Lame Duck Brown

Brown: Game Over

Now we know the price for Brown of Wednesday's attempt to oust him. According to this morning's Times exclusive, Alistair Darling, in cahoots with Mandelson (naturally), has announced to the country, laughably, that we face "the toughest cuts for 20 years if Labour continues in office". Conclusive proof that Brown has lost the policy argument, but not to Darling and co, though, who went along with him for so long, but to the Conservatives. But Brown's lost a lot more besides.

The article says, tellingly:

The remarks suggest a big victory for Mr Darling and Lord Mandelson after the attempt to bring down the Prime Minister. Gordon Brown has apparently been dissuaded by two of his most powerful Cabinet colleagues from adopting a simplistic “investment versus cuts” election campaign associated with his close adviser Ed Balls.

Brown is a lame duck now, a prisoner in his own party who must ask permission of his Chancellor and Mandelson before he can do anything. Any speech he makes, any interview he gives and any Cabinet meeting he chairs will have to be given the green light by these two before they happen.

In other words, Operation Hoon was a 90% success; all but the last bridge fell: Brown's forced resignation. Why they didn't go the whole way and get rid of him was initially beyond me. That they kept him on as a puppet PM, as a hollowed-out figurehead, spoke to their bad judgment - and to their cowardice. They're all desperate not to be tainted with almost certain defeat. And then the penny dropped. That's why they kept Brown in place, neutered but responsible, so that he can carry the can and then disappear into US speaker-circuit obscurity. Silly me.

And clear proof of how low Labour has sunk. Pathetic.

And what of the lame duck? Well, Darling's words in particular will sting Brown most:

The next spending review will be the toughest we have had for 20 years . . . to me, cutting the borrowing was never negotiable. Gordon accepts that, he knows that.

Game, set and match, Mandelson/Darling. The coup was a success after all. Brown is no longer Prime Minister in anything other than unearned, undeserved title.

A momentous revelation, indeed. Not least because Labour, their depthless, delusional arrogance in thinking the country will stomach this finally emerging in stark relief, have just signed their own general election death warrant.

The one thing people like less than a divided party is a divided party without a real leader. Oh, and Mandelson is Prime Minister now, unofficially. This totally unelected serial liar is in absolute command of Britain for up to six months.

Dear God.

End of Story

The hideous Harperson has just released this statement, according to the Guardian:

We're all getting on with the job as ministers in the government which Gordon Brown leads. We're all united in our determination to do what's best for the country, which is for Labour, led by Gordon Brown, to win the general election.

To me, that's end of story, at least in terms of any challenge to Brown. But, and the Labourists better be absolutely clear about this, the damage has been done.

David Cameron and the Tories might be thrilled about this but my feelings are mixed, impatient as I am finally to see the end of the long, chilling nightmare that has been, and still is, Brown. For now, the nightmare continues.

Mandelson Equivocates

The Spectator, among others, reports that Mandelson has released a statement through a spokeman that is so equivocal, it will surely leave Brown quaking in his boots:

Peter Mandelson's much-awaited statement does not seem particularly full-throated in its support of the Prime Minister.

'No one should over-react to this initiative. It is not led by members of the government. No one has resigned from the government. The prime minister continues to have the support of his colleagues and we should carry on government business as usual.'

There is no praise for Brown and it almost reads as if someone did resign we would be into a totally different ball game.

Just so. In fact, to me it reads as a not-particularly well-disguised invitation for someone - anyone - in the cabinet to do just that: to resign. However, the statement hedges so much that I still think this thing, given the epic levels of spinelessness we're dealing with here, will amount to nothing. No one in the Labour party, let alone the cabinet, has the guts to change the game and it's that gutlessness that will end up costing them all very, very dearly at the general election.

They won't oust Brown because they are basically hopeless cowards. Cameron will be relieved to hear it.

==Update==
Iain Dale has what looks like a bit of a scoop. Mandelson has pulled out of tonight's Newsnight, which is, if true, suspicious in the extreme. This thing could actually be on a knife edge, especially if it's Alistair Darling who's behind it and accepts Mandelson's invitation to quit. He hardly looked like he felt like being supportive at pmqs.

==Update 6.34pm==
Course it's not Darling. The Fink of the Times has reported:

Alistair Darling (Chancellor)- a statement: "As far as I'm concerned we should be concentrating on the business of government and getting though the recession".

Real spine there. Not. What he hell was I thinking...

I suppose this thing might still have legs if Harperson remains AWOL (Guido). But I doubt it.

Frankly, I'm beyond caring what the Labourist jellyfish do to themselves anymore. What a bunch of pathetic, squabbling, infantile nobodies.

Bring on the election so we can finally put them all out of our misery.

Brown's "Cack-Handed Incompetence" : So It Begins...

Stalking donkey horse - outspoken Brown critic, Barry Sheerman

The countdown to Brown's exit, that is. Barely has the dust settled from the Czech cave-in over Lisbon and the torrent of Labour-sourced, anti-Brown briefings has begun. Already, for instance, this morning's Times has a front page village report that our useless and unwanted Prime Minister has acquired a stalking horse (stalking donkey more like, but I digress) in the form of Barry Sheerman. The report reveals just how deep the discontent within the Labour government now runs, just how desperately fragile Brown's authority has become and just how appalling his leadership of the PLP has been, particularly over the expenses issue.

It's worth a gander:

GORDON BROWN last night suffered fresh challenges to his authority amid growing turmoil over the expenses scandal.

Barry Sheerman, the veteran MP and critic of the prime minister, was on the verge of standing for the position of chairman of Labour’s parliamentary party on what will be seen as a “Gordon must go” manifesto.

The chairman is regarded as the “shop steward” for backbench MPs. The incumbent is Tony Lloyd, a Brown loyalist.

MPs from all wings of the party offered Sheerman their support for his “stalking horse” bid, which could be formally announced this week. Alan Simpson, of the left-wing Campaign Group of MPs, said: “Gordon has found himself floating adrift from his colleagues. I think if Barry Sheerman stood, he might find a surprisingly high level of support.”

Another MP said: “If Barry wins, it would mean Gordon has lost his party. It would be hard to see how he could carry on.”

The fresh plotting came as it emerged that dozens of Labour MPs will openly defy the prime minister by refusing repayment demands from Sir Thomas Legg, the Commons expenses auditor.

Frank Field, the former welfare minister, became the most high-profile “refusenik” by announcing he would not pay back the £7,000 — mainly in “excess” cleaning costs — that Legg demanded. He is among 50 MPs querying demands from Legg.

Field, who when the expenses scandal broke had been described as a “saint” because of his low claims, spoke of his anger at being put in the “rogues’ gallery”. He was particularly angered by the way Legg introduced retrospective caps on claims for expenses such as gardening and cleaning which had previously been cleared by the Commons fees office.

Instead of the £7,000, Field sent a cheque for £117 to Legg with a letter querying his logic.

“It’s like driving along at 25mph in a 30mph zone only to receive lots of tickets which say you should not have been driving over 20mph,” he said.

Amid signs of cabinet despair over Brown’s poor handling of the scandal, Harriet Harman, the deputy party leader, has let it be known that MPs found guilty of “technical” expenses breaches are unlikely to be forced to repay cash.

She is expected to be a candidate in any future leadership contest and Brownite loyalists privately believe she is undermining the prime minister by currying favour with disillusioned backbenchers.

The Legg audit has led to about half of all MPs being asked to pay back sums claimed for cleaning, gardening, furniture and second home mortgages. Many Labour MPs blame Brown personally for allowing the scandal to flare up again.

If Sheerman, respected chairman of the Commons education committee and who is on the moderate wing of the party, were to back away other rebels are ready to fill his place.

Jane Kennedy, the former farming minister, is understood to be considering standing on an anti-Brown ticket. The Liverpool Wavertree MP warned in June that Brown’s refusal to resign could seriously damage Labour.

Malcolm Wicks, a former minister who is now Brown’s energy envoy, delivered a thinly veiled attack on the prime minister’s leadership, saying the party needed to rediscover its “backbone”.

Nick Raynsford, the former local government minister, said Brown had displayed "cack-handed incompetence" over the expenses issue. He said: “It is not, in my view, certain that Gordon will lead us into the next election."

Many Labour MPs are braced for the publication next month of the official report by Sir Christopher Kelly, chairman of the committee on standards in public life, which will recommend radical reform of the expenses system. He is expected to say MPs should be forced to sell their second homes and to stop employing family members on the Commons payroll.

Brown’s handling of the expenses crisis will face further criticism tomorrow when Harman is expected to raise her concerns at a meeting of the Commons commission — the House’s governing body chaired by the Speaker.

By any standards, this is about as damning as things can get for Brown without an actual, direct challenge to his leadership. Now that Lisbon is done and dusted, itself an appalling crime against British democracy, there is nothing left to halt that direct challenge. It could come any day and I, for one, will welcome it with open arms no matter who we end up with in Brown's place (even the hated Harperson or the scheming Lord Peter Mandelson). That's how much I want Brown gone.

One thing is now certain, at least to me, my wish might well come true sooner than even I had predicted. The fraud, usurper and great ruiner of Britain could be gone before the end of this month!

Brownfall

Hattip to The Daily Referendum

Iain Dale: "Brown Lied"

As the press rips into Gordon Brown's appalling all-round performance in all tomorrow's papers (eg: here), there was one piece of news that might go unnoticed (but damn well shouldn't) that just appeared on Sky.

Iain Dale, covering the front pages with Sir Michael White and Eve Pollard, became very animated when White began to put his usual moronic, self-satisfied Labourist spin on Brown's humiliation. Dale, after ripping White a new one for his extra-terrestrial nonsense, pointed out that Brown lied though his teeth in his press conference earlier today when he claimed he had never wanted to sack Alistair Darling. White sort of protested, but Dale nailed him by saying that White had known about it all along.

I just wonder, is it all fine and dandy for Brown to be caught in a lie like this? Or will he be finally held to account for his mendacity? Is it too much to ask if it's true that the Tories actually want Brown to carry on, as Dale has said just a few moments ago, that Brown be brought to book for at least one of his untruths? There are literally thousands to choose from. Why not start with his lie about Darling?

Here's the trainwreck news conference again, if you can bare it, complete with the Darling lie.

I draw your attention particularly to Fraser Nelson's economic exocet as well. The relevant article revealing Brown's lies, and to which Brown refers, about Labour cuts is here.



And meanwhile, in yet another scoop for the Sleazygraph, Brown (not him again!) has paid back £500 of money he claimed on two houses. It's just been on the news and there's no link to it yet. More later, then. [UPDATE: here it is.]

Never rains but it pours when you're an habitual liar, Broon, my man.

Purnell Steps Up And Steps Down

Purnell: Back-Handed Smash

Sky is reporting that James Purnell has resigned and called on Gordon Brown to quit.

Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell has resigned from the Cabinet and called on Gordon Brown to quit.
Mr Purnell said he no longer had confidence in the Prime Minister and said he should step down for the good of the Labour Party.

And so it begins...

==Update==
As a parade of hopeless Labour MPs and pisspoor ministers (Jim Knight, for instance) come on Sky to moan about Purnell's 'treachery', the Gruaniad takes-up this delightful story:

James Purnell, the work and pensions secretary, tonight dealt a monumental blow to Gordon Brown's chances of holding onto office when he dramatically announced he was quitting the cabinet and asking Brown "to stand aside to give Labour a fighting chance of winning the next election".

His statement, effectively declaring Brown as unelectable, will further weaken the prime minister's waning authority and takes the challenge to his leadership to a new dangerous level. Purnell made his sensational move after polls closed in the local and European elections, informing Brown by phone tonight.

The prime minister had no inkling that Purnell was going to quit, since the work and pensions secretary shrouded his move in secrecy in order to prevent Number 10 mounting a pre-emptive strike against him, or seeking to challenge his motives.

A spokesperson for Purnell said: "He feels Gordon should now stand aside to give the party a fighting chance of winning the next election. He is not seeking the leadership nor acting with anyone else. This is not about jobs or careers."

The source added: "He [Purnell] has made the decision in the last few weeks – he's always been very loyal and defended the prime minister, but he now feels he can no longer go out and defend the prime minister. That is why he has taken the difficult decision to resign".

Now we know where the leaks were coming from.

It's going to be a long, long night for Gordon Brown.

==Update 2==
A long, long, long night! The Speccy says the word is out that Dave Millipede is going to quit tomorrow. He's prepared his resignation speech. Here's a preview:


Hoon. But a useful hoon if the rumour is true.

==Update 3==
Well, according to the Spectator Millipede is not going to resign, apparently. No doubt the rumour was just a ruse to force Brown into letting him play with the Foreign Office for a little bit longer. Pathetic. What an absolute shower this bunch are.

Great song, though.