Thursday, July 13, 2006

Labour MP to Challenge Blair?

Leftie MP John McDonnell has called a press conference at 10.30am tomorrow to "make an important announcement on the future of the Labour Party". Wonder what that'd be about then. Winding it up?

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those 2/1 odds are looking even better at the moment!

Anonymous said...

Hahaha very funny!

Anoneumouse said...

Well, I wouldn't have thought that a TORY MP would challenge Blair. But then again......Vote Tory get EPP

Anonymous said...

Intrigueing but why call one so far in advance if his intention is too run? Unless of course he's banking on the media covering him enough to stop people from going "John who?"...

dearieme said...

Selling it back to the Unions?

Anonymous said...

is he the same man that forced Kerron Cross to remove a story about him about two hours ago??

Anonymous said...

old hat, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5177110.stm
Mcdonnell stresses that this announcement is purely coincidental and has nothing whatsoever to do with the Dear Leader's imminent visit to Wormwood Scrubs

Anonymous said...

No, according to his CLP chairman (see BBC website) he'll announce he plans to run for the leadership when Blair stands down and not to give Gordon a coronation

Anonymous said...

"make an important announcement on the future of the Labour Party".

"...It has none."

Anonymous said...

On the Six O'Clock News, Nick Robinson annoucned it would be so John McDonnell would announce his candidacy for the leadership.

Is he that popular in the backbenches? Is he a serial rebel?

How many MPs must back up to trigger an election?

Anonymous said...

'Future of the Labour Party'? That'll be a short'un - almost as short as Conservative prospects for Government under Cameron'!

Anonymous said...

The Labour Party died years ago comrades. Mcdonnell is still living some sort of weird dream, a bit like the Grateful Dead fans.

Anonymous said...

"How many MPs must back up to trigger an election? "

to challenge Blair while he's PM, around 70 IIRC

Anonymous said...

Four hours after RoboNick flags up a formal challenge to Gordon's enthronement and LabourHomeless has a piece on.... a pro-Cuban EDM.

Sad day when everyday Tory folk care more about the Labour Party leadership than their own side.

Jeff said...

During the run up to the 1997 Elections the Labour party made much of Tory sleaze.

It would appear that they were complaining more about the fact that they hadn't had the chance to try it for themselves, than the fact that the tory party had been doing it.

Through all the scandals and bad press that the tories got at no point could you say that Thatcher herself was implicated in any of it. (unlike Mr Blair)

It would seem that as he has always wanted, he has finally gone one better than the tories.

Congrats Tony

Ross said...

As much as I dislike Brown and Blair, John McDonnell is an utterly evil little shit who says things like:
"It's about time we started honouring those people involved in the armed struggle. It was the bombs and bullets and sacrifice made by the likes of Bobby Sands that brought Britain to the negotiating table. The peace we have now is due to the action of the IRA."

He is a vile ethnic supremicist who glorifies those who murder and maim to further Irish Catholic sectarian interests in Norhtern Ireland.

Croydonian said...

As someone once said of another leadership challenge, 'bring forth the stalking donkey'.

Anonymous said...

Gordon the Gutless must be getting increasingly worried. All his plans are unravelling in front of his eyes. Never mind Tony betraying him, his party is too. He must be wishing he'd been ruthless enough to wield the knife before now.

Anonymous said...

Nick. Gordon will be probably pleased by McDonnell challenging him. It's the kind of the challenge that he was hoping for. A contest would add credibility to his succession and fighting McDonnell would present him as the moderate/reformist candidates

Anonymous said...

Long ago (at least 5 years ago) Private Eye predicted that all the chitter-chatter about Brown succeeding Blair was so much nonsense; that eventually it would be a runoff between David Milliband and Peter Hain; that looks more and more likely, which is why Hain was exiled to keep him from building in the Village; Milliband is Tone's boy and will be pushed hard. The Eye came down on Hain eventually and with it's long tradition of being right, I still think this will be the final outcome and have place 100 on it at the bookies.

Anonymous said...

Andrea,
I accept that you outline a possible outcome, but I feel (admittedly without any real evidence) that Gordon won't want to have a contested election. From what I've seen he prefers to hector and bully people rather than detail awkward things like his policies. He doesn’t seem to be a natural campaigner in the same way that even TB is. In any event after so long a period when we’ve been assured there will be a smooth handover a contested leadership bid will enhance the impression of deep splits within the Labour party. There’s also the (small) chance he might lose.
On a separate thought, if TB gets arrested does that put Prescott in charge? Frightening.

Anonymous said...

Whatever happend to Glenda Jackson?

Anonymous said...

I hope John McDonnell beats Gordon Brown because we wilthen without question win the next election with a landslide

Praguetory said...

Doesn't look like JM will lead to blood on the floor? I was rather hoping the stalking horse would be Lynne Jones. I suppose it can still happen. If so, we'll see claret. Similarly John Reid.