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The failed attempt to topple Gordon Brown is the lead story in all today’s papers. The Times says the actions of the “unlikely duo” of former Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt and Brown’s former Chief Whip Geof Hoon had “derailed” Labour’s recovery, with the Independent highlighting the “faulty reasoning” of the plotters, pointing out that “no recent polls have suggested that a different leader would deliver a significant boost to Labour’s ratings”, the only result being that “Labour would be seen as a divided shambles”. Allegra Stratton in the Guardian explains that Hoon’s involvement may stem from being snubbed by the PM for the EU High Commissioner role:
“[He] is understood to have held off a direct criticism of Brown in June, hoping he was still in contention. It is understood he had written a letter calling for Brown to go, but never published it. But Hoon didn’t get a job in Brussels…”
In the Telegraph, Ben Brogan says that, like last summer, Lord Mandelson’s role was crucial in foiling the botched coup attempt.
The tabloids also lead on the coup, with the Mirror calling Hoon and Hewitt “Dumb and Dumber” – just as Left Foot Forward had tweeted yesterday – describing how the “bumbling plot” by the “failed ex-Cabinet ministers” came about:
“The botched plot to oust Gordon Brown was hatched in a first-class railway carriage as Patricia Hewitt and Geoff Hoon travelled together to their neighbouring constituencies. Other MPs from the East Midlands told how the pair could be seen brooding about their failed careers.”
The Mail asks “Has Labour got a death wish” while the Sun has an opinion poll – carried out before the coup – whose results show that “dumping leader won’t win voters”. Online, the Labour blogosphere has been almost united in condemnation of the plot, with LabourList publishing a statement from activists and candidates “calling for Labour to unite and focus on the real challenges ahead”.
The terrible weather is today’s other main story. The Mail says the big freeze “could cost business £14bn”, with temperatures plummeting to -17C (1F), and pictures a bus careering into a surgery in North-West London. The Standard reports a new danger to motorists “as snow turns into ice”, the Arctic temperatures sparking a “new round of disruption”. The Times warns of a “salt emergency”, saying stocks could run out “within four days” if the deep freeze doesn’t abate. And the Express pleads “Don’t let it bring us to a stop”. Yesterday Left Foot Forward highlighted the lack of co-operation between central, local and devolved governments in dealing with the crisis.
The Telegraph reports the publication today of a series of options for cleaning up MPs’ allowances by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) which will be subject to public consultation. There had been fears, adds the Telegraph, that IPSA would not implement the Kelly Report in full. The paper, which broke the story of MPs’ abuse of expenses last year, explains how the consultation will work:
“The five-week consultation process will involve meetings and events around the country, as well as the opportunity for the public and interested parties to respond through a dedicated website.”
And the Guardian reports that the al-Qaeda triple agent who killed seven CIA officers in Afghanistan last week had links to Jordan, said to be a cause of “deep embarrassment” to Amman. Security failings are also to the fore, with former agents expressing “astonishment that he was allowed to enter the Khost base without being searched”. Earlier this week Left Foot Forward reported the role of Yemen in the fight against terrorism.
24 Responses to “Politics Summary: Thursday, January 7th”
Mark
Ultimately the Labour Party looks dumb. It can’t settle the leadership issue, we’ve seen the limp support from ministers. Now it will probably fight an election with Brown at the helm. Believe the polls and he’s worth 10 points in the polls or at least 100 seats.
And that’s just before the election. Voters might think about voting for Labour but they won’t know what to expect. Who will be leader after the election, will the Blairites regain the lead, will an outsider from the Left like Cruddas win support or will a Brownite like Ed Milliband or Ed Balls become leader? Nobody knows. It’s hard enough to sell a weak leader like Brown, but surely selling an unknown contest is going to prove even worse?
Anon E Mouse
Shamik – Just to give some balance and since you quote The Times in your article the Editorial on page 2 concludes with:
“If, once more, the cautiousness of individual MPs triumphs over the obvious collective interest of the party then there will, nevertheless, eventually be a secret ballot — one in which the question of Gordon Brown’s leadership will indeed be settled. But the settling will be done to Labour MPs rather than by them.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article6978390.ece
I am quite frankly horrified by the lack of courage the activists on this blog show and when even the editorial of a national newspaper can see the writing on the wall for the Labour Party.
Still you continue to spout the governments defective and unpopular view about how this country should be run, so what is the point of being an activist?
If the Labour Party doesn’t rise up and get rid of this useless, unelected bully then the electorate will. Later this year you can all sit hand wringing and bleating about how you wished you’d done something when you had the chance but it will be too late.
It’s pathetic. If any of the moderators here have any political ambitions for the future just imagine the cred you would have if you stood on your back legs, grew some balls and told it the way it is.
You know that might even be called leadership…
Arthur Bough
What this stunt by Hoon and Hewitt shows is the need for ordianry LP members, and the Trade Unions to stand up and be counted, and to get shut of these Tory agents, and uber Blairites from our midst, as I wrote on my blog yesterday Get Rid Of These Tory Agents. Far from attacking Brown for so called “Class War” politics as the Blairites ludicrously describe it – and Class War politics never did Thatcher any electoral harm – if Labour is to win the next election, it needs to focus its policies around policies that actually deal with the problems of all those ordinary workers, who are being driven into apathy or worse into the arms of the BNP, but not by threatening the living standards of better-off worekrs or the middle class, but by taking aim at the really rich in Britain, at looking at all of the waste that Capitalism in both its private and state forms engenders. If Labour really wants to devolve power it should do so, by encouraging Co-operatives, and by legislating to give workers democratic control over the billions of pounds in their pension funds.
What yesterday also showed was the disgraceful role of the Capitalist media. In my blog today, Plots And Missing Weapons, I’ve compared the claims of Hoon and Hewitt that they had six Ministers lined up to support them to the claims of Blair that Iraq had WMD. The media, and the BBC, in particular simply repeated these claims. Apparently, Nick Robinson has now apologised to Jack Straw for naming him without checking first. Yet, they still maintain that they know something the rest of us aren’t allowed to know.
If that is how the media act now, imagine what they would be like if we had a Labour Government that really did act in workers interests, and against those of the bosses.
Kurt
Politics Summary: Thursday, January 7th | Left Foot Forward http://bit.ly/4IQYsa
Anon E Mouse
Arthur Bough – Why not wait until after the election before you start the calls for the unelectable position you advocate the party adopts? There’s going to plenty of time for that later.
Labour is only governing because of Blair’s ability to motivate and get support from a large base of voters including those not traditionally Labour supporters. There is no core vote any more – the opinion polls show you that.
To start this silly Marxist nonsense at all is simply not helpful and shows a childish disregard for the voters in Britain.
It may sound good in some school yard or university debate but to suggest Marxism in 2010 is frankly ludicrous.
Next you’ll be asking to publish tractor statistics…
(No offence personally Arthur – your opinion just sucks)