The broadcast media is already asking: what does Hain's resignation say about Gordon Brown? Most people agree thatr Brown has shown a degree of weakness and misjudgement here. If he had told Hain that his position was untenable and ought to go a couple of weeks ago most commentators would have described it as 'ruthless but necessary'. Instead he stood by a colleague who was a dead man walking. If it had been out of personal loyalty and friendship I could have understood it, but the two men have never been close.
The reason Brown didn't want Hain to go was because it could have a domino effect on Wendy Alexander and Harriet Harman. Harman in particular will view this as a bitter blow to her chances of surviving any further fallout over the Abrahams affair. Which reminds me, where are we on that?
9 comments:
Harman has just commented on TV. She hasn't been told that her 'friend' Peter Hain has resigned. She says that it's the Media that are reporting it.
Some friend!
Most people agree that Brown has shown a degree of weakness and misjudgement here ...
Delay and dithering from procrastinator Brown as usual.
... and the sooner the better.
Broon didn't even manage to make a decent (clunking) fist of "standing by" his colleague, did he? "Incompetence" I'd call it.
Don't expect to see the end of Hain. He will get a new position after a very short hiatus. It is the NuLab way.
Lib Dem work and pensions spokesman Danny Alexander said, "The transition from Blair to Brown feels increasingly like the transition from Thatcher to Major."
You mean new leader takes over, has a few difficult years in power then goes on to win the next election anyway…oh dear Danny, bit of a boob.
What nonsense Iain. No effect on Harman or Alexander whatsoever. Your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Settle for Hain for now there's a dear.
Hain is different to the resignations of yore from any party. They tended to be over the ministerial code or brown envelopes. This one if unusually over electoral rules where the police must be involved as the EC has no sanctions of its own.
That is surely a mistake? Should not the EC be able to make their own judgements and even levy suitable fines and administer suitable punishments.
This one is a bit of a precedent. It is not like other ministerial resignations from any party.
Reading this in california over morning coffee is just too good...ah!..it just gets better and better.
Chris Paul,
You just don't get it do you?
For the hundredth time:
Electoral LAWS, not "rules"!
If you don't like the electoral LAWS, then I can only suggest you take it up with the Labour Party you worship so much. It was they who passed said LAWS.
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