Saturday, June 06, 2009

Did Harriet Harman Consider Resigning Yesterday?

Can THIS story from Tory Bear really be true - that Harriet Harman also nearly resigned yesterday? Apparently she was less than impressed by the impression given that Peter Mandelson was to be Deputy Prime Minister. She fought like a tigress to prevent him being given the title. And so it was that Mandelson became First Secretary of State.

Has the ring of truth about it, I must admit!

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmm, if it is then we are in the endtimes for Gordon Brown and the Labour Government. There was an article in the Times that would seem to fit seamlessly with these rumors:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6440728.ece

Interesting methinks...

Anonymous said...

*then we are truly in the endtimes

Rob said...

The plot thickens...and alledgedly Mandy's sent disparaging emails about Brown's leadership too.

Much more of this and his head'll explode like Michael Ironside in Scanners.

ArthurBea said...

NOTW has the Mandy/Draper emails:

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/346752/Peter-Mandelson-tells-closest-former-aides-that-Gordon-Brown-cannot-win-the-next-General-Election.html

Anonymous said...

I thought she looked noticeably depressed at PMQs and there's certainly been nothing to cheer her up since. Actually I feel depressed too. I'm 64 years of age and I cannot remember such a dreadful situation. I am so ashamed of our Prime Minister and I fear I am now concerned about the state of his mind.

Gareth said...

Someone should point out to Harrier Harperson that First Secretary of State IS Deputy PM. She is being allowed to deputise for the PM as Mandelson cannot but she is not Deputy.

TrueBlueBlood said...

Iain

Expect her to resign in the next day or two.

Mandolsen is in all but name the new Deputy PM.

She is pissed.

Why not encourage her via her Twitter page ;)

Anonymous said...

You can read it first on http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2009/06/survival_but_at.html#comments

comment 212.

Terry Stynes said...

Harriet Harman was torn to pieces by Paxman recently and I just wonder if that humiliation is her real reason (if any) for wanting to resign...

Anonymous said...

Everyone is saying that Brown is a useless embarrassment.

Well where have Labour MPs been all this time?

Hundreds of Labour MPs signed his nomination paers and 'crowned' him leader and PM.

Just what planet have they been living on?

Bardirect said...

Which of her 6 "positions" would she resign from?

Deputy Leader of the Labour Party for which she was elected?

"Office of the Leader of the House" for which she was appointed?

Lord Privy Seal?

Minister for wimmin and equality?

Head of Government Equalities Office?

Chair of the Labour Party?

MP for Peckham?

Victor, NW Kent said...

That's a lot of positions - a sort of mini Kama Sutra.

If she went then Brown could give all these positions to Mandelson. That would save having a bye-election in Peckham. Just declare him elected - it is the new way.

Kalvis Jansons said...

It is surely time for all of us to tell Mr Brown to resign:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/please-go/

John K said...

If she resigned she'd lose her huge salary, chauffeur driven car, etc. She'd also be disadvantaged for a leadership contest if Brown is forced out. I expect her to grit her teeth and soldier on.

Anonymous said...

I've just read about a Party I want to support from now on, in the Telegraph. I wish I'd ticked their box the other day. But I like the cut of their gib so much, they can count on my support in the future. And not just the cost cutting [which I highly approve of], but their ideas of governance for my country -

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/election/Shock-message-for-Government-as.5341413.jp

Anonymous said...

War, Labour are at war with one another.

And Harm Man is looking very isolated being Minister for women and so-called equality in a cabinet almost devoid of women.

What is Brown trying to tell her about resignation? Ladies first? A battle of wills, as ever. How political.

A very British revolution is turning into a very British civil war within its own parliament and government, Iain.

Worse than a playground, they should just grow up, surrender the power that they desperately cling to, and dissolve parliament for a clean sweep. Instead they are tearing the country apart. Thanks, Labour.

Nigel said...

>>First Secretary of State IS Deputy PM<<

No it isn't, Gareth. If you'd read the link, you'd notice the position is purely honorific, and was held by Barbara Castle and Michael Stewart, neither of whom were deputy leader (or deputy PM) at the time.

Given the state of the government, Mandelson might as well have been appointed Duke of Plaza-Toro for all the difference it's going to make.

Unsworth said...

If she didn't consider resigning it's a reflection of her own standards. If any of them had any integrity at all they'd resign.

Brett Trevalyan said...

I posted this on your blog a couple of days back! On Sky News, they tried to interview Harman on her way to the House and her face looked like thunder. She was completely and obviously pissed off. But consider just how bad this really is.

1/ HH was ELECTED by her colleagues.
2/ Brown was not
3/ Vordemort isn't even IN the HoC (and has two serious scandals behind his name to boot)
4. How can an unelected PM replace an ELECTED deputy with a deputy who is not even IN the HoC?

Crazy, huh?