Shaun Woodward has been notable this morning for his close proximity to Gordon Brown. He had a one to one with Brown in Downing Street this morning, and sat next to him at PMQs where he spent most of the half an hour whispering into Brown's ear.
In Northern Ireland Questions this morning, he gave a performance which many interpreted as his swansong. He even emulated Margaret Thatcher in 1990 when he told Andrew MacKinlay "I'm tempted to say 'I'm enjoying this'! But I will resist it". That surely has to be the biggest hint yet that he is on the move.
The thought of Shaun Woodward as Home Secretary is a delicious one. Not quite as delicious as Ed Balls as Chancellor, but nearly. You work it out.
The Seven Homes Secretary.
ReplyDeleteThe Huge Home Secretary.
i've just nabbed an exclusive chat with lord mandelson which you can listen to here http://fsn.typepad.com/blog/
ReplyDeletehe says the labour party isn't in crisis and that they'll get through this...
his guest though - singapore's minister mentor - may have upset him by saying the govt needs to be 'rescued'....
olly barratt - feature story news
Harry Lee is one hard nut. And he wouldn't care about upsetting Madny with a blunt assessment of the trouble labour is in.
ReplyDeleteLee makes this lot look like boy scouts.
It's me or has Downing Street's favourite paper just started a smear campaign against Blears
ReplyDeleteHazel Blears' resignation 'due to capital gains tax avoidance on another property
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5435583/Hazel-Blears-resignation-triggered-by-capital-gains-tax-on-another-property-MPs-expenses.html
That rather holes the Tory toffs argument if he makes a genuine Tory Toff the home secretary...
ReplyDeleteI thought there was much false laughter between Brown & Woodward during PMQs - it was like Brown needed a friendly faceto prop him up - looking along the bench where else would he get it from ?
ReplyDeleteAnd here is our Shaun saying just that!
ReplyDeleteThe Toff Home Secretary.
ReplyDeleteThe Home Secretary with his own butler.
You have to ask whats in the Ganymede Club book about him.
Pity the Sainsbury lot got rid of HomeBase.
ReplyDeleteHe could have been the "HomeBase Secretary".
Just like re arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic really...
ReplyDeleteSurely Alistair Darling can't be moved to the Home Office now it - as I understand it - deals almost solely with England & Wales?
ReplyDeleteNo, but definately to Defence where he can really be "Captain Darling"...:)
ReplyDeleteIsn’t it great that Woodward, a multimillionaire, one time Tory who shifted to Labour when he knew the Tories were going to lose, is now a candidate for Labour front bench? The hypocrisy of this man is staggering, a multi millionaire trying to speak for ‘us’ ordinary mortals of modest means?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he does another flip to another party?
He is like Polly Toynbee who tries to castigate us for having a larger car, flying to the Med or beyond once a year on holiday, blaming us for climate change yet swans off to her villa in Tuscany every few weeks.
Champers Socalists, don't ya just love hearing them flap their hypocritical mouths?
The Stately Home Secretary...
ReplyDeleteIs there anyone who HASN'T been inside the cabinet yet?
ReplyDeleteShaun Woodward was suggested as a possible Home Secretary several days ago given his experience as N.I. Secretary.
ReplyDeleteHe was "below the salt" in the Tory party, crossed the floor and has since risen without trace !
His expanding waistline and crossing the floor may have given him delusions of grandeur and a want of emulating Churchill.
In which case, expect the modern equivalent of the Siege of Sidney Street shortly after promotion .... or perhaps the Siege of Smith Square !
I had an outside bet on Mandelson being the next Labour Governer - another outside bet on Woodward being the next but one ?