political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Prescott To Resign By the Weekend
Word on the street from the lobby is that Prescott will be gone by the weekend. Her Majesty's press are apparently pursuing interesting lines of inquiry... More later.
So it is Rosie then? Hmmmm if what I've heard is right CC will be gone too. With both the Deputy PM and Home Office Sec gone in the same week will this mean the collapse of the Blair government by next week!?
Doesn't this undermine your earlier theory that the press are engaged in a grand conspiracy not to publish the Prescott story? That is, more than it was already undermined by the Daily Mirror being the place where the story was published?
Leon may be right. Surely the story of more substance is Charlie's serial incompetence. Unless we are simply waiting for his Willie Horton to be discovered (all due deference to Guido for that reference).
Apparently this particular story has been known to the lobby journalists and everyone else in the Westminster village for ages. The only ones not let in on the secret are the voters, it seems.
Or, is it all just a smokescreen to cover up what is going on in the really important story, viz. what Her Majesty's Constabulary might be finding out or doing about £s for £ordships, with especial reference to the Dear Leader?
To be fair to 'The Lobby' who tend to take a kicking on blogs - it's one thing to 'know' something, something else entirely to have sources who will go on the record and on whom you'll base your future career.
But would it not be possible for Prescott to resign as Deputy PM, but stay on as Deputy Leader? After all, George Brown stayed as Deputy Leader after having resigned from the Wilson government, and stayed in the post till losing his seat at the 1970 General Election.
Even if some Labour purists insisted that nobody but the Deputy Leader of the Party could be Deputy PM, that situation could easily be resolved by abolishing, or renaming, the ODPM, an office which has been criticised frequently for its unwieldy structure, and which is plagued by bad management and bullying.
A rule change to the Labour Party Constitution in 94 also rendered the Deputy Leader redundant if something happened to the PM. The rule change that year stipulated that should the leader become unavailable while the party is in office, (I paraphrase), 'the Cabinet, meeting in consultation with the NEC, shall elect one of its number'. So Brown or Straw.
As for who stands in for Blair at PMQs while he's abroad, there's nothing to stop a reversion to the old system, where the Leader of the House stands in.
Ok.. so basically what you're saying is that the Sunday red tops have some Robin Cook style ambush up their sleeve. If you're right I will buy you a beer (you accept paypal right?).
So it is Rosie then? Hmmmm if what I've heard is right CC will be gone too. With both the Deputy PM and Home Office Sec gone in the same week will this mean the collapse of the Blair government by next week!?
ReplyDeleteDoesn't this undermine your earlier theory that the press are engaged in a grand conspiracy not to publish the Prescott story? That is, more than it was already undermined by the Daily Mirror being the place where the story was published?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, not at all. Your logic is flawed, as will soon become apparent.
ReplyDelete...so guido a bloggers going to 'release' it?
ReplyDelete...so a bloggers going to 'release' it?
ReplyDelete"Funny how the least important sounding story seems to be getting all the blogosphere attention."
ReplyDeleteGood point but I thinks this is a Tory friendly agenda at work; find a chink in the armour and keep at it until the soldier (ie Blair) drops.;)
Leon may be right. Surely the story of more substance is Charlie's serial incompetence. Unless we are simply waiting for his Willie Horton to be discovered (all due deference to Guido for that reference).
ReplyDeleteRM
Apparently this particular story has been known to the lobby journalists and everyone else in the Westminster village for ages. The only ones not let in on the secret are the voters, it seems.
ReplyDeleteI thought Nick Robinson was far more aggresive than I've seen before when interviewing Blair, is he aware of some weakness?
ReplyDeleteBlair is really ranting on the news. This has to mean a real crisis for the Nu Labour cuckoos.
ReplyDeleteOr, is it all just a smokescreen to cover up what is going on in the really important story, viz. what Her Majesty's Constabulary might be finding out or doing about £s for £ordships, with especial reference to the Dear Leader?
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to 'The Lobby' who tend to take a kicking on blogs - it's one thing to 'know' something, something else entirely to have sources who will go on the record and on whom you'll base your future career.
ReplyDeleteBut would it not be possible for Prescott to resign as Deputy PM, but stay on as Deputy Leader? After all, George Brown stayed as Deputy Leader after having resigned from the Wilson government, and stayed in the post till losing his seat at the 1970 General Election.
ReplyDeleteEven if some Labour purists insisted that nobody but the Deputy Leader of the Party could be Deputy PM, that situation could easily be resolved by abolishing, or renaming, the ODPM, an office which has been criticised frequently for its unwieldy structure, and which is plagued by bad management and bullying.
A rule change to the Labour Party Constitution in 94 also rendered the Deputy Leader redundant if something happened to the PM. The rule change that year stipulated that should the leader become unavailable while the party is in office, (I paraphrase), 'the Cabinet, meeting in consultation with the NEC, shall elect one of its number'. So Brown or Straw.
As for who stands in for Blair at PMQs while he's abroad, there's nothing to stop a reversion to the old system, where the Leader of the House stands in.
Ok.. so basically what you're saying is that the Sunday red tops have some Robin Cook style ambush up their sleeve. If you're right I will buy you a beer (you accept paypal right?).
ReplyDelete