And another thing…

Thanks for trying.

Fairly play for being direct and open about it. Are there 71 other Labour MPs who agree?

and let me say Tom you are right and you have courage.

That answers my question from earlier nicely thanks!

There are three options now – the PLP as a whole backs Brown, the PLP as a whole sacks Brown or it does neither. The third option would be the worst. I would encourage you now to put as much pressure on Brown to go as you possibly can so that the Labour party avoids the third option.

I must say that I admire your honesty on this and understand why you didn’t say this earlier.

You stood up for what you believe, you confronted a leader you have no faith in, and that in itself is admirable. Would be criminal if your constituents don’t vote you in again the next election. But at the rate things are going.. you’re going to have a fight on your hands with the SNP. However this was a good strategic step.

At least you can look at yourself in the mirror Tom. Maybe upon reflection tonight, Brown will listen to your words and do the right thing for your party.

I’m really stuck on this. I want to see him go for the sake of the country, but I want him to stay for the good of the Conservative party. I suppose it’s a win/win situation which ever way it goes.

You’re a brave man Tom, and I admire you for your forthright stance on this issue.

I say this as an ex-Labour voter. I will NEVER vote Labour again for what they have done to this country, its people and our freedom of speech.

But you are a rare thing in the Labour Party Tom – someone with honour.

I salute you sir.

Tom. You are a brave man and an honest one. It’s a shame that you’ll now be the target of the hate squad in the Bunker.

Like you, Tom, I’m …

a) not Gordon’s greatest fan
b) not keen on un-fraternal bickering, but I really think you need to ask yourself if this is just a crisis of leadership, or that the way a small number of MPs have behaved over the years (in the full knowledge of a larger – perhaps dominant – number of MPs) made a difficult job impossible.

I really think that, at a time like this, the PLP could do with a spot of humility about it’s own behaviour rather then laying it all off on the PM (and I’ve not heard many MPs apologising to the PM for making his job impossible in recent weeks).

We have a political caste that dominate our party now. People who have done very little outside of politics, people who are quite simply on a different planet from the rest of us. I really don’t think most – and I do mean MOST MPs have fully grasped this yet.

I wish that every MP that chooses to criticise the PM at this point would ask their CLP to re-open selections for a full and open process in advance of the next election. I suspect that some would have an unpleasant surprise when they saw the results.

I don’t agree Labour are still in a position to win the election – I think you’re probably too far gone – but it’s nice to see at least a handful of Labour MPs are prepared to say this to Brown.

I can believe reports last week of plotters gathering names, I can believe there are dozens, hundreds even, of Labour MPs who share your view of Brown’s fate at the ballot box.

I can’t believe how few of them are prepared to stand up and say so. Is there anyone who thinks it can get worse?

What has all the procrastination in recent days – which is maybe more damaging than everything which went before – been for?

Hope you don’t find a horse head in your bed.

As for myself, I am ashamed to have a PM who is a proven liar (yes he is, he and his cronies use the lobby system to hide behind, as was evident at last Fridays media car crash)

Gordon Brown disgusts me.

Good on you Tom. Needed to be said.

Fair dos.

Now we wait and watch. I hope that Mandelson has this right and it’s me that’s the eejit. I’m prepared to be proved an eejit (yet again) for my country.

Ah hae mah doots though, on this one.

well said Tom here is My open letter to gordon Brown that I wrote today regarding my feelings

Dear Gordon

Surely now you can see that you have lost all confidence with the electorate.The public you claim to care about,if it is so hard for you to see this then look at the polls,read the opinions of the press and look at the amount of people signing the e-petition on the number 10 website calling for you to resign (66560 at time of writing compared to 44 not to resign) and apply a bit of something that this government seems to have lost touch with

COMMON SENSE

yes the one thing that is infallable the thing that is the basis of the magna carta the basis of our judiciary the basis of common law and the basis of our sanity.
and the one thing that this government has lost touch with

There are many good things that this government has given for the country, but many things that you have got hopelessly wrong I note that in many speeches you begin the sentence “I believe” that makes it your personal opinion but no-one is right all the time which is why we have a democracy.You say you believe in democracy but denying the public a promised vote which you did is not democracy it is dictatorship.demanding loyalty within your party and punishing those that don’t agree with you is not debate,it is also dictatorship

I’m sorry mate but “I believe” that you believe wrong

You also “believe” that the public want you to get on with the job of tackling the reform of M.Ps expenses and tackling the economic crisis.

You believe wrong.

you are missing the point Gordon it is not,as you seem to think, just about the expenses saga why people have lost confidence. people were starting to lose confidence long ago but of course the expenses “scandal” has not helped here are some things that I believe that you have got wrong

1) the human rights law
While great in principle it is one of the single most destructive laws to our society that has ever been passed it is flawed because of the lack of another law that should have been passed with it

The law of common sense

Yes that word again surely you can see that common sense should always prevail? it can not be right that a criminal can have rights to sue as was the case with tony martin for example.
People who break the law ie have contempt for it can not expect to have the same protection from it
A man can not be expected to be fined for his daughter refusing to go to school then arrested for assault after forcing her to go as I believe has also happened

where is the common sense?

2) The refusal of the promised E.U referendum – speaks for its self really and whether you say the referendum was different to the E.U constitution or not i’ll just use my COMMONSENSE to tell me it was more or less the same thing thankyou.

3) the no smoking laws
more dictatorship – did it never cross your mind that something of this magnitude should have been subject to a public vote? or at the very least the power to determine given to those whos businesses that are affected i.e the pub landlords. no-one can disagree that smoking is bad for ones health and yes premises with more than one room should have a least one smoking/nonsmoking room but there is always freedom of choice or at least there used to be,surly you can see that there are much fairer alternatives to the present legislation
.public houses are an important part of our heritage and you are destroying them one by one with legislation and taxation, tell me Gordon where will people hang out when they are all but gone what next? everyone hang around the streets and when thats not working, imposed curfews? not a future I would like to see

where is your commonsense?

3)Immigration
I believe in a world where anyone should have the right to live where they choose but I also believe in fairness,as you too claim you are commited to
Much has been written of the fact that the BNP is gaining votes due to the fact that people are upset over the allowances saga and are given protest votes to the BNP

Again the assumption is wrong!

I think that you would be suprised of the results if you held a simple poll under the title

“Do you feel that “racistism” in society has increased or decreased under labour rule”

I think you will find that it has, and before you go blaming the likes of the BNP for stirring up racial hatred etc let me put you straight, the BNP is not the cause

It is current labour policy

It can not be fair that someone can come to this country and jump the queue for housing,get free T.V licences,money for fridges, cars etc can you not see what that does?

IT BREEDS CONTEMPT – it stirs up feelings of jealousy and that in turn starts to stir up hatred and contempt because your policies are unjust,
fair enough let people into the country,give them asylum,but then let them join the queue like everybody else! a fair society is what is needed no more no less.

no doubt there are some who would brand me racist,nothing could be further than the truth, I love people,I love life,but i’m a realist and I believe i’m more in touch with the general public then you are Mr Brown because I am amongst them, I am 47yrs old and talk to people of all ages and the one phrase that comes up time and time again is
“I’m sick they get everything and we get nowt” it shouldn’t be like this Gordon,and you can dismiss my claims if you like, but I am not lying to you.

I am not against you Gordon,as labour leader in fact I prefer you, as a man to your predesesor but enough is enough i believe in a strong united government and and this is not it.You have lost all confidence only on friday I listened to your press release and you mentioned that you were getting on with the job of reforming M.Ps expenses and dealing with the ecomony,you also mentioned the car industry well let me mention each one

MPs expenses – out of your hands it is being handled by “The Committee on Standards in Public Life” so your help is not req

The economy – The fact that you have a chanceller that says he needed help to fill in a tax form doesn’t exactly inspire confidence he is either guilty of tax avoidance and a hypoctite or just plain inept.
for an economy to recover people have to start spending again, how can people spend money they dont have? everybody is being bled dry

The car industry – on friday LDV was set to lobby parliament but were told that ministers were too busy to see them, why?because you were doing your cabinet reshuffle and looking after number one,friday was their last chance today (monday) they went into administation.It appalls me that you could come out the same day and start talking about saving the industry when you did in fact condem at least 850 people to the dole queue

You also say that the new cabinet is strong and the best people for the job but you also said the same with the last bunch so either you were either wrong there or wrong now which is it? did we have the best people then or now? it does not inspire confidence does it gordon? be honest

I believe in law and order, I believe in Parliament, I believe in true democracy,I believe in the freedom of the press and I believe in the Monarchy

And I believe its time for you to find some common sense

Go meet with the queen, ask for her advice, she is after all the head of state and your employer! she was also head of state and involved with politics the day you were born,make no mistake she will advise you well, you would do well to heed it

While it does look as though a tory victory is more than likely in a general election, then so be it,perhaps we do need a change, but at least you will be leader in opposition as apposed to being forced out of leadership now
may you decide wisely

yours sincerely

Matt Park

So, what was the response?

Well done Tom, and I think regular readers of the blog would already of assumed you would not be tarting yourself around.

both yourself and Jane Kennedy should be proud of your actions today. If the rest of the PLP want to delude themselves then there is nothing more than can be done.

You are in the best of company now.

I’m glad that you’ve spoken your mind. I’m not necessarily sure that the rest of us who aren’t in the Labour Party needed to know about it, to be honest.

Having lived through the misery that was Major’s last 5 years in office, it’s just not fun to watch continual sniping. I’m glad that you have said that you won’t do any more media after tonight, but what about your colleagues?

What chance has the country got of any sort of government if the entire Labour Party is paralysed by rebellion and rumour and mutiny?

I have not a huge amount of time for the Labour Party, but on this my sympathy is more with Gordon Brown than with the people who’ve had his card marked from the moment he walked into Downing Street.

Reposted from previous thread – Tom’s interview on Sky;

Just watching you on Sky now.

Select quotes from your interview…

“We feel genuinely that we are heading towards a situation where there is a Cameron-led government”

“If I had said nothing I couldn’t have lived with myself”

“This is a view I have held for some time now”

“My preference is for Gordon Brown to go voluntarily.”

“After the results yesterday…his position is untenable”.

“For Gordon (and his supporters) to suggest that everything is fine is baffling”

I’ve always got on well with Gordon Brown…this isn’t a personal criticism of him”

“If we want a labour government to continue, don’t we have a responsibility to speak out about the one thing that will prevent a victory”

“I don’t think he (gordon) will lead the party into the next election”

“If I were a betting man I would bet on someone else”

Connected to this by any chance?

“The SNP won 700 more votes in Glasgow South, my own seat, than Labour.”

I’d have more respect for you if you’d voiced your opinions before you realised you face being kicked out of your job.

I take it that Gordon didn’t offer you a ministerial job last week, then?

So Tom, why did you nominate Gordon Brown for leader last time? Surely everything you know now about Brown you knew then.

As a Labour Party member, I’m actually proud that we’ve never knifed our leader before (we’ll leave that sort of thing for the Tories) so I’m guessing that something serious has changed in the last two years. What is it?

How do you know what Cameron thinks? Because he told you?

Also, I’m not sure if you noticed but this blog is already an anti-Brown platform and has been for at least as long as I’ve been visiting…

Hm, you said more in your interview after Tom and what came over is that the Blairites intend to continue on this divisive road until you get Brown out. How you can see that as being good for the Labour Party or the country isn’t something easily understood. But then the mindset of the Blairite often isn’t.

I have never seen anything like this before. It is so intensely personal for all of you and almost obsessive. THAT is what will win Cameron the next election.

If Labour voters stayed home because they’re ashamed of the Labour Party takers who have robbed the taxpayer blind through expenses and are ashamed that a group still loyal to Blair has its own priority – to destroy Brown – ahead of every other pressing issue in existence right now then they will punish you dearly come any election. I cannot believe that even after this meeting tonight you are all still determined to bring him down. If that was what a majority wanted tonight why didn’t you get it in the meeting? And if you didn’t get it should that not mean you get on with the job and abandon the assassination plots once and for all?

What was his answer?

A very professional and adult question Tom, wish some of your colleagues had been equally sensible over the last few days.

I don’t think Gordon or Johnson can win it but there is time for damage limitation. Want some ideas? The only political issues I’ve heard normal people complain about unprompted in the last 6 months are Post Office privatisation and ID Cards. Ignore the Lizard conspiracists foaming about Lisbon and try a couple of U-turns on simple popular things.

Maybe you could revisit detention without charge and the real broken promise on the voting reform referendum too!

So, I’ll add you to the “Hated by Balls, but clearly has ‘em” list?

There’s the “Liked by Balls, doesn’t have any” and the “Disliked by Balls, and doesn’t have any either” list.

You’re on the best one!

Glad Sky finally got you on, after the queue of robots before and after spouting the party line like an episode of Thunderbirds. If I was news ed, I would have turned them all away. btw, the piece of theatrics with the clapping and banging benches when he walked in was a new low – if that was possible.

(ps, the immediate election spin if Broon goes isn’t really true either – get Broon to ask Cameron if he really wants one. Turn the tables at PMQ’s)

well done tom, youv gone up vastly in my estimations, had you down as something of an arch-brownite, glad i was wrong

unfortunately the unorganised nature of this revolt means we are now lumbered with gordon and his cabinet of brownite ultras and over strong but cowardly ministers. division is not good they say, they should look within their own ranks.
again, well done!

Well done Tom!

I am and always will be a Tory. I Support strong governments, but believe they also need strong oppositions. An opposition of any kind was completely lacking after the ‘97 election and i believe that was very bad for the health of democracy.

I think that no matter who leads Labour in the next election they will almost certainly not form the largest party and will therefore be confined to opposition. However, the strength of the Labour party in opposition will be determined now. If you get rid of Gordon now and force an early election i think Labour can be an effective opposition, if the party limps on, and on i fear labour may become as impotent as the Tories were. I think this is VERY bad for democracy, and although i want to see labour in opposition is still want them to be standing when the are!

DM Andy:

And AS a Labour Party Member still; are YOU proud and supportive of everything Labour have done in the last 12 years? The Iraq War, ID Cards, Sleaze, Corruption, 10p tax etc, etc.

And why didn’t YOU see it all coming down the line – given that you are after all a member of the Party?

Or is it just easier to have a pop at Tom for vocalising what everyone else is thinking and having the guts to stand up and say so in a room full of Labour sheep.

I certainly don’t agree with Tom’s politics, but I can admire a man who stands up for what he believes in and if he ever visits Fintry – I will be happy to buy him a drink at the Fintry Inn – several in fact, after todays performance.

Jo:

Has it escaped your notice that Brown was Tony the Liars right hand man for the first 11 years of the Labour Government/s.

He’s as culpable as anyone in Labour for the dire straits we now all find ourselves in – apart that is from the greedy bankers whom he baled out, simultaneously impoverishing our children to pay for their excessive lifestyles.

People ask “what do Labour stand for” – I would have thought the answer is blindingly obvious – Sleaze & Corruption.

That’s why no one wants to vote for them apart from the terminally stupid and the criminally inclined.

Well done Tom; I believe it’s called ‘having integrity’. I don’t think some of your colleagues grasp the concept.

Here’s a plan. Stand down from your constituency and resubmit your name, David Davis-style, on a “Gordon to leave” platform. Result: returned to Westminster as the hero of a reborn Gordon-less Labour who go on to triumph at the next election.

No, you’re right, I’ve got no ideas either. Perhaps Sir Richard Mottram knows the exact state of play?

I will say nothing more than: 12%..

As Wrote before, deep respect.

Your final question was a poisoned dart of Shakespearean velocity, though I dare say you did not get an answer worth anything.

A few days back, I posted that I had missed your “fulsome message of support” for the Leader. I think all the regulars here knew which way you were swinging.

I have a question, and it is a question without prejudice or side agenda and it is this:

If Peter Mandelson, an unelected, twice disgraced and highly ambitious man is so focused on keeping Gordon Brown in power, why is this? He can hope for no more than 12 more months pulling the strings right at the top, and then it’s relegation to the Lords and very little chance of further involvement with the project. In twelve months he will be in the wilderness, along with the moribund Labour Party – a party which may indeed cease to exist in any meaningful sense.

I suppose my answer to myself is that, with so many of the current cabinet there, not by virtue of being elected, but out of croneyism and bare ambition and a grasping desire for power for the sake of it, we now have the true picture of Blairite Labour in all its putrid glory.

Mr Harris, you would be laughable if you weren’t so serious.

You say that you “have no intention of becoming a media tart on this issue”, and then you do this.

Quite why the Glasgow Labour Party selected you for a seat is beyond me. Hopefully their error will soon be rectified.

A brave attempt to make an egotistical and deluded despot see sense. It was never likely to succeed because most Labour MPs lack a spine.

Labour MPs appear today to have collectively decided that it’s time for the Labour Party to die. I for one won’t be sorry; every time Labour gets into power it destroys the economy.

Careful Tom,

Fraser Nelson writes:

“One minister I spoke to – by no means a diehard Brown loyalist – whipped out a list of dissenters who had spoken at the meeting. He had jotted down the names by instinct. It kinda reminded me of that Judean People’s Front sketch where they read out the name of a rival group and shout “splitters!” It’s within Labour’s instincts. Sniff out and round on the minority faction. It’s what they do.”

Watch your back. Maybe now is a good time to take a short walk? (across the floor – not the woods!)

Thank goodness someone has their head screwed on.

Very tactful, clear and realistic.

Well done. As Neil Kinnock once said “loyalty, in excess, fills graveyards.”

Monday, June 8th, 2009
I DON’T intend to allow this blog to become an anti-Gordon Brown platform,
**************************************

Aw, go on. Just for us. Pretty please.

***************************************

‘He got his standing ovation’.

Let me guess… the first person who stoppped clapping and sat down is now on his way to a gulag in Siberia.

Well, whatever my differences with you on some of the things you have said about Nick Clegg; I salute you on this one. It has to be said now that my view is that the Labour Party and the country now has the worst of all possible worlds.

Brown limps on fatally damaged in my eyes; waiting for the next crisis that he has to stave off and you as a party are incapable of putting forward a coherent programme yet you cant quite get rid. It is not a state of affairs I envy you to be honest…

Well done, Tom.
Yours was a dignified performance, in my view.
The electorate have come to the view that Gordon Brown is simply unsuited to the job of PM. Labour need to realize this and not fool themselves otherwise.

Tom, Labour MPs astound me. Last week the voters sent a clear signal that they were fed up with MPs behaviour by abstaining, but they showed more contempt fr the government than for the opposition by avoiding Labour while the vote for the Conservatives stayed about the same, and the cause of that contempt is ostensibly the Prime Minister.

Now, instead of acting on clear signals from the voters, the MPs have caved in to pressure from the PM and his aides. There is no way the Labour party can recover under present management.

It is like watching a toothless mafia don when all the peasants have stopped paying tributes. The godfather calls in his capos to get them to swear their allegiance, but the truth is that all the lower level support for his empire has gone.

A good effort Tom.

My question would be “Why did you wait until your lowest moment before deciding that ‘teamwork’ was the way forward, rather than ‘my way or the highway’? You wanted your way and you got it. Look where it’s lead you. Why should we give you another chance?”

If he had an answer for that one, I’d love to hear it.

Tom, I am one of your constituents. I may not vote for you but I do read your blog, normally as a lurker. However just wanted to pop in to say ‘well done, ar least you still have a pair!’.
back to lurking.

It’s disappointing that your opening remark has gone unchallenged.

“If there’s one thing that unites this PLP it’s a determination to win the next election.”

I would have hoped it would be a desire to end poverty, improve education or give people better life chances. And this is the problem with career politics: it pushes even smart, decent people into a myopic focus on staying in power rather than achieving their aims.

Well said Tom, and thanks for exposing again that disconnect which your own constituents pointed to on Thursday. You talk about Cameron while your voters talk about Scotland. David Cameron will not be PM of Scotland for very long, only during the re-negotiation of the Union. He will have no mandate in Scotland, surely you can see that. Please keep up, it’s fun.

Brave & Honest.

I wonder if he actually took in such comments; I suspect not and that you got a crooked grin in return.

None the less, I appreciate that you said what you did.

Tom, some questions come to mind to this 25-years membership Labour Party member in Glasgow North.

You challenged the leader of the party at the PLP and told him he ought to go. So who would you have take his place? You don’t seem to have said and I wonder if you have a view.

Also, do you really think that it’s in the interests of anyone exccept the Tories and the Nats for there to be a general election sooner rather than later?

We have a legislative programme which assumes a government in place till May next year. Are we to give that up, presumably to let the Tories in early? In fact, do you see any point or value in letting the Tories in early? Or do you think it possible that the later they get a chance to get in, the better?

Of course, the new leader (and therefore new PM, whoever she or he is) might resist the siren calls that would follow a coup for a prompt general election. Do you have it in mind that Labour should hang on under its third leader till May?

What is your strategic view? Have you got one?

Cough….:-)

Tom what ever happens, at least you tried.

You rock.

OK, so I guess NOW your expenses will come out. Along with all your other dirty laundry. )

Pete B : “There are three options now – the PLP as a whole backs Brown, the PLP as a whole sacks Brown or it does neither. The third option would be the worst” – and the first ain’t gonna happen.

Much as I would love the whole party to get behind Gordon, and for him to come storming back, it wouldn’t be enough. I’d vote Labour anyway – but not my wife, my Mum, my next door neighbours and all their mates down the club. They’re not politics freaks, they don’t comment on blogs or tweet with activists – they just vote. And they won’t vote in big numbers for Gordon Brown.

Also Matt Park, as a rule of thumb, if your comment is twice as long as the blog, you’ve usually said too much. Just a thought. (and yes I know I ramble on a bit too

You might also be vindicated, tomorrow’s Independent carries a poll saying Alan Johnson would deny Cameron a majority.

I await the commencement of briefing against Mr. Johnson by the Princess of Darnkess and his Balls.

You are, my hero.

Very nicely put. (Of course I would have thrown a shoe to go with it, but i’ve been told that’s been done before….)

@ Oberon Houston
“get Broon to ask Cameron if he really wants one…”

I would imagine the answer would be, “yes please, we’ve got a 20% lead in the polls and will crush you”.

awesome, Tom’s going to be on Newsnight. Hope it goes well!

To my credit, I figured it out the moment you claimed about the Wikipedia page

Well said, Tom. I knew you would be among those MPs who face current issues challenging Labour with realism and guts.

You don’t want the blog to become an anti Brown platform? Strewth Tom!
Richard is right when he says ‘this blog is already an anti-Brown platform and has been for at least as long as I’ve been visiting…’ And it’s not like it hasn’t been brought to your attention previously.
.

So Tom’s spoken out against GB, and this action is endorsed on his blog by the ever crowing Tory Richard and friends, and God help us, Guido Fawkes, who has also commented on this blog that he’s concerned about the interests of the Labour Party?? Ha Ha Ha. Yeah right! – and is also now (according to a commentator on ConHome) reporting that James Purnell will announce that he will stand against Gordon Brown at lunch time tomorrow.
Sigh. With friends like these.
.

I just wish Labour MP’s would get themselves sorted out; preferably quietly, and behind closed doors, and be like Dad and keep Mum on the way out.
But no – straight off to the camera and microphone to enlighten us with their utterances and pearls of wisdom.
And then they have the gall to wonder why supporters and activists are hard to find and inspire.
It’s just too dispiriting.
.

Caron. ‘but on this my sympathy is more with Gordon Brown than with the people who’ve had his card marked from the moment he walked into Downing Street.’
Well said.

*complained, not claimed. Damn you exam-induced-sleep-deprivation.

Well said, Tom. I think you’re right. Gordon was a brilliant chancellor, and he’s a man of very high principles, intelligence and integrity, but he needs to step aside now for the good of the party. The Tories are fervently hoping he will stay in power – that really says it all.

Aren’t you a bit too principled for Labour?
Never mind. I say Dave’s doing a smashing job whenever anyone asks me.
I used to say the same about Howard, Billy Hague and even .. what was is name? Ian Smith?

You’ll learn too. It gets easier after the first few times. Next PMQs just say to any colleague, “I think Gordon is doing a bang up job.”
Then have a long shower.

Kudos for standing up and saying what you think, without sticking the boot in.

Still, you’ve made BBC News now. Fame and fortune awaits?

I admire your courage but my judgment is that if GB goes it should be in 6 months or so after he has absorbed more negativity to clear the way for the next leader an early election is not good for the country as the tories will take from the many and give to the few.
Britain still needs Labour much work still to do and we can come back to a hung parliament or a small majority. Lots of angry people stayed st home because they expected better of Labour MPs on expenses.
Do put the question again in a few months time please Tom.

I was a member of the Labour Party – left o a few principles. If you’ve any principles you should leave – my view is that you’re part of a right wing group who could have been in any party much like Blair and many of the people – McDonagh etc you associate with

Considering the amount of denial and crap I have listened to today, that was impressive Tom. I just wish the rest would admit what they already know, and get on with it.

Tom, you are a nice bloke, but I cannot believe how astonishingly naive you are.

I am just watching David Grossman talking about Macchiavelli. If you wanted a cosy honest trade, you wouldn’t have gone into politics.

If everyone toed the party line and was completely loyal, they would have nowt to fear. Alistair Campbell realised that if people were disloyal the party would spend another decade in opposition. So he screwed them when they stepped out of line.

The trouble is people only vote for united parties, they don’t vote for think tanks. If you don’t like it, then why spend so much time inflicting the ‘nothing to hide, nothing to fear’ culture on us poor saps that have allowed ourselves to prostrate ourselves at your governing ??

Well done, for what you did and the way you did it.

But it’s not over. Mr Brown has to be replaced for the Labour party to begin its recovery, which in turn is essential for the well being of the country.

The Labour party is absolutely recoverable. Opinions are no longer as polarised nor are voters as tribal as they once were. The polls move up and down with remarkable dexterity.

Sadly, however, the chemistry between Gordon Brown and the electorate is wrong, and that won’t change. If bringing the economy back from the abyss and bringing world leaders together in a united response wasn’t enough to clinch it, I don’t think anything will be.

‘Why do you think Cameron wants you to remain in post?’

Why do you think Cameron is right in wanting this? Have you never thought, as a Labour MP, that David Cameron might be wrong about something he wants?

IMHO you did the best thing: tell him to his face, do the round of interviews and move on. Wish more in the PLP were like you.

Good on you. I am a Conservative supporter, and well aware that the Conservatives want Brown to stay (as is anyne who has read Conservative Home recently). However I disagree. It is important to the country to have strong leadership with a mandate.

Of course I also believe that for the good of everyone in the country that leadership should be Conservative. I think it is obvious that Labour has been a 12-year utter disaster for the country. However even worse than that is the complete lack of functioning government we have now.

My previous comment was more of an appeal to Gordon to call a general election election now.It is the only way to restore public confidence now

Firstly, can I say well done for speaking your mind. I am trying to put together a post which spells out why Brown has failed as a Prime Minister, your interjection spells out bits of that.

However, one of the problems is that there isn’t really anyone obvious who can replace Brown. Johnston doesn’t want it, Harman – hmmmm. While the Blairite “outriders” of Clarke, Byres and Milburn are just a sick joke. Hardcore Labour supporters will not forget what they have done to their party. Dunno what the answer is, but it had better come quickly before Comedy Dave and Boy George do win the next Westminster election with their “own” ideas.

Tom,
I just wanted to offer my support and congratulations for your actions. You’ve shown genuine courage and demonstrated what being a conviction politician really means. I have been a labour supporter but recently I’ve become disillusiond and disgusted by the actions of the gov’t and No.10 in particular. I would happily have you represent me in Parliament as you have demonstrated decency and honesty. Thanks for all you tried to do

@ Ben. Can I say what I think is even worse for democracy? When a majority in a party wish to support a particular leader and a small minority come out of a meeting meant to arrive at some sort of conclusion and make it clear the civil war will go on behind the scenes. That sends out a message to voters and that message states clearly that day to day politics aren’t top of their agenda. It says a great deal about these Blairites that they are willing to destroy their own Party in order to get their own way. It says much also that they cannot accept that what happened in last week’s election is a reflection on all of them and was not solely about Brown.

@ Steve Green

You can ceratinly reconcile these positions. Gordon Brown as PM for the next year will probably be an unmitigated disaster. HOWEVER, the plus point, is that there is a chance that it means that the Labour Party will never recover. I’m not saying that eternal Tory rule would be a good thing either (heaven forfend!) – but on the ashes of Labour we could find ourselves with a united, progressive, social democratic party that wan’t in hock to the unions and without some of the historical left-wing baggage of Labour. Now THAT might be an interesting proposition for the likes of me (a traditional, one nation Tory with Whiggish tendencies).

Thought you came across on Newsnight Tom with honesty and integrity. Qualities rarely seen nowadays.

Thank you.

Tom,

Am i correct in recaling you started politics in the SDP? and ‘tippexed out’ clause 4 on your party card before the conference ratified it? (note to younger readers: labour members used to carry a membership card which stated political/philosphical beliefs, before being replaced with vacuous ‘pledges’). As it happens, I agree Gordon going would be better for the labour party electorally. But is that the real issue? What about the battle of ideas? Problem for the anti-Gordons is you’ve no apparent ideology (except retaining power), no figurehead and, sadly, apparently little politics. But, Tom, you’ll be lauded for this and get a regular turn on ‘newsnicht!

I don’t think it’s courageous at all. I think it’s obvious and I certainly believe it’s tough to do and say such a thing.

Labour cannot win an election under Brown. Your hope, Tom, that you won’t need to return to the issue, I fear, will not be an achievable goal however. If he doesn’t go, this issue will drag on and on, and as a sensible MP you will have little option to discuss the topic.

The way you’ve delivered your feelings and views is (and I mean this as a good thing) ‘the British way’. You’ve not whored yourself around, you ain’t going for any sort of status as a result.

Not the greatest situatioon to be in, having a leader who you do not, and presumably willl not again, have faith in.

Tom, I know we’ve had our banter in the past, but let me tell you this:

My father comes from the deepest, darkest South Wales valleys. My great aunt was a member of the Communist Party there, my Grandfather was a Labour man and my father was a Liberal (considered dangerously intellectual by South Wales standards of the time)!

I have therefore never had any kind of visceral hatred for the Labour Party, despite not believing in socialist ideology. Indeed, I could tell you stories of the immense kindness I have had at the hands of grassroots Labour activists when I was a first-time Tory canvasser back in the day.

What is happening to your party therefore genuinely makes me sad – when the Conservatives come top of the poll in Wales, even Gordon Brown must take note.

Gordon Brown appears to be playing for his team and not his country. However, what he doesn’t seem to realise, is that by doing so in such an inept way, he is taking both team and country down with him, and that is why he must go.

I’d just like to agree with most of the comments here. I reckon you’re more of a man than any of the chavs who were banging on the tables.

It is important to have a genuine ‘labour’ party in this country. Not one overpopulated with Hooray Henrys, communists and globalist puppets, but something real where people like yourself might have more influence to deliver something of more use to the country.

You’ll have to get a better handle on what the EU means, but anyway: good work and my prayers are with you.

Well. looking at the posts, it didn’t take long for the Rapid Rebuttal Rats to start spreading their plague, did it?

Well done on Newsnight – couldn’t have been easy.

Since you’re all fond of plots…

perhaps Cameron is doing a double bluff thing …putting it about that the Tories want GB as leader???

@Jo

Why is Brown a ‘great’ leader? What is his vision? What has he done in the last 2 years as PM?

I ask out of genuine curiousity, btw, not as a dig!

So what happens next?

This past week has seen an already badly damaged Labour party engaging in an orgy of back-stabbing and mud-slinging, with the whole nation looking on in despair and embarrassment. It’s been a truly dreadful spectacle. If Labour managed to get 16% of the nation’s vote last week, what would they get next week? 8%? 5%?

How long can this go on? With such a terminally weak British government, and a Chancellor that the PM doesn’t want, but can’t replace, perhaps next the international investment community will lose confidence in Britain plc, and there’ll be a run on the pound. Maybe that is what will force the issue, and finally bring down this moribund government.

Honesty and integrity? You wouldn’t know what they were if the bit you on the ***. 7 years ago you were nothing more than Prescott’s puppet telling firefighters that they would bankrupt the country if they won their pay campaign to earn £30k. I know I was on the picket line when you had the audacity to say that. Well look around, you and your cohorts seem to have beat us to it. Loking forward to seeing you getting beat at the next election (if they don’t de-select you first).

As for Matt Parks’ comments. I would like to ask how many Moons are there on your planet. Racistism? I think the word you were looking for was racism. Oh and by the way at least back up your “Daily Mail” assumptions with some evidence regarding immigration, you buffoon.

Steve Smith my apologies yes I do go on! but it was quick to cut and paste

Silent Hunter, sorry for the late reply – by the time Tom had approved the batch of comments yours was in I’d gone to bed.

Re: Labour’s Record – Not hugely proud of a lot of what we’ve done, I think that Blair in particular strayed away from Labour Party ideals – Brown’s better, but not massively so.

In 2007 I did see this coming, I supported John McDonnell for the Labour Leadership and even cast a vote for him when the trade union I’m in was deciding which candidate to recommend to members should there have been a full election.

But even though I did not support Brown, we on the left of the party lost the leadership election fairly and squarely and have been working hard for Brown. It’s the way Labour does things. We have a debate, we have a vote, then we get on with it. For me that’s the moral way, but there’s also a political upside, as the Tories discovered in the mid 90s – electors don’t like divided parties.

In 2007 there was enough time for the Labour Party to have a debate on what kind of party it wanted to be then for the new Prime Minister to have 1 or 2 years to show the nation that they were the right person for the job. Right now even if Gordon goes today then the new leader will have barely six months to change the politics.

I don’t think that’s possible and that’s why we should try and do the best we can under this Prime Minister and not chuck him overboard.

I don’t normally contribute to your blog, but I wanted to say ‘well done’ for having the courage to stand up for your beliefs.
I have been a Labour supporter in the past, but cannot consider voting for the current regime. Your intervention gives me hope that there are still decent people in the Labour party, and for that, I salute you.

At least you have spoken your mind Tom. But it shows how weak the Labour party is and is in fear of Brown. He will not change and your party will pay the price.

I’ve lost count now of the number of Labour MP’s who are calling for Brown to go, but until there’s a figure all of you can rally round, the spinners and Downing Street briefers will pick you off one by one.

Well done for saying this, it’s a courageous thing to do.

Aye , have just posted on this Tom, mainly looking at the contradictions in the Downing Street line.

You found a horses head in your bed this morning?

It’s never easy to tell your guv’nor he’s in the wrong job.

Takes some cohones.

Bowler tipped.

A man with a spine in the PLP, wonders will never cease. Well done.

Tom
Last night you came across as a decent, honest and straightforward person, as did others such as Barry Sheerman and Jane Kennedy. Just the sort of people who I would be comfortable with being in government. But you are not.

Are you in the wrong job?

This week (and every other week) in The House of The Tiny Tearaways little Gordon was throwing tantrums, and he broke his Playstation by throwing it at the wall. Dr Tanya put little Gordon on the naughty stool, took away his gold stars, and now he has promised to be a good boy, put his arms round his mother’s knees and said, ‘Mummy I wuv you’.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Unfortunately, we all know that in real life rather than tellylala land not even Dr Tanya can cure 58 years of learned bad behaviour in one episode. And sure enough, once Dr Tanya had left the set, and the camera team had gone home, little Gordon’s brand new Playstation was soon lying beside the wall in several pieces.

You’re an OK guy Tom, and I know you (and others) have the right idea, but actions speak a damned sight louder than words.

On the lightbulb theme: How many Labour MPs does it take to change an unwanted Prime Minister?

This weekend past there is was stark contrast between the courage of those who fought and died for the rights of this country’s citizens, and the spineless, self-serving nature of Labour MPs in a rudderless government. Loyalty and duty to your country should be way higher up the list than to an un-elected PM rejected wholeheartedly by its populace. Or, for that matter, the income and expenses you can claim between October and July next year.

Now, any Labour MP who wishes to glean even a modicum of respect (and, dare I say, the possibility of a vote) of the constituents by whom he/she was elected should resign the whip and either represent them as an independent until the next election, or cross the floor to one of the other parties.

Sadly, there are not the 30-odd Labour MPs possessing the courage of conviction (and a spine) required. As a result you will be despised even more (if that were possible) and paid handsomely for putting your “party” before your people – firstly with a P45 each for the overwhelming majority, and subsequently an eternity in opposition – possibly as the third party behind the Lib Dems.

Actions speak louder than words.

I’ve just watched you on Newsnight, Iplayer, all good, if rather obvious, points made.

What you said was obviously done with a heavy heart but kudos to you and some other Labour MPs for having the courage, integrity and principles, to speak out for the good of your party. It’s a shame some members of the Cabinet can’t say the same.

I presume we now await with baited breath for the ‘Tom Harris smears’ to appear in the Mail on Sunday?

If nothing else it’s been a wonderful season for cliche watchers. Such times especially favour the reappearance of all the turkeys who, with their bunker mentality, either vote or don’t vote for Christmas while rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. That’s multitasking for you.

As for me, well I’m off out to watch for some slow car crashes. Nobody gets hurt in these and damage is always very minor.

Well done Tom. I am glad that you spoke out. Like you, I’m very sad to see it has come to this, but Gordon needs to step aside to give Labour a fighting chance.

Needed to be said. However, is it just candidates think it’s best to take over the Labour leadership *after* Brown has a train wreck of a general election rather that before ?

Of course, knee jerk reaction is it means we’ll have yet another year of internal bickering rather than helping the Country. Perversely though, it seems it may stop some of the more hateful Labour policies eg part privatisation of post office. Will ID cards be scrapped now have a hopeful as Home Secretary ? Will we finally have an inquiry into Iraq ?

Is the best thing that happened to this country in the last decade actually to have a weakened PM who can’t now meddle ? If so, perhaps we should adopt the Belgian model.

Well done Tom. I saw you on Newsnight with Barry Sheerman. I’m a conservative and found you via Dale: I’ve lobbed criticisms in here in the past but not this time. Seeing an(y) MP speak simply, honestly and with integrity about a very important subject without equivocation, see-through spin or weasel words is as rare as tits on a bull. I congratulate you. It was clear early in the interview that Mr Sheerman was looking for just those weasel words to wriggle free of his volte face but remarkably, he settled down and called it as he saw it when he saw you playing Paxo with a completely straight bat. I believe the disastrous Brown should go for the good of the country and the good of what little parliamentary democracy we have left – rather than the good of the PLP (for which I care not a jot); but nonetheless I wish you luck in dodging Drowning Street’s ire.

Next time you get the urge to ‘do some media’, Tom, why not try chewing gum instead?

I was quite gobsmacked when your name came up on the news bulletin at 8pm yesterday. Whatever most contributers here seem to think, to me it seemed like Gordon’s number must be up if you were ready to speak openly. Listening to the Today programme this morning, though, the impression being put about is that the only thing weaker than GB was the revolt against him. Who was that comedian who said that if you’re going to nut some bruiser, you should make sure you’re close enough not to miss, or else you end up having to pretend that you were really nodding in emphatic agreement?

It comes back to what I said before, that ever since Iraq, the people in charge have grokked that if they don’t give in to shame, they can survive anything. The ‘Zanu-Labour’ thing isn’t just clever wording, cheers.

And still not a squeek on my MP’s blog.

Weren’t you among the lemmings who nominated this guy in the face of warnings about him from colleagues, all of whom have been vindicated? After you got it so wrong last time it’s hard to take your advice seriously, especially when it includes the line “We can still win the next election” – though in fairness, I doubt you really believe this, and just want a new leader because it will increase your chances in your own seat.

That must have been hard Tom; from your previous postings it is obvious that you like and respect Gordon Brown.

Hopefully he’ll take cognisance of the fact that it was a friend speaking truth to power.

@Jo

Need i remind you that it was Blair that won 3 elections for Labour, and it was Blairite policies that won 3 elections for Labour. It NEVER would have happened if he hadn’t of been leader.

The current ‘rebels’ are not trying to destroy the Labour Party, they’re political realists that know that if Brown isn’t replaced soon there won’t be much party left to care about. May i remind you that all of this political drama happened AFTER the polls closed on thursday; the people verdict on you didn’t even include that!

[...] I know but that’s the point of the exercise. For myself, I like to think I’d agree with Tom Harris. That is, if I were a Labour backbencher I’d be very concerned about my employment prospects [...]

Let’s have a slice of realism here rather than political pie-in-the-sky.
In my opinion, it is going to take a miracle to win a 4th term.

Damage limitation that makes a Labour comeback for the parliament after next seems the best bet rather than being routed for a generation. Defeatist? Not in a long-term game. Realistic, I think so. But this is not really the issue here is it?

We are damned if we do, damned if we don’t due to this attempted putsch. The PLP have created an ungodly mess. Continue with GB and you have to deal with the legacy of a fractured PLP pulling in different directions.

Appoint a new leader and it is straight into a General Election before 2009 is out. With the expenses mire still fresh in the mind of the electorate, we’ll get turfed-out badly.

I don’t know you from Adam, Tom. I enjoy your blog and some of your posts are quite witty and informative on the subliminal level.

However, the reality here is not an overwhelming desire of anti-GBs in the PLP to pull together to win an election, it’s an exercise in political self-preservation.

Cynics would suggest your decision to speak out last night is quite timely given the swing to the SNP in your constituency.

You all chose this man to lead the Party and country without challenge in 2007. The time for debate was then, not on the cusp of a General Election.

I would encourage you to now work with what we have got for the sake of the wider Party – not through the narrow prism of the PLP – for better or worse.

You might just safe yourself that way.

Tom – I saw you on the TV last night and you need to up-date the photo on this blog!

I am not a Labour man and I don’t envy you at the moment. Your party seems to me to be stuck between the Devil and the deep blue sea. Brown is visonless and hated, there is no willing (or particularly credible) alternative to him (the PM cannot be “Anyone But Brown”), the electorate have shown in the past that they hate a divided party, and the Tories’ experience suggests that defenestration of leaders can leave running sores for many years afterwards. There’s nowhere attractive for you to go to.

Any decision is fraught with risk, but I think you are probably right that the current chosen course of grudging “support” for a lame-duck PM obtained via the combination of paralysis of the PLP and the usual thuggish bullying is the worst course of action. This is a particularly combustible brew when the media knows that there are tens of MP’s, Peers, and other party bigwigs who want to see the back of Brown – the story will not go away.

I think that the PLP is paying for the one characteristic it has consistently demonstrated in the face of years of bullying from Brown – with few exceptions it is a collection of spineless lobby-fodder (with a sprinkling of venality).

What must be driving you crazy is your instinct (which I believe to be true) that the electorate has not bought into the Tories as a positive choice and may not do before the election.

I don’t know what I’d do in your position – you were right and courageous to say what you did to Brown at the meeting, that’s for sure. I have my doubts that subsequently going onto the TV and publicising it via this blog was the right thing to do. Whatever your stated intention you have joined the ranks making it clear that there are still divisions and unhappiness within the party to the outside world for the media to pick at. Would you not have been better off leaving your intervention to the meeting and your local constituency party?

Brave and principled, Tom.

You did the right thing.

Johnny Norfolk, thou art avenged….

Tom,

Nice to see you showing some backbone.
Something that strikes me with regard to the Labour Party in Scotland, is the complete disregard for Scotland it displays, it’s people, well being etc. It’s not perception. You should have made an additional comment something like this;
“…and Prime Minister, you do not serve the interests of Scotland, which as a Scottish constituency MP, I have great trouble with. I cannot justify you remaining in position to my constituents when Scottish needs are not served by you.”

So Tom, do you have Scotland, and it’s people’s best interest at heart? If you do, then show moral courage and leave this self centred Labour Party. Now that would be a great and positive message to send to Gordon Brown and to your constituents!

How many messages of support did you get from fellow MPs? The answer would be very revealing.

I just caught up with Newsnight. Your appearance was a breath of fresh air compared to the “we are getting on with the job/Gordon is taking us forward/ we are listening to the voters” stuff. You had Paxman in a kind of simpering mode, eating out of your hand. Honesty, passion and flawless logic completely flumoxes him. Plus of course, everyone knows you are right.

Silent Hunter @ 9.37.
I think if you read anything I have posted on this matter you will see that I expressed disgust at the tactics being used here. I pointed out there was a procedure where such matters can be dealt with properly and fairly. I also pointed out that a small group – a minority – who are Blairites are behind this. They made it clear coming out of that meeting last night that their war goes on. I say that is dishonourable when it would appear Brown has majority backing.

I have also pointed out that the worst offenders in the last week were throwing tantrums over jobs they thought they would get and didn’t or were themselves set for the push due to dishonesty on a massive scale in their expenses claims. It seems to me Brown isn’t responsible for any of those issues and it also seems to me that such things led many Labour voters to stay home.

So for people like Tom to hold Brown solely responsible for the shambles in the Euro Elections is a shocking thing to do. Does he believe no one else in Labour is responsible for that? Can he not see how deeply affected voters in general were as detail after detail emerged regarding expenses. Has he attempted to calculate how many voters decided to stay home just because of Blears’ arrogance alone, or due to the utter treachery of those whose loyalty to Brown depended on what job they were given? Some people are out of work in this country or fighting to save the roof over their heads SH. And the priority of the Blairites? Its to attend a meeting and then emerge in defiance of the decision made there because at the root of their crusade is a complete hatred of a particular man that is deeply personal indeed. That is not democracy.

Jack @ 1.13am. I didn’t say Brown was a great leader. What I’ve said is that the fact these people, again, a minority, are willing to risk destroying the entire Labour Party proves a great deal about them and what their priorities are.

Last night Tom said on Newsnight Scotland that this will go on. So the backstabbing is set to continue and I think that can only be bad news for Labour because Blairites intend to stay obsessed with getting rid of Brown rather than focus on people and what we are facing right now.

I will say again that the results last week for Labour were about absolute fury towards those who were virtually stealing from the taxpayer and then strutting around when their jobs were about to go. The BNP vote did not go up, it actually went down: Labour voters stayed home and the Labour vote collapsed. So that isn’t Brown’s fault either. Yet this lot would have him take responsibility for the lot of it. That is not honourable or honest. It is dishonourable conduct of the lowest sort imaginable.

There is a proper way to deal with such issues and they were supposed to be dealt with in that meeting last night. This is supposed to be a single political Party and yet just look at this! Division of this sort kills political parties stone dead and they will be punished especially at times like this when ordinary folk are struggling. Labour were punished for it last week yet this bunch want to take no share of the blame for that whatsoever. They want to pin it all on one man and that is just ludicrous.

I listened to your comment on Radio 4 Tom. Thank you for speaking honestly and reflecting the views of those of us who deserted the party in recent polls. Following your interview I then had to listen to Ed Balls. He and many others have totally infuriated me over recent days as they deny that the party is falling apart because of GB’s leadership. I hate listening to lies even from the PM who denied that he did not intend moving Alastair Campbell. I actually feel insulted with all this spin and an assumption about how people like me feel. Of course we are all angry with some of the abuses of the expenses system. All three parties suffered in the polls. However, the Labour Party were decimated in the polls and I contributed to this. For the first time ever (42 years voting) I did not vote for the party. Having listened to major figures in the party try and turn questions into how the Tories did not fare well, I wished now that I had the confidence to have voted for the Tories if this is the only way that senior labour politicians do not realise what we feel about the leadership. I did not vote for the party because I think that there is no leadership, no coherent policy, too many stupid policies to gain headlines, an appalling bullying No 10, ghastly and offensive smears against MPs and Ministers and a PM who is unable to perform satisfactorily in the media. I can recall three smears from last week! As a woman, I am also concerned about how many female politicians have resigned.

So what do we do Tom? GB plotted and schemed for years to undermine TB and was behind TB’s departure. He wanted to be PM and will cling on. I never felt he would be a good leader and there was sufficient evidence to suggest that he did not have the appropriate skills necessary for the job.

I will not vote for the party again until he leaves the top job. Nothing he will do in the coming months will change my mind and senior figures in the party who believe that a change in economic conditions before the next election will make the party electable are deluded. I feel insulted!

“I think that the PLP is paying for the one characteristic it has consistently demonstrated in the face of years of bullying from Brown – with few exceptions it is a collection of spineless lobby-fodder (with a sprinkling of venality).”

@ Michael

Excuse me? Was Blair a figment of my imagination? What bullying did he employ throughout his premiership up to and including producing dodgy intelligence to justify an illegal invasion? Up to and including using an unelected individual (Campbell!) to control many many people and play the press like a piano! By all means acknowledge Brown’s faults but for God’s sake lets not forget that Blair went because he had become a monumental liability for the Labour Party having been publicly exposed as a liar and worse. Bullying Michael? Ask Dr David Kelly’s widow about bullying! Dearie me you people have either short memories or selective ones.

I saw you on Newsnight and thought it was a somewhat resigned performance. You seemed to have accepted the die is cast. Why is it that Labour cannot see the abyss; it is there. You cannot even resign properly:

Caroline Flint played her hand so badly, not backing Purnell then backing Brown on the off chance she would get a Cabinet post and then belatedly putting the knife in to Brown. She has probably excluded herself from any future government (but there won’t be one) given her faltering performance but a 10% swing sees her out anyway (based on same turnout in her constituency and no change in Lib Dem vote).

Given that most of those in government know they are going to lose and are playing for the least worst result to prevent them being excluded for a generation, one can only presume that either they have concluded;

A:Brown is best left in place to take the fall which will be less catastrophic than a full blown civil war.

B:No one is capable of wielding the dagger.

C:No one cares (most are out in 12 months anyway) and simply want to take the money on offer and exit at the last possible moment.

None are an entirely positive outcome for the country but that would be too much to hope for from such a rabble. The cabinet has probably proved so supine that they are mostly irrelevant unless they find the courage to exercise their new found power which is unlikely on past track record. My guess is Labour is out for a generation and we will all witness a fight for the ’soul’ of the Labour party. Although whether it exists at all is a good question given the squalid tactics deployed by the Labour hierarchy.

Purnell will do well out of this, better than Miliband who is proving to be the Portillo of the Labour party. It was bizarre watching ‘A Week in politics’ just after the news had broken about Purnell and seeing Michael Portillo implore Milliband ‘don’t answer the phone’ and ‘it doesn’t take much’ to come out against. But like Portillo Milliband showed no backbone and that in an instant was the end of his credibility and possibly career. However, Milliband will survive an election slaughter (his opposition in his constituency is evenly split between Lib Dem & Con)but Purnell will be ousted in a slaughter (12% swing approx). So we can see the Milliband has done the maths. Darling is out at the next election (MAJORITY-7,242) and so are;

Bradshaw, B.P.J.* Byrne, L.D.* Darling, A.* Denham, J.Y.* Jowell, T.J. Ms.* Murphy, J.* Purnell, J.M.D.* Straw, J.W.*

The remains of the day are a motley bunch;

Ainsworth, R.W.* Alexander, D.G.* Balls, E.M. Benn, H.J.* Burnham, A.M.* Cooper, Y. Ms.* Hain, P.G.* Harman, H. Ms.* Johnson, A.A.* Miliband, D.W.* Miliband, E.S. Woodward, S.A.* Brown, G.*

So I guess the real point about the PM’s position is who cares? He is irrelevant. I see no one who has demonstrated the independence of mind in the names above but then Geoffrey Howe eventually delivered the speech ( http://tinyurl.com/l9cuxq ) that cynics suggested had taken his wife 15 years to write. And now perhaps a man with a limited shelf life, following a career in the shadow of Brown will unseat his master in the dying days. Or will he? Has Alistair Darling’s wife penned a similar speech? Alea iacta est…. But who is Julius and who will cross the Rubicon.

@ Skingers.

I’m astonished you have omitted a very important fact in all of that. The Tories don’t have a policy to their name. I think if all within Labour did what is right and got back to doing their real jobs Cameron’s lack of policy and ideas would be exposed again very soon indeed.

Well done Tom. What you said needed saying, and you said it well!

I wonder how much truth there is in Guido’s contention that James Purnell is about to declare himself a candidate for leadership?

A contest between Johnson and Purnell would stoke a media frenzy.

Very positive for Labour and exactly what is needed to take the spotlight off Brown’s irretrievable failings, just before an election.

Labour would still probably lose, but as I’ve said before, it would be a crash landing as opposed to flying at full speed into a mountain next year under the current pilot.

@Jo

You really think this is about policy? A quaint idea… This is about power, pure and simple…

[...] to Dale it was mostly the borg drones party loyalists in any case – were, with a few notable exceptions, pacified with the promise that one day there will be a proper prime minister (the pilot) and some [...]

jo – you are quite right, Blair was a bully too. The all important word is “too”. If you think that Brown has, or can, realistically distance himself from the worst excesses that made Blair unpopular you are welcome to that thought.

@Jo

“The Tories don’t have a policy to their name.”

Thats a nice, convenient political line; unfortunately no matter how often Labour people say it, it still isn’t true! For example, they now have a VERY substantive education policy that you can read about on their website (i’m not sure Tom would quite tolerate a link to it here!!) as well as very developed transport and energy policies.

Whilst you may say haven’t released policy in a lot of areas, and this may be a fair charge; to say they don’t have a policy to their name is just blatantly untrue!

[...] Tom Harris is that most unusual of things: a Labour MP who I have a lot of respect for as a thoroughly decent chap – and a writer and blogger of high quality. Yesterday, he stood up to Gordon Brown and asked him to resign, and he put what he had said up on his blog. [...]

Good on you Tom. Good to know some of the chaps in your party have as much (many?) balls as the ladies…

Heck keep being this principled and what’s left of Labour after the next election might make a come back quicker than expected!

My biggest gripe with Dave at the moment is that it’s not in the country’s interest to keep Gordon. It is in the Conservative party’s interest. He should put country over party and put all his effort into removing Gordon. The fact that he hasn’t shows the Conservatives are self interested in exactly the same way as the bulk of the Labour party.

The comments are mostly a testimony to the cogent case you presented with integrity and courage.

Allow me to add my own admiration for your stance and an observation that unfortunately, leaders who lose the trust of their followers, are so often reluctant to recognize and accept the fact.

I cannot understand why MP’s think that it is Gordons fault that people are not voting labour. They are not voting labour because of the scandalous behaviour of people such as Hazel Blears, to name but one. They are voting for minority parties to express their rebellion. Changing the leader at this stage will merely confirm that labour are the wrong party – hang on in there until the economy improves and stand by your man!

I’ve been watching TV and have just seen the BNP in a disgusting display of facism.

A mob was throwing eggs and pushing menacingly forward to stop them giving a perfectly legal press conference.

Alan Stewart @ 2:29 am
“As for Matt Parks’ comments. I would like to ask how many Moons are there on your planet.”

There is one in orbit last I knew and none on it

“Racistism? I think the word you were looking for was racism.”

Indeed so and my apologies for spelling “racism” as badly as you spelled “looking” @ 1:57am

“Oh and by the way at least back up your “Daily Mail” assumptions with some evidence regarding immigration, you buffoon.”

Please back up your assumption I read the “Daily Mail” as you assume wrong! and please enlighten me on what “evidence” you are requiring regarding immigration.
on another note
Are you always this unfriendly?

@ Ruth Oliver

You seriously think that Labours’ national vote share went down by 7% to 15.3%, lost the popular vote in Wales to the Tories and the popular vote in Scotland to the SNP because Hazel Blears resigned? Are you serious? Really, is it a joke?

If a majority of the Labour Party can’t accept how unpopular Gordon is, and that he is almost the sole reason they did so badly in the Euros then the Labour Party will go down to a very DESERVING defeat at the next GE!

@ Ani
“ever crowing Tory Richard and friends”

Oh, yes I’m crowing. Labour is reaping the whirlwind they’ve sown and I’ve got a front row seat.

Maritime tales No. 29258: HMS Labour.
The aforementioned ship, already damaged via a lamentable recent history of avoidable collisions, in June 2009 crashed into its biggest iceberg yet.

The Captain, a rather peculiar, cumbersome man of late middle-age, proclaimed to the crew: “I am committed to a new course. Just like I was after the last iceberg. And the one before that.” He then issued an order for full speed ahead, just as everyone, despite their best hopes, knew he would: stubborn men at that time of life don’t change, however hard it is wished for.

The long-suffering passengers could never understand why the rising chorus of discontent within the ship’s company never progressed into full-blown mutiny. The most favourable explanation was Battered Crew Syndrome. It was well known that a secretive and sinister cadre of officers frequently enforced on-board discipline in a vindictive and underhand manner, that being the nature of the Captain towards those he considered disloyal.

Others with a less generous disposition suspected that the crew were secretly frightened of finding out what the passengers really wanted, in case it might lead to the crew losing all their privileges. Naturally, since they had long become accustomed to the luxuries afforded them by covert piracy, that would never do.

Thus history records that HMS Labour did indeed finally sink, with no trace of the wreck being detectable afterwards. The verdict on the crew was damning. Why did they continue, despite all the evidence of impending disaster? Greed? Fear? Stupidity? None of the crew survived to provide the answer.

It is also a matter of record that as the ship began to founder, a small but significant number of surviving passengers began swimming towards HMS BNP, a vessel with rather a disagreable reputation. It is noteworthy that in many cases they were the ones that had originally put their faith in HMS Labour. This outcome could have been easily predicted at the time, though strangely there is no evidence that the crew took any action to forestall it. Again, for this, they stood widely condemned.

(“I DON’T intend to allow this blog to become an anti-Gordon Brown platform” Er, is it ok if the comments become one?)

Bravo – brave indeed and considered…

Michael
Tuesday 9 June 2009 at 12:58 pm
jo – you are quite right, Blair was a bully too. The all important word is “too”. If you think that Brown has, or can, realistically distance himself from the worst excesses that made Blair unpopular you are welcome to that thought.

Yes Michael, which is why I’m confused over these Blairites blaming Brown for all of it while Blair remains their pin-up boy and their on-going devotion to him personally is the very reason they now want to destroy Brown.

Many people left the Labour Party in droves because of what Blair did over Iraq Michael. I was in that number. And that was before he personally was exposed as a serving Prime Minister who had LIED to Parliament and the country and had used false intelligence in order to do so. It was also before he lied his way through various inquiries into Iraq including one to investigate the death of Dr David Kelly. I don’t know how unusual it is to have joined the Labour Party because of Blair and then left it because of him too but that’s what happened to me.

The Labour Party has just about been destroyed by New Labour and this pact Blair and Brown allegedly made about the Leadership is at the centre of the hatred that exists between both sides. That is no way to run a political Party and the biggest pity is that so many in Labour once again allowed something like this to happen.

Last night a meeting took place which was supposed to put to rest all the in-fighting yet immediately after a minority were at it again. It really does seem that the priority for the Blairites remains the destruction of Gordon Brown. Divided parties in themelves turn the electorate off and that was very clearly illustrated last week. Dishonest politicians – the expenses scandal – added a great deal more fury to the mix. These individuals may be Blairites personally but their constituencies didn’t vote in that way. They voted Labour and they expect unity from a Labour Party, not public, vicious squabbling and Party “colleagues” seething with hatred towards each other.

DM Andy:

No worries mate.

As you see, I’m frequently late myself. ;o)

You have also gone up in my estimation as not trying to defend a pretty poor Labour record but admitting to their faults – allow me to reciprocate – Labour have done some very good things the FOI act being a big one, it’s just a shame that they tried to prevent people from using it to expose their expenses scams.

As I have said before (Jo take not if you please) I used to be a Labour voter until 1999 when I saw which way the political wind was blowing and I certainly didn’t like the way they were cosying up to the greedy bankers in the City.

Everything else is history and I find myself hoping to see the death of labour to allow for a true left of centre party to arise from the ashes and represent the working people of this country once again.