Labour old guard attacks Brown’s late coalition bid
The ultimate act of statesmanship or a con trick? Gordon Brown’s bold stroke of self sacrifice shows signs of backfiring. Conservative rage is natural but Labour condemnation is something else.
Bad for the country, disastrous for the party and disastrous for Gordon actually. I can’t think of anything more likely to further enrage the electorate if they think the minor parties are cocking a snook at them. 76%voted against PR. We would face their animosity if we made the fulcrum of an issue that was never put to them”
Electoral reform was in the Labour and Lib Dem manifestos, actually. Nevertheless John Reid’s blistering attack on the Brown strategy revives the old Blairite Brown split at the worst possible time. Equally divisive, says the former Scotland and NI Secretary ( now chairman of Celtic) is reliance on Nats and the NI MPs who are fighting cuts in the block grant. Reid is backed by the ultra loyal veteran David Blunkett. Bioth of them clashed with Brown throughout their careers but this attack rises far above the personal.
Brown’s knew his stroke was bound to stoke Conservative fury. But his wrecking strategy is spreading from the Conservatives to his own side. The only consolation is that all three party leaders are facing mounting criticism, as nerves are stretched . Anger and division is threatening to turn what was a disciplined path to a new government into a full-blown political crisis.
An amazing example of how Brown’s move is splitting opinion came when Adam Boulton, the normally balanced political editor of Sky News almost came to blows with the spinmeister Alistair Campbell
Why not go quietly? Are you saying the voter want four more months of Gordon Brown?
Adam, you’re obviously upset
“I’m fed up you telling me what I think.. You totally unelected plotted this..”
Calm down Adam, calm down“
Watch the riveting encounter on YouTube
Brian
“but this attack rises far above the personal.”
Does it? Are Reid and Blunkett actually against PR? Have any sitting MPs publicly opposed Brown’s move?
But Brown’s right.
It’s a parliamentary system, not a presidential one.
Whoever can secure sufficient support in the Commons can form the next government.
The Conservatives don’t have that support yet. They might try to form a minority government but, at present, it would be unlikely to pass the first vote of confidence.
If Labour and the Lib Dems, et al, can secure the required votes…
Them’s the rules.
Oh, and Alistair was at his provocative best on Sky News.
Bolton clearly loses it. Very funny.
I believe this is a very clever, if last ditched, move by Labour to put pressure on Clegg into Lib-Lab alliance. Lib Dems activists would clearly prefer Labour to Tories even if Clegg doesn’t. However from a UK interest position, a Lib-Con coalition is clearly the most stable and one benefit would be that it would keep our edjits outsideany decision-making given their track record at Stormont.
Well, if he does pull it off it will be very interesting watching Brown’s successor quickly having to digest the shit sandwich (aka “the economy”) so carefully prepared by his (or hers) predecessor. Perhaps Reid is on to something for a party badly in need of space for a makeover…
I see Diane Abbott has publicly opposed the move.
It is personal then.
Surely the two competing scenarios are;
Gordon Bown hangs on in lib lab pact, new leadership process heavily influenced by incumbent leadership. Favours Ed Balls and Unite
Lib -Tory pact, Brown resigns immediately, new leadership process not arm twisted by status quo. Favours David Milliband.
Is there a poorer political commentator doing the rounds than the boul Diane?
No sooner may one unwieldy political name UCUNF be going out through the swing door of Ulster politics that another even more unwieldy one ULSDLPDUPAPF Ulster-Labour-SocialDemocraticLabourParty-DemocraticUnionistParty-AllianceParty-Front may be entering.
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Scenario is that what ever decision is reached within next few days, another election within 12 months because it won’t last. Brits have no comprehension of how a coalition works in Westminister. Result – further slippage in public confidence in politics
Whatever the rights and wrongs of Gordon’s actions today, I wouldn’t read too much into Reid’s comments.
He hates Gordon more than he hates the Tories.
“Adam Boulton, the normally balanced political editor of Sky News”
Oh please, come on. Boulton may have seem balanced recently because he and his fellow Tory lickspittles at Sky where sure they where getting a majority a few weeks ago.
Boulton showed a mental imbalance in that spat with Campbell. It´s about time the regulator had a good go at Sky news coverage, it´s worse than Fox News.
He tried to stitch Clegg up in the second debate, the one on Sky, when he brought up the dirty trick reporting from the Tory press that morning.
The Youtube link links me too a Guardian article, not a youtube video.
That’s the point. To have a new labour leader bedded in before next election.
If Tory-Lib pact then labour well placed under new leader to take advantage of the slash and burn coming up.
If lab-lib then return to electorate with fresh face who has already had baptism of fire.
Tories still slight favourites to bed the Libs but Lab-Lib now 6/5 and having listened to PaddyPantsdown on Radio 4 minority Lab-Lib liaison surely looks the most likley now.
[...] gaining the 2 per cent swing needed for an overall majority. A number of Labour figures including John Reid, David Blunkett, and Tom Harris have already been clear about the resistance inside the [...]
It cant possibly be as bad as Fox News. Fox makes the Daily Mail look objective.
I must admit I didnt realise the degree of animosity from Scottish Labour to the SNP until I started seeing these discussions – they really cant abide one another
John Reid always got democracy backwards. When people were campaigning to lower the voting age to 16, he brought in all the political parties to try and persuade us to oppose increasing the mandate.
I went along with the Green Party delegation. On the slightest suggestion that Ministers might serve all the people, he blew up.
JEB,
Yes, and it may well mean that a Lib-Tory government will be formed because the Labour Party hate the SNP more than the Libdems hate the Tories – I would never have guessed that.
“Are Reid and Blunkett actually against PR? Have any sitting MPs publicly opposed Brown’s move?”
Yes and yes Pete– as you’ve probably heard by now.