A letter is being circulated among Labour MPs this afternoon calling for a secret ballot in Gordon Brown's leadership.
According to one MP who would like Brown to leave office, the letter is being coordinated by a number of rebels including the former cabinet ministers Charles Clarke, Patricia Hewitt and Geoff Hoon.
However, there are questions being asked as to whether any move can be made against Brown today, in the midst of heavy snow-fall as much of the UK has ground to a halt.
"It may not be possible because of the snow," one MP said. "But the idea is that at the very least it forces Brown to give a commitment that if he stays on to fight the election he will not serve more than one year."
Terrible timing, if true. Why do it on a day when Brown put in quite an impressive performance at PMQs? As on previous occasions, I doubt very much whether this will come to anything.
Impressive performance?
ReplyDeleteHardly
If the Speaker actually forced him to answer a question rather than comment/criticise Tory polices he would have had nothing to say
Broon MUST STAY!
ReplyDeleteHe is the man to take the McLabour Regime forward....to it's eternal Political Doom in may or June!!!.
Although it doesn't matter who is their leader, McLabour are OUT REGARDLESS!.
If Brown were brave, he might agree to and benefit from a Yes/No secret ballot on his leadership, but he isn't so he won't.
ReplyDeleteI may be wrong Iain, but isn't there a meeting of the parliamentary Labour Party today? The timing of this intervention may make a bit more sense in that context
ReplyDeleteWhat on Earth does the snow have to do with anything? It's not like politician's mouths are snowed over. There is something terribly pathetic about our politicians if inclement weather can derail something that happens entirely indoors.
ReplyDeleteGrow some sodding Balls!
Quite correct Iain.
ReplyDeleteThe Tory backbenchers didn't exactly help Cameron either. Questions on global cooling, stagflation... pretty lame in the context of PMQs. Tories need a bit more discipline imo.
Last chance saloon.
ReplyDeleteLook, nobody even watches this ridiculous pantomime anymore, except for a few saddo commentators.
ReplyDeleteI just mute the box everytime Brown comes on (an average of twice per 20min News prog.)
He is far more irritating than even the insurance comparison nonsense.
I have the firm impression that Cameron and the Tories, are just turning up for form. They know they will not even get a modest debate, let alone an answer to a question of "burning importance" to constituents.
PMQs have become a waste of Parliamentary time and only serve to keep tittle-tattle mongers like Nick Robinson in work.
"It may not be possible because of the snow"???
ReplyDeleteSorry, I'm having trouble typing for laughing so much. If I get a hernia I'm going to sue!
Strange that it's the top story on the gurniad website and somewhat harder to find on the BBC "UK" newspage.
ReplyDeleteBrown was appalling at PMQs. He kept re-reading the same pre-prepared lines we have all heard 100 times before.
ReplyDelete