Gordon Brown's Cabinet within a Cabinet

[Merryweather]

Paranoia, thy name is Gordon. He's becoming seriously Nixonian:

The so-called "group of eight" – which is set to meet every Monday at 10 Downing Street – includes the two ministers seen as potential challengers to Mr Brown – David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, and Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary.

Lord Mandelson, the all-powerful Business Secretary, is also a member, as is Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, who is the Prime Minister's closest political ally.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/gordon-brown/5526321/Gordon-Brown-includes-leadership-rivals-in-new-strategy-group-of-eight.html

How can Brown possibly govern when his every move involves desperately trying to cling to his position? If he had a shred of decency he would see that either a) calling an election or b) quitting would be in the best interests of the nation.

Mandelson's growing power alternately scares the crap out of me and makes me boiling mad. He represents everything that's wrong with British politics - and there's plenty wrong - especially the awful reality that no matter what wrongdoing ministers commit while in office, they always bounce back. Just ask Mandy, Peter Hain, David Blunkett, Keith Vaz among many, many others.

Depressingly, Mandy also predicts another challenge to Brown's leadership. Which will be another spectacular non-event, I'm sure.

[T_i_B]

1. "his every move involves desperately trying to cling to his position"

The trouble is, the anti-Brown rebels every move seems also be involve desperatly trying to cling to their positions. Policy never seems to get mentioned whever Labour start off with their infighting at present. It's all far too much about power for it's own sake.

And it's not the first time that I've ranted about this either. In fact I think I may be starting to become a bit of a bore on this matter. All the same, it would help if Labour realised that they need to regain a sense of purpose and a few good policies as well. Trouble is, neither the pro or anti Brown factions appear to have worked that one out.

As to the chances of another challenge to Gordon Brown, we shall if that happens after the 2 by-elections due and then how their party conference turns out.

[TheBigotBasher]

2. By October it will be all over for any Leadsership Challenge.

In reality, Labour must go for a General Election by March, in April the tax increases and budget cuts which Labour deny (despite the copious amounts of red ink in the red book) will hit.

Going to the election with further cuts on Social Security, Housing Benefit restrictions and a stricter enforcement of ESA (all in the red book) will not exactly please what is left of the Labour Party base. Gordon can play the Nationalist card again, but with unemployment still projected to hit 3 million next year, British dole for British families sounds even worse than his original catchphrase adopted by the British Nazi Party.

[fedsron2us]

3. Labour will lose the election and then split apart

A new more left wing Labour Party will eventually emerge from the train wreck but it is going to take time. My worry is that when the cuts in Social Security etc do kick in and unemployment continues to rise then many disillusioned and disadvantaged people might start listening to the BNP message of hate. Griffin is very deliberately pushing a fascist policy agenda not that different from Gregor Strasser in the late 1920s.