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
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Frenzied Rumours In Advance of the Reshuffle
The lobby is in a state of frenzy. Mad rumours doing the rounds. Tory MP about to defect to LibDems. Chris Patten to be Foreign Secretary. Off to do an interview on the World Service with Guido... Back with more in a bit!
A politician of Chris Patten's immense ability would be an amazing coup for Gordon Brown. The Labour Cabinet is, regardless of this position, however looking much stronger than the rather callow Conservative Shadow Cabinet. Cameron is starting to look just a little out of his depth maybe.
George Osborne has announced that after much consideration he has joined Sinn Fein. Martin McGuiness has resigned the Sinn Fein whip and becomes the first BNP MP.
I cannot see many Tories making the jump to the Labour Party to serve under Gordon Brown. What would be their grounds? "I no longer live without a ministerial Jag"? "Life without the constant company of red boxes is not a life worth living"? Quite simply, there is no social, economic, or military crisis that demands anything approaching a national unity government. Anyone who jumps for a Cabinet post, therefore, can easily be cast as an opportunist or, at best, a fuzzy-headed idealist. Moreover, after more than ten years in government, the Labour Party *should* have a deep pool of MPs and peers who are familiar with the issues at hand. Therefore, the call for "a government of all talents" is either a transparent political ploy or a tacit admission that Labour's talent pool is a shallow one indeed.
"...a party with just over 300 MPs forms a government and of these 300, 100 are too old and too silly to be ministers and 100 too young and too callow. Therefore there are about 100 MPs to fill 100 government posts. Effectively no choice at all."
"Gossip and rumour fan the flames that would devour mankind's very soul" - roughly translated (possibly wrongly) from my old school's Latin motto. Or was it my school's old Latin motto?
As William says, If Gordon aounces dioplomtic relations witha new species tommorrow morning, we are in trouble. And the TV listings do talk of a new Prime Ministers regin of Terror.
A politician of Chris Patten's immense ability would be an amazing coup for Gordon Brown. The Labour Cabinet is, regardless of this position, however looking much stronger than the rather callow Conservative Shadow Cabinet. Cameron is starting to look just a little out of his depth maybe.
ReplyDeleteSky are hinting on Milliband getting Foreign Office. What are they on?
ReplyDeleteWill Gordon select a military man for the Defence Secretary job?
ReplyDeleteMilitary experience is something the last cabinet lacked.
DR Military experience is something the Labour party lacks.
ReplyDeleteGeorge Osborne has announced that after much consideration he has joined Sinn Fein. Martin McGuiness has resigned the Sinn Fein whip and becomes the first BNP MP.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be Cameron who's short of talent, not Brown.
ReplyDeleteNot least his own talent.
Chris Patten to be Foreign Secretary - he would simply give the whole damn country away ....
ReplyDeleteAlan Douglas
Harold Saxon is a dead cert for Defence. So much more human than Gordon.
ReplyDeletePatten? jesus no. please. have quentin davies back. anything but that. not patten. no.
ReplyDeleteI cannot see many Tories making the jump to the Labour Party to serve under Gordon Brown.
ReplyDeleteWhat would be their grounds? "I no longer live without a ministerial Jag"? "Life without the constant company of red boxes is not a life worth living"? Quite simply, there is no social, economic, or military crisis that demands anything approaching a national unity government. Anyone who jumps for a Cabinet post, therefore, can easily be cast as an opportunist or, at best, a fuzzy-headed idealist.
Moreover, after more than ten years in government, the Labour Party *should* have a deep pool of MPs and peers who are familiar with the issues at hand.
Therefore, the call for "a government of all talents" is either a transparent political ploy or a tacit admission that Labour's talent pool is a shallow one indeed.
and on top of all that I understand that neither Alistair Darling or McBroon have driving licences....can anyone confirm that
ReplyDeleteOf course Brown doesn't drive - he's blind in one eye. You wouldn't want him to drive, would you?
ReplyDeletebrown is blind in one eye and short sighted in the other, that's why he doesn't drive.
ReplyDeleteFrom Yes Minister:
ReplyDelete"...a party with just over 300 MPs forms a government and of these 300, 100 are too old and too silly to be ministers and 100 too young and too callow. Therefore there are about 100 MPs to fill 100 government posts. Effectively no choice at all."
So the rumour about Ken Clarke defecting to Labour and becoming Foreign Sec was not true then? Pity.
ReplyDeleteHow about jsut transfering the whole TRG ?
ReplyDeletePatten? Where did you hear that? I can't see it to behonest. Miliband is more likely.
ReplyDelete"Gossip and rumour fan the flames that would devour mankind's very soul" - roughly translated (possibly wrongly) from my old school's Latin motto. Or was it my school's old Latin motto?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAs William says, If Gordon aounces dioplomtic relations witha new species tommorrow morning, we are in trouble.
ReplyDeleteAnd the TV listings do talk of a new Prime Ministers regin of Terror.
Hughes 6.12: If that was your school's old Latin motto, what is its new one? Pox vobiscum?
ReplyDelete