope Labour has of avoiding disaster”). But what does the Tory party think of the work and pensions secretary?  Here’s a hefty quote from Tara Hamilton-Miller’s excellent article in the New Statesman today, outlining just that:

“Back in the office, Tories have been checking out James Purnell, the new young buck many suggest could be the saviour of Brown’s crumbling party. The Central Office staff don’t get it. Says one Tory aide: “He’s a boy. I’m not convinced his own party buy him. Surely this is a case of hype from a desperate left, bandying about names of possible successors?” There are apparently those in the government who are hoping that Purnell will lead them. And there are those in the Tory party hoping Purnell will assist them. One Tory strategist is grateful to him: “Labour is now attempting to do the heavy lifting on welfare reform: they feel they need to. The likes of Purnell are making it acceptable to question those welfare recipients who see handouts as a way of life. This is good for us; it means we can be radical without any of the usual finger-pointing.” A colleague disagrees: “It’s less about finger-pointing. Purnell’s strategy is all about positioning himself. It is literally impossible to deliver anything he says before the end of this parliament. If he starts these pilot projects, great. It means we can get more done, more quickly, should we form the next government. “If he wants to mark himself out as the heir to Blair and he loses, his political career could be over by the time he’s 40,” he adds, not entirely displeased.”