Friday, June 5, 2009
Norwich parliamentary by-election coming up!
It seems that Mr Gibson is somewhat peeved with the Labour bigwigs and has taken his ball away. Geoff Hoon and Tony McNulty have left the government. This is an extraordinary day.
Brown is safe
That's how it looks to me after the events of the last two hours.
The Tories don't want Brown to go anyway - it would be a disaster for them - so Cameron laid off making any particularly "killer" remarks (he could have done a John Smith, for example) in this week's PMQs.
Brown's early reshuffle this morning has had an amazing effect on that email which was alleged to be circulating amongst Labour MPs. It's stopped going round for now, says the BBC's John Piper. Additionally, none of the big hitters - Johnson, Miliband, Hutton - who could have killed off Brown, have done so. Well that says it all doesn't it? Brown is safe.
Brown has also neatly pre-empted the bulk of the council results coming in, and grabbed the initiative/headlines.
He's kept his main rival nice and close to him - Johnson moves to the Home Office (where I think he will do a reasonably good job). That will satisfy Johnson fans, to an extent.
The only resignation so far this morning is John Hutton but that appears to be a loyal resignation, if there is such a thing.
What is amazing is that Darling is staying at the Treasury. Apparently he refused offers of other roles - which speaks volumes about the balance of power in the government.
But Brown can rest easy in Number 10 for a few more months and James Purnell is now looking like a bit of a wassock.
Mind you, this post certainly comes into the category of those I might later regret. I might have to eat my words earlier than I expect!
The Tories don't want Brown to go anyway - it would be a disaster for them - so Cameron laid off making any particularly "killer" remarks (he could have done a John Smith, for example) in this week's PMQs.
Brown's early reshuffle this morning has had an amazing effect on that email which was alleged to be circulating amongst Labour MPs. It's stopped going round for now, says the BBC's John Piper. Additionally, none of the big hitters - Johnson, Miliband, Hutton - who could have killed off Brown, have done so. Well that says it all doesn't it? Brown is safe.
Brown has also neatly pre-empted the bulk of the council results coming in, and grabbed the initiative/headlines.
He's kept his main rival nice and close to him - Johnson moves to the Home Office (where I think he will do a reasonably good job). That will satisfy Johnson fans, to an extent.
The only resignation so far this morning is John Hutton but that appears to be a loyal resignation, if there is such a thing.
What is amazing is that Darling is staying at the Treasury. Apparently he refused offers of other roles - which speaks volumes about the balance of power in the government.
But Brown can rest easy in Number 10 for a few more months and James Purnell is now looking like a bit of a wassock.
Mind you, this post certainly comes into the category of those I might later regret. I might have to eat my words earlier than I expect!
Johnson is Home Secretary - Denham to Communities - Hutton to leave cabinet - Straw and Darling remain in post
Update 12:23: Guess wrong - Yvette Cooper for Work and Pensions seems the most likely one now, according to the Beeb.
Update 12:05: Denham is to be Comunities Secretary. Yvette Cooper for Health? That would be my guess.
Update 10.30: Hutton to leave cabinet for "personal reasons". Prescott lays into Harman on Labour Home.
And I resisted the temptation to put "+++" on the title, you'll notice.
Yes, Brown is staggering blithely on. I am surprised that Darling is staying as Chancellor after the various nods and winks of the last week. It is great that Brown finally found someone to be Home Secretary and Alan Johnson will make a good one. I've always thought John Denham is a reasonably sound chap - but he fulfils the main criteria needed for a minister at the moment - he is one of the dwindling band of Brown loyalists.
Mandelson is staying as business secretary - so no Alan Sugar in the government then. Update: But he will be an "Enterprise Tsar" (whatever that means - I suspect it means simply complying with the Lyndon Johnson motto of preferring to have people inside the tent....)
It seems that Browns very prompt reshuffle has headed off the backbencher email at the pass.
BBC political correspondent Iain Watson says: One of the organisers of the round robin e-mail calling for the prime minister to go has said the early reshuffle has made their tactics "far more difficult" - they may delay until after council election results are known and "may not send the letter around at all".
Update 12:05: Denham is to be Comunities Secretary. Yvette Cooper for Health? That would be my guess.
Update 10.30: Hutton to leave cabinet for "personal reasons". Prescott lays into Harman on Labour Home.
And I resisted the temptation to put "+++" on the title, you'll notice.
Yes, Brown is staggering blithely on. I am surprised that Darling is staying as Chancellor after the various nods and winks of the last week. It is great that Brown finally found someone to be Home Secretary and Alan Johnson will make a good one. I've always thought John Denham is a reasonably sound chap - but he fulfils the main criteria needed for a minister at the moment - he is one of the dwindling band of Brown loyalists.
Mandelson is staying as business secretary - so no Alan Sugar in the government then. Update: But he will be an "Enterprise Tsar" (whatever that means - I suspect it means simply complying with the Lyndon Johnson motto of preferring to have people inside the tent....)
It seems that Browns very prompt reshuffle has headed off the backbencher email at the pass.
BBC political correspondent Iain Watson says: One of the organisers of the round robin e-mail calling for the prime minister to go has said the early reshuffle has made their tactics "far more difficult" - they may delay until after council election results are known and "may not send the letter around at all".
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Psst...another rumour from the Tweetdeck
Paul Waugh, who has consistently provided excellent bits and bobs from Westminster, says that "the word in Westminster is" (as they say) that a Cabinet Minister will resign as soon as the polls close at 10pm tonight.
This came to me via Twitter.
Incidentally, you can see a collection of most of the LibDem Twitterers here. All their Tweets scroll up as they happen. They are in overdrive today from various committee rooms, polling stations, phone canvassing banks etc etc.
I am a great fan of James Graham's Tweets. A couple hours ago he tweeted with this classic:
Darwinian selection in action in our electoral system. UKIP voters confused by 'folding': http://tinyurl.com/pm262j
This came to me via Twitter.
Incidentally, you can see a collection of most of the LibDem Twitterers here. All their Tweets scroll up as they happen. They are in overdrive today from various committee rooms, polling stations, phone canvassing banks etc etc.
I am a great fan of James Graham's Tweets. A couple hours ago he tweeted with this classic:
Darwinian selection in action in our electoral system. UKIP voters confused by 'folding': http://tinyurl.com/pm262j
Alan Sugar to join government?
It's getting to the stage that anybody going into Number Ten promotes a new rumour as to who is being asked to join the government. The milkman comes up to the door with his milk and the headlines fire off immediately...."Milkman tapped for Cabinet role" etc (or, more likely these days: "Milkman turns down role in government").
Anyway, Alan Sugar has visited this morning prompting headlines that....you know the rest. It's on the FT website, though, so it must be true. Mind you, there was a rumour the Sugar was joining the government at the time of the last reshuffle and that turned out to be...nonsense.
Anyway, Alan Sugar has visited this morning prompting headlines that....you know the rest. It's on the FT website, though, so it must be true. Mind you, there was a rumour the Sugar was joining the government at the time of the last reshuffle and that turned out to be...nonsense.
Can Brown actually form a government?
Pulling together various reports, it seems that John Reid and David Blunkett have turned down roles in Gordon Brown's government. These reports came from the Independent (amongst others) and a "senior Labour source".
There's also a loose rumour that John Reid, perhaps performing the role of the men in grey suits single-handedly (with, perhaps, a finger or twain of Single Malt thrown in), told Brown to resign, after refusing to join his government as Home Secretary.
(Number Ten say Reid and Brown talked about football. So there's a crisis engulfing Brown and he is spending his time chatting about football and ringing up Simon Cowell to ask how Susan Boyle is - great.)
Thirdly, there is a rumour via Sky News (who don't have the highest credibility at the moment, admittedly, but it was also reported widely including in the Telegraph) that Alastair Darling turned down the role of Home Secretary.
With this sort of rate of refusal, one wonders whether Brown can actually credibly form a government to run the country from next Monday onwards!
It's possible Blunkett was also sounded out for Home Secretary. So, if true (and much of this is in the twilight zone of rumour) that would make three people - Blunkett, Reid and Darling - who have refused the role of Home Secretary this week.
That surely must rate as a record, does it not?
But come off it, if three eminently suitable, experienced politicians turn down the key and senior role of Home Secretary, then surely the game is up and there is nothing left but to jump into the limousine for a relaxing ride to Buck House for a refreshing cup of tea and a soothing chat with our Betty, is there not?
There's also a loose rumour that John Reid, perhaps performing the role of the men in grey suits single-handedly (with, perhaps, a finger or twain of Single Malt thrown in), told Brown to resign, after refusing to join his government as Home Secretary.
(Number Ten say Reid and Brown talked about football. So there's a crisis engulfing Brown and he is spending his time chatting about football and ringing up Simon Cowell to ask how Susan Boyle is - great.)
Thirdly, there is a rumour via Sky News (who don't have the highest credibility at the moment, admittedly, but it was also reported widely including in the Telegraph) that Alastair Darling turned down the role of Home Secretary.
With this sort of rate of refusal, one wonders whether Brown can actually credibly form a government to run the country from next Monday onwards!
It's possible Blunkett was also sounded out for Home Secretary. So, if true (and much of this is in the twilight zone of rumour) that would make three people - Blunkett, Reid and Darling - who have refused the role of Home Secretary this week.
That surely must rate as a record, does it not?
But come off it, if three eminently suitable, experienced politicians turn down the key and senior role of Home Secretary, then surely the game is up and there is nothing left but to jump into the limousine for a relaxing ride to Buck House for a refreshing cup of tea and a soothing chat with our Betty, is there not?
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
