UK NEWS
BROWN'S PATHETIC RESHUFFLE WON'T SAVE HIS SINKING SHIP
ALL OVER FOR BROWN?
Daily Express Chief Political Commentator PATRICK O'FLYNN says Gordon Brown may look safe now - but not for long...
THE only senior Blairites left in the Cabinet are the ones who are after Gordon Brown’s job.
The Prime Minister’s allies can draw little comfort from the fact that Alan Johnson and David Miliband still have their feet under the Cabinet table.
As candidates for the succession both know that walking out would be a very high risk strategy. Political history shows that he who wields the dagger seldom wears the crown.
So nobody should believe they are still in Brown’s top team because they actually think he is any good.
Peter Mandelson, the Blairite turned Brownite, is the other big figure standing by his side. Mandelson is doing this for his own reasons – he wants to prove that his reputation for mendacity and betrayal is undeserved. So he will go down with the ship.
The only other notable Blairite still in the tent is Tessa Jowell, the Olympics Minister. Given that winning the games for Britain back in 2005 and bringing them to fruition is something she regards as her greatest achievement, it was never likely that she would quit. She would probably even be prepared to serve as Olympics Minister in a Cameron-led Tory government.
As well as being abandoned by the Blairites, Mr Brown has today suffered another devastating blow to his authority.
He let it be known that he was going to move Chancellor Alistair Darling, but in the event was not strong enough to do that. Darling, Brown’s longtime ally and friend, threatened to walk out if he was moved from the Treasury. Brown blinked first.
A PM who can get kicked around by his supposed allies cannot hope to last much longer.
By keeping Johnson, Miliband and Darling in the Cabinet, Brown may have done enough to stabilise his position in the very short-term (ie the next 24 hours when he travels to France for the D-Day commemorations). But terrible local government election results and worse to come in the European results on Sunday night will set the rebellion running again.
I do not expect him to still be Prime Minister by the time the Commons breaks for its summer recess at the end of next month.
DO YOU AGREE WITH PATRICK O'FLYNN?
HAVE YOUR SAY!
IN THE BROWN STUFF
08.06.09, 12:15pm
nulabor - the only way is up, things can only get better
gordo - the only exit is complete disclosure of every dirty trick over the past dozen years
• Posted by: harbinger • Report Comment
HARDLY A RESHUFFLE
05.06.09, 7:32pm
More like try and plug the gaps while more appear elsewhere.
Two comedy appointments in Alan Sugar and Glynis Kinnock. Farcical.
Brown then had the nerve to stand in the PMs news conference and tell blatant lies.
Where is a John Wilkes Booth when you need one?
• Posted by: Tides • Report Comment
THIS ALL GOES TO SHOW YOU THE TRUE NATURE OF HIM THAT RECKONS HE SAVES THE WORLD...
05.06.09, 3:02pm
If you replaced the present cabinet with all the most despicable criminals in the country Gordon would,nt notice and carry on as if he was in charge of the most able government... ?
• Posted by: Moronamid • Report Comment
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