Two major interviews followed by a walkabout in Vauxhall. That was Gordon Brown's agenda this morning. Well, his public agenda, anyway. Having been invisible during the last two weeks of Labour torment he's now coming out to play. What can he be up to?
9 comments:
I feel sorry for him. No I don't, but a normal, non tribale person just might. He's such a clunking automaton, bereft of any of the normal human attributes, but the shiny people around him are obviously aware that he has to present himself as a 'fresh' choice with some discernible humanity. Well Gordon, you're not a fresh choice: you have been responsible for all domestic legislation since 1997. And there's nothing remotely appealing about your Dalek-like barking in interviews. It will take more than a wander down Brixton high street to fix that.
Gordon Brown's efforts to distance himself from his own Government are hilarious.
He's in a tricky position. Every part of him must be dominated by two questions - "when, and "how". The longer Blair keeps this fiasco of a Government in place, then the harder it's going to be for Brown to avoid becoming contaminated along the way.
Blair's desire to hang on to the grim end can only play into David Cameron's hands.
And a survey of backbenchers this lunchtime on Radio 4's The World This Weekend found 52 Labour MPs saying the Prime Minister should leave office within the year.
They only need 71 to mount a challenge.
The party sounds divided down the middle. The BBC spoke to 172 MPs. 68 refused to take part. 104 answered the questions.
26 - Blair should go "as soon as possible"
26 - within 12 mths
19 - within 12-24 mths
4 - not until the General Election is imminent
29 - as long as he likes.
If Brown can make it look as if he is stepping forward to lead the government out of its present difficulties, calling for calm, unity, etc., he can present himself as more in charge than Blair.
That makes it interesting to speculate whether any of Brown's supporters were involved in leaking any of the details of the recent scandals to the press. If they were, it would be a classic political set-up: manufacture a crisis and then take the credit for resolving it.
Was there any damaging new story in today's papers about John Prescott? Why was he replaced by Brown on Sunday AM?
Sky's daily poll has 85% of the public wanting Blair to go within 12 months (76% say "immediately"). 15% think he should stay longer.
Now, I'll accept that the Sky viewers' poll is hardly as scientific as MORI or YouGov but with a margin like that I would say that a trend is at least apparent.
RM
Brown needs to act soon or he may miss his chance as appearing 'the saviour' of the Labour. Otherwise he could be left trying to save a sinking ship...
Politics through the eyes of a teenager
"Blair and Brown are two cheeks of the one arse".
In response to which one might ask: "And what gets expelled from arses, George?"
RM
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