Over the last few days I have had several emails from people suggesting that John Denham is being asked to stand against Gordon Brown.He's a former Home Office Minister who resigned over Iraq, and he currently chairs the Home Office Select Committee. Paul Linford suggested the possibility the other day and follows up his original article with THIS today. He reports that Mike Smithson from PoliticalBetting.com has put a bet on him at 320/1. Denham is a serious player and well liked, but he's never been in the Cabinet, but there's little doubt he would stand more of a chance of getting 44 nominations than either Meacher or McDonnell. But then again, so would I.
The Times has a POLL suggesting Labour MPs reckon Brown won't help them hang on to their seats.
The Sun has a POLL showing that 92% of 'opinion formers' back Gordon. As Guido points out, the poll has been conducted by Gordon's favourite pollster, Deborah Mattinson. 59% believe that Gordon better understands 'ordinary voters'. Of course opinion formers live such normal lives, don't they?!
Denham to stand? I don't see it. He doesn't strike me as being demented! Anyway, i think the 'scotch corner' in Labour are firmly behind Broon and they are the 'main' players in Bliar's cabinet.I've seen no real effort by English Labour MP's to start a 'stop a jock' campaign.
ReplyDeleteBut Brown has the support of 92% of Opinion Leaders!!
ReplyDeletePS:Londontory- who are the 'opinion leaders'? Broon himself and his bitc...best friend in the cabinet wee Duggie Alexander;and indeed Broon's very own Darling too!
ReplyDeleteQuick, where can I find an opinion former? My opinions need forming as a matter of urgency.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone is happy to see the dream team of Gordo and Hazel Blears and or the Orange Idiot(anyone who can get turned over by Mike Yarwood on Jug Ears cringing show really must be an idiot) get their reward for 10 years criminal complicity and come a distant third at the next GE.
ReplyDeleteI cannot see a strategy at all from Broon. I dont understand how they got Bliar to agree to leave if he didnt want to? October 2006 looks like a walk in the park compared to Blair and NuLab crumbling support. If broon had something over him surely he would have moved by now, there is no 'mutual interest' so what is driving the agenda?
Broons position is significantly worse than 6 months ago, the may elections are now irrelevent, if they were materially better than expected bliar would stay longer, if they are worse it wont be about bliar it will be about the government. If Broon is waiting on a promise then he will never be PM.
Somebody please put me out of my agony and tell me what an 'opinion former' actually is.
ReplyDeleteMy local has lots of people who form opinions all the time. Some of these opinions radically change during the course of the soiree - depending on intake, amongst other things.
Usually the opinion is forgotten the following day.
Is it the same with this lady's polls?
It's going to be so much fun watching Cameron tear Brown apart from the moment Brown picks up the keys to #10.
ReplyDeleteHold fire until then Mr C.
Is Blair going? I must say that I am beginning to doubt it.If he is waiting for some good news to retire to,then we may be in for a long wait.Alternatively he may want to bury someone else's bad news as Harold Wilson did for the Palace in 1976.
ReplyDeleteWhat a strange photo of Mr Denham, he looks like he's at the bottom of a swimming pool!
ReplyDelete"What a strange photo of Mr Denham, he looks like he's at the bottom of a swimming pool!"
ReplyDeleteThat's where the Labour Party belongs.
Meacher to upload self on to YouTube
ReplyDeletehttp://ollysonions.blogspot.com/2007/02/meacher-to-upload-self-on-to-youtube.html
On rereading Blair's speech to the last full Labour Conference it is noteworthy he bids goodbye to the Labour Party because he will not be its leader at the next full Conference.
ReplyDeleteBrown may well become Labour leader but that does not necessarily make him Prime Minister. Brown's entire strategy is founded on and motivated by the expectation that with the Labour Leadership he gets three free years of prime ministerial office on Blair's majority; and Labour leadership manoeuvres by others seem predicated on that too.
When Blair intends to step down as PM depends on him; or on the House of Commons. It is worth remembering that on two central political stances he has enjoyed the support of the Opposition: the war in Iraq, and educational issues bitterly resisted within the Labour party.
Not just Yates might upset the applecart.
perhaps gordo has gone quiet cos bliars gonna help bomb iran and that policy will be one plague rat too many even for bruun.Or he has no bottle for a fight.
ReplyDeleteDont know who these out of touch anonymous individuals are. However I bet I can make a very good guess who most of them work for.
ReplyDeleteThe "B"BC
Channals 3 4 and 5
Sky "News"
The Guardian
The "Independant"
The "New" "Statesman"
Any organisation as long as it is not an English one.
Any news paper as long as it is not the Mail or the Telegraph.
I think that accounts for the full 92%. The other 8% are now looking for alternative employment.
In this particular instance "Opinion Formers" means Rupert Murdoch and, let's face it, as far as The Sun is concerned his really is the only opinion that counts.
ReplyDeleteSo, remind me, why is TB standing down? Is there any reason to think that he would not perform well over the next three years?
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to get remotely excited about his potential successors, so why is he going? Will this country be any better off if he goes? Can he do any more damage? I don't think so.
Crikey ! I bet he will not be 320 to 1 for long. I can't help but cast my mind back to when Thatcher got the leadership of the Tories. She was the dark horse that came up on the rails and beat the 'favourites'. The odds are against me, but I can't help but feel that a similar fate will befall 'El Gordo'. But who to back ?
ReplyDeleteDecisions, decisions...
As pointed out elsewhere, it is well known that the word 'opinion' cannot be read correctly by most Sun readers and is generally read as 'onion'. This is stated in the Sun copy style guide.
ReplyDeleteNah, not Denham. Nice bloke but too old fashioned.
ReplyDeletehe's got the kind of face you see on old family photos. He'd be in ill-fitting khaki and he'd answer to Ronnie or Albert.
What I find most amusing is Rupert Murdoch throwing his hat in with Gordon Brown - Sun readers may be influenced but Gordon Brown - come off it!! Sun readers have been fed on a diet of stealth-taxes for ten years a sweetener on top will only give them indigestion.
ReplyDeleteRupert has either lost his marbles or lost his options [as Cameron has snubbed him].
I have a headline for the Sun Editor "It was us wot lost it."
Perhaps one of Mr Dale's readers can help me out here. There is an article in the Guardian today suggesting that Alan Milburn and Charles Clarke are up to mischief, suggesting 'renewal' takes place before Tony's even gone.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to received wisdom, or could just be 'groupthink', that 'has-beens' like Stephen Byers, Alan Milburn or, more recently, Charles 'The Heffalump' Clarke himself, might be angling for a 'top job'.
"Is it me", or is this idea that a person who has been out of the loop as long as Alan 'Family Man' Milburn should just be able to dive back into leading the party just a ridiculous, crazy non-starter ??
Or are we to believe that being PM is a bit like riding a bike - you might not have done something like it for years, but given the chance you just hop on and ride away ???
Any thoughts ??
Ah, just picked a paper up and saw that Murdoch has to kiss Brown's *rse because the Government are investigating their takeover. I wonder how long Gordon can keep this up for to keep Murdochs support.
ReplyDelete