Politics

I wonder whose turn it will be today to ask the planted PMQs question so Brown can apologise to Labour, rather than the Tories, as he did last week over disc-gate. That was Hoon’s brainwave, but any brownie points he earned will have been destroyed by his disastrous Newsnight interview  where he exculpated Jon Mendelson, whom Brown personally appointed as Labour’s chief general election fundraiser. It is Mendelson who is now at the centre of the storm over his knowledge of these donations. Brown needs to stand up today and announce that Mendelson has gone. But here’s what puzzles me. Did he demand absolute candour from Mendelson? As chancellor, Brown

Nick Robinson sets out what he believes Jon Mendelson knew and when he knew it in this blog entry. The series of events as laid out raises serious questions about Mendelson’s judgement Mendelson is a Brown appointee and if he remains in post, and Sky is reporting that the Brown camp are inclined to protect him, then Brown is effectively endorsing the way that he handled this business. If Brown wants to avoid having to defend Mendelson, then he’ll have to dismiss him before noon.

Gordon Brown’s press conference was, unsurprisingly, dominated by the Labour fundraising scandal. Notably, Brown described Peter Watt’s resignation as a “necessary first step.” He also expressed his confidence in Harriet Harman’s explanation of how she ended up accepting an improper donation. Although, Nick Robinson thinks that Harriet Harman should be “Worry. Very worried” by what Brown said or, more accurately, didn’t say. For a contrarian take on this issue see Michael White’s Guardian Unlimited Diary. White writes, “Don’t fall for the latest ”sleaze” campaign now being run by the media and the opposition about David Abrahams, the Geordie developer who smuggled £600,000 into Labour’s coffers through intermediaries. Unless it can be

Daniel Finkelstein flags up the key questions that Labour must answer about this whole fundraising affair.  Do read the whole thing.