All the latest analysis of the day's news and stories
Enough of this talk of national decline. We still do some things quite well and we should celebrate them. Darts, for instance. I’ve a piece on the PDC World Championships in this week’s edition of the magazine (subscribe!)… Darts, however, remains a Great British Success Story. For all that darting missionaries preach the gospel of
The atmosphere is flat in Westminster today. The plot finally fizzled out this morning but not before having highlighted how little support in the Cabinet Brown has. It was telling that it was Shaun Woodward, not anyone more high profile, who turned up on the Today Programme to defend the PM. Plots that wound but
Marcus says: “It’s going to be very mild, more like early April than January. There will be no snow. The average temperature will be 16 degrees centigrade, with a fifty per cent chance of monsoon style rain. Later the temperatures will drop to about 14 degrees, giving the earth some brief respite. Polar bears dead
After June’s rebellion, it’s thought that Brown made a promise to his Cabinet colleagues: “…that cabinet ministers such as Alistair Darling will not again find themselves briefed against. There was deep anger in cabinet when Darling found himself being referred to in the past tense by Brown earlier in the week.” But in today’s Guardian:
Whatever took place yesterday – and there was certainly more to this plot than met the eye – the immediate danger to Gordon Brown seems to have fizzled out this morning. Here’s what David Miliband has just told the cameras: “No member of the government was involved in the letter – we are all determined
So, this is now the coldest winter for thirty years and the snow is likely to hang around for two weeks, maybe three. How does this square with last year’s prediction from eminent scientists – the Met, the UAE change-the-numbers-monkeys, Marcus Brigstocke etc – that 2010 was going to be the hottest year on record?
Intriguing post from Iain Martin, who is well sourced in the Darling camp, about what might have been said between the Prime Minister and the Chancellor yesterday: “I’ve heard from two Labour sources now that the conversation was very difficult and that Darling raised the possibility of Brown going, but the PM resisted. It would
Well done, Gordon. You seem to have survived another attempted coup. And not just any old coup, either. This one may have been particularly badly organised and executed, but it was also – probably – the last one you’ll face between now and the election; the last one you’ll ever face in your political career.
What a day! I mean, we’ve two feet of snow here and are running low on vital provisions (tobacco and whisky) and one of the chickens went missing and is feared lost in a snowdrift. A shame, since she’s a reliable layer. Meanwhile at Westminster, a pair of clowns armed with plastic spoons tried to
David Miliband has learned a lot since last June. Then, he was bounced by Peter Mandelson into declaring his support for Brown within an hour or so of James Purnell’s resignation. Today, he waited hours to release a statement and then when he did it could hardly have been less supportive. Tonight when challenged by
On a day where statements of support for the Prime Minister from key Cabinet colleagues have been notable for how lukewarm they ware, David Miliband’s takes the biscuit: It is hard to see how this could be a weaker statement of support. There is no word of praise for Brown, no claim that he is
There are German operas that lasted longer than today’s Hoon-Hewitt plot. Launched at 12.45pm, given legs by the fact that ministers hate Brown too much to interrupt their lunches for him. But dead by 6pm due to Mandelson texting Nick Robinson. (Again, you can’t fault Mandy for drama). You feel the Tories should take Labour
After the hubbub about Hewitt ‘n’ Hoon’s plot to unseat Gordon Brown, PMQs is perhaps a distant memory. It’s certainly made my review a little later than usual. But better late than never, as today’s clash was a bloody and intriguing contest with both party leaders on combative form. Cameron seemed unusually relaxed, glib and
Three things stand out to me from today. First of all there is little Cabinet love for Brown: there was no stampede of Ministers rushing out to offer their support to him and several have yet to say anything. Also many of the statements of support contained precious little enthusiasm for Brown. The second thing
The secret ballot story is still ongoing – so it’s a little early to be drawing conclusions just yet. But, for now, it’s worth thinking about what H&H are hoping to achieve by all this. If it’s true that they haven’t discussed their plans with Cabinet ministers, then why are they sticking their heads above
Peter Mandelson’s much-awaited statement does not seem particularly full-throated in its support of the Prime Minister. ‘No one should over-react to this initiative. It is not led by members of the government. No one has resigned from the government. The prime minister continues to have the support of his colleagues and we should carry on
Is this the endorsement that Brown was looking for? Sky and the BBC report that the Business Secretary is putting out the message that the PM has the support of his Cabinet colleagues. Meanwhile, the good folk at Comment Central are running a Cabinet Watch, tracking which members of the Cabinet have come out in
It’s only been two hours, so how much can we read in to the silence from most of the Cabinet over the Hoon-Hewitt rallying cry? I didn’t think Brown was in that much trouble, until I heard Margaret Beckett come on Five Live to defend him. Is that the best his defence operation can do?
As Ben Brogan has pointed out, if the GH/PH plot was not conceived with the say-so of Peter Mandelson (or at least the nod) then it won’t be going anywhere. At the same time, if Mandy tells Gordon that he must agree to the secret ballot then he will find ot very difficult to resist.
The Hoon and Hewitt attempt to force a secret ballot on Brown’s leadership is not off to the best of starts. If it is not dead on arrival it is certainly on the critical list. Even those who think Labour would be better off without Brown are unimpressed by this attempt. One texted me just
Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt’s letter calling for a secret ballot on the Labour leadership has wiped out a decent performance by Gordon Brown at PMQs and will revive stories about Labour division and Brown’s unpopularity. It is a massive bonus for the Tories in what had been a disappointing week for them up to
This really is a clever little wheeze from Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt. Why did no one think of a secret ballot before? People have been fixated on Cabinet delegations and rebels instead of calling Gordon Brown’s bluff on this most serious of issues – democracy. The Prime Minister whom no one has voted into
There are rumblings in Westminster that a Cabinet minister is preparing to join Hoon and Hewitt in calling for a secret ballot on Brown’s leadership. H&H are claiming, quite laughably, that this whole process could actually strengthen Brown’s position. But ministerial involvment would clarify, beyond doubt, that this is actually a rebellion designed to weaken
Courtesy of Guido: Dear Colleague, As we move towards a General Election it remains the case that the Parliamentary Labour Party is deeply divided over the question of the leadership. Many colleagues have expressed their frustration at the way in which this question is affecting our political performance. We have therefore come to the conclusion
So says Nick Robinson. More soon. UPDATE: The Standard has a copy of the letter which Hoon and Hewiit have sent out to Labour MPs. Here’s a key extract from the article: “Mr Hoon and Ms Hewitt warned: ‘There is a risk otherwise that the persistent background briefing and grumbling could continue up to and
Apologies for having been a bit remiss on the blogging front recently – I’ve been busy panic-buying groceries from the local supermarkets. I saw this cold snap coming. The Daily Mail this morning says that Britain is running out of food, energy, money, etc etc and that we are all going to die. One way
Stay tuned for live coverage of PMQs from 1200. 1159: Should be kicking off soon. You can watch proceedings live here. 1202: And here we go. Brown starts with the usual condolences for fallen British servicemen – and adds a tribute for the late Labour MP, David Taylor. 1204: Brian Donohoe asks for an update
Patrick Wintour’s piece on Peter Mandelson in today’s Guardian is the most thorough explanation that we’ve had yet of Mandelson’s ‘Garbo-esque silence’ since the PBR. Mandelson was clearly intensely frustrated and disillusioned by the PBR, and the presentation of it, backing away from his smart cuts strategy and instead returning to the crude investment versus
The latest instalment of the Labour leadership saga is available at a newsagent near you. Writing in the Independent, John Rentoul argues that Labour must avoid the ‘Oyster Card Error’. That is, ‘the gate beeps and the sign says, “Seek Assistance”. But do they? No, they try again.’ Loyal as ever, Rentoul believes that the
Here’s the Duke being interviewed by Canadian television in 1960. It’s striking how contemporary it all sounds once the conversation moves on to politics. Fifty years on and you hear many of the same arguments… Hat-tip: Terry Teachout whose new biography of Louis Armstrong comes highly recommended.]
Apart from the odd terrorist plot and the beginning of an already very nasty election campaign, nothing much has happened in my absence! Yes I had a nice Christmas and New Year, thanks. It certainly made a change from being threatened with a libel action by an Iraqi billionaire as I was last year. And
If another 650 or so candidates did this then the new parliament could be rather interesting: An aspiring MP has gone to extreme lengths to protest against the three main political parties. Adam Osen, 50, has officially changed his name to None Of The Above and hopes to attract support from disillusioned voters as an
As we know, Team Dave are fans of Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein’s Nudge. The authors advocate something called “libertarian paternalism”. Steve Hilton, Cameron’s style guru, is especially enthusiastic about using insights gleaned from behavioural economics to advance “progressive Conservatism”. Here’s one example he cites in a recent strategy memo: A few years ago, the
Ok, Coffee House has given the Tories short-shrift in recent weeks, but this is a reaction born of frustration. The election should be a walkover. At their best, the Tories have the radical policies, and to a certain extent the team, to rescue Britain from its current Labour-inflicted quandary. Yet the party remains tentative, fearful
