Another Labour blog bites the dust. Tom Watson MP has, surprise surprise, rejoined the government. Since his unfortunate resignation last year he has become a prolific blogger, but going back to the Whips' Office will mean that he has to zip it. Being put back on the lowestr rung of the ladder - Assistant Government Whip - is a pretty poor reward for doing his Master's bidding and launching tha abortive coup against Tony Blair last September. The least he could have expected was a PUSS post in a department.
Tom's last post was on Tuesday. Did it sound the last post for his blog? I do hope not. Sure, if you;re a whip you can't say whaty you are able to as a backbencher, but at least the rest of us can have some fun encouraging you to!
UPDATE: Quick quiz: Which Labour MP promised NEVER to return to government. Answer? Yes, you guessed right - Tom Watson. Guido has the gory details HERE.
7 comments:
well adios to you and a large chunk of messagespace turnover if and when you become an MP.
Good point, Iain.
Tom Watson, Jack Straw and David Miliband will be thinking very dark thoughts if Gordon were to do the unthinkable and win the next election.
They would have helped him hugely toward that - but do you think we would willingly give up control of the train set after waiting 10 yrs to get his paws on it ?
Not 'chuffin' likely...
Bless. I liked reading Tom's blog, even though I almost never agreed with anything he wrote. I hope he continues blogging.
I'm pleased for him that he has been given something, even though I remember reading on Guido's blog sometime ago that Tom had promised 'never to return to Government'. Is being a Whip classed as being in 'Government'? Still, I wasn't expecting him to keep to a pledge like that. How many politicians would turn down an offer of a job, just because they promised some blogger somewhere that they wouldn't return to Government? I don't blame him.
I suppose Gordon Brown wouldn't have wanted to give him something senior just now, in case people thought it was some kind of 'reward' for helping to push Blair out.
"I suppose Gordon Brown wouldn't have wanted to give him something senior just now, in case people thought it was some kind of 'reward' for helping to push Blair out."
Bel you are right, and the last thing Gordon wants just now is the press reminding everyone of Tom Watson's role in events last year. Something tells me that at some point he might get something more interesting.
Sorry Iain. I think you're wrong on this. Tom is an asset to the govt but had returned as a PUSS, it might have sent the wrong signals (tho personally I'd have had him back in an instant). So he does his time as an Asst Whip (tho clearly having a bigger say than others at the same rank) and he's back as a PUSS v soon. It's easily read, come on, add some value! One could easily cite your search for a seat as a factor in the decline in the number of anti-Cameron posts of late!
He's made some more posts this week. In-between whipping, obviously.
I'm sure Tom is concentrating on his probable Sion Simon private webcam collection. just shows that MP's are not as busy as once thought. I wonder if he's got the bryant special hanging on his bathroom wall!
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