And another thing…

YOU’LL forgive me, I’m sure, if I don’t take the Campaign Group of Labour MPs’ latest idea too seriously.

They’re "threatening" to stand as Labour "change" candidates unless the government change direction. And by "change direction" I’m guessing they mean nationalising everything and repealing everything else.

Let’s face it, if you have a Campaign Group MP representing you, you’re under no illusion about his or her politics. I doubt if they actually need to formalise their objections to the policies of their own party. 

But talk of producing an entirely separate manifesto — as opposed to the time-honoured practice of ignoring the programme on which you and your party were elected — is dangerously close to forming a splinter party. They should tread warily.

On a lighter note, a friend and colleague who was a whip at the time of the hand-over from Tony to Gordon in 2007 went along to a hustings event where GB and John McDonnell, he of Campaign Group fame, were speaking. My friend didn’t feel that, as a whip, he should contribute a question, but wanted to ask John: "If you become Prime Minister, will you vote against the government less frequently?"

What a shame he didn’t ask it.

THE GREAT thing about having a reasonably well-read political blog is that I have a platform for correcting any inadvertent mistakes made by others when referring to me personally. So I’d like to point out a small  mistake carried by The Daily Record this morning:

Former transport minister and Glasgow MP Tom Harris asked the PM to step aside. But he was swatted away by an increasingly confident Brown

For the record, Gordon made no reference in his response to anything I said to him at the meeting.

I DON’T intend to allow this blog to become an anti-Gordon Brown platform, so I’ll say what I have to say in the hope of not having to return to the subject.

I made a contribution to tonight’s PLP, along these lines:

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

And those of us who have come to the conclusion, by an entirely objective and logical process, that you cannot lead Labour to victory, would be doing a disservice to our country and to our party by staying silent.

The results from last night have confirmed in my mind that the electorate aren’t yet sold on Cameron, but they have made their minds up about you, Gordon, and it’s not going to change. We can win the next election, but only if we have a new leader.

So answer me this, Gordon: Why do you think Cameron wants you to remain in post?

I have no intention of becoming a media tart on this issue (on any other issue that would be fine, obviously). I’ve done some media this evening but after today, that’s it.

JANE Kennedy suspected she might be heading out of government when I spoke to her over the weekend.

And so it has proved.

The last time I blogged on a good friend who resigned over the question of Gordon’s leadership, I found myself comparing P45s with him a few days later. At least I can’t be sacked again.

Jane, an environment minister until this morning, was asked to declare her personal loyalty to Gordon as the price of remaining in government. She is far too principled and honest, however, to say one thing in public and another in private just for the sake of hanging on to her ministerial car. She chose the honourable course, and my opinion of her has rocketed as a result.