Gordon Brown - dead man walking?

[Paulie Tandoori]

So, after the latest catastrophe to hit Nu-Labour, how long do you think old Gordie has before his party finally decides to ditch him?

They've lost their 3rd safest seat in Scotland, following the previous poor showings in the Crewe by-election and the local elections, their policy making is done on the hoof as a reaction to Mail headlines and Tory proposals, backbenchers are alll becoming moody, unsettled and argumentative, it's not looking good for the dour Calvanist puritan.

So when will he be gone do you reckon? Will he last to the next Conference or will there be a summer coup?

 

[DotCommunist]

I imagine a fair few labour mps are having quiet discussions on how best to get rid of him already

 

[Matt S]

Who on earth would replace him - and WHY on earth would they want to? Labour are totally totally ****ed, any pretender would be well advised to wait until after the next GE, to rebuild from opposition...surely?

Matt

 

[Lot 49]

He'll go after they get totally crushed in the next general election.

Just hope they don't try offer him up as a sacrificial cow and after he's gone pretend it was all his fault. Labour are rotten to the core and need a total change in direction, not just a new figurehead.

 

[Teaboy]

I reckon he'll still be there at the next election. Labour are fucked regardless so if I was a labour mp with designs on being a leader I'd wait until we lost the next election and then make my move and hope that the country is so fucked that Cameron will only last one term.

That being said I'd want to be defending a fookin great majority already to save my arse.

 

[Fruitloop]

Who on earth would replace him

Millicunt

 

[Zeppo]

Some people do not smell the coffee and see the writing on the wall.

Gordon "I'll get on with the job..listen to people's concerns on price rises etc." Other Labour types saying mid term blues - need to keep our nerve.

The sooner they are wiped off the electoral map the better. Labour types going on about bad Thatch and the beastly Tories are missing the key point - they have been inpower for 10 years moving ever more right wing. For many people Labour in power is all they know, Thatch is ancient history.

Yeah I hate her too but it is a sign of the times that I hate New Labour with the same passion. Roll on the general election.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

This endless mantra of "we need to listen to people, hear their concerns, i'm the best man for the job" is really starting to grate on me now. If he can't hear what people are unhappy about, its because he's not listening.

Potential replacements? Balls, one of the Millibands or Purnell would all fancy a crack i reckon.

 

[glenquagmire]

It's almost impossible for the Labour Party to remove a leader who doesn't want to go.

 

[butchersapron]

What does that tell you then Glen?

 

[poster342002]

Let's face it: if Gordon goes, we'll only get David Sodding Milliband as a replacement. No change in policy, though.

 

[Belushi]

Who on earth would replace him -

Jack Straw. You mark my words that weasel has always aimed for the top job.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

Fuck me, i'd not considered him. You might not be far off the mark actually, that slimy weasel wanker would be delighted to have a crack at the top job, which would leave the youngsters some time to let him take the flak when things go pear-shaped for the next few years.

 

[Belushi]

There was a good article by Martin Kettle in the Grauniad last week about the rats leaving the sinking ship

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/18/lordreform.labour

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

Yes, that is an interesting read, in particular this section:

These 11th-hour efforts at political discipline show that most Labour MPs still possess some residual political survival instinct. They understand, at the very least, that they must do their best to help Margaret Curran hold Glasgow East in the byelection next week. But their hearts are not fully in it. Their end-of-term bravado masks decay and dismay in the party. The truth is that a lot of Labour MPs now believe they are doomed.

If there was discontent previously when they were trying to remain united and rally around the party for the Glasgow by-election, one would imagine there is an even bigger chance that plans will be hatched over the summer.

 

[glenquagmire]

What does that tell you then Glen?

That we need a more democratic Labour Party. What does it tell you? That we need another new workers' party?

 

[butchersapron]

That we need a more democratic Labour Party. What does it tell you? That we need another new workers' party?

It doesn't tell you that the executive is in firm control of the whole operation and are not going to vote themselves out of power, and consequenttly attempts at 'reclaiming' the party via it's own structures are already doomed?

No we don't need a new worksrs party.

 

[weltweit]

Replacing Not flash just Gordon this side of an election would foist on the people a second unelected Labour prime minister, are we ready for that? Also they would not be likely to be able to turn Labour polls round before the next election so it would be lead to defeat, what labour MP would want that job.

No I think Gordon is here till the next election.

 

[Stoat Boy]

Labour dont have form for stabbing their PM's in the back so I reckon that the odds would favour Gordan staying until the bitter end.

But this is 'New' Labour and many of its current bunch of MP's have never had anything else in their life other than a desire to weild power so perhaps they might start panicing and try and ditch him.

Its just a question of who sticks their heads about the parapet.

Straw is a good call but I would put my money on Alan Johnson.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Millicunt

Makes me feel dead sorry for Ralph, having two cuntbubbles for sons.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

It doesn't tell you that the executive is in firm control of the whole operation and are not going to vote themselves out of power, and consequenttly attempts at 'reclaiming' the party via it's own structures are already doomed?

No we don't need a new worksrs party.

So how could Brown be ousted then? From what i understand, many of the unions aren't particularly pleased with the way that the party's policies have been framed and implemented, so would the combination of MP's unhappiness with union dissatisfaction not have some kind of impact on the Executive perhaps?

 

[treelover]

Potential replacements? Balls, one of the Millibands or Purnell would all fancy a crack i reckon.

Actually I think Purnell may be a dead man walking, the welfare reforms have not gone too well with the core vote,perhaps even the country, leaving aside the DM and BBC HYS lot, the problem is the only one providing any dynamism in terms of policy, even though it is is crazy ultra right wing policy!

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

I'm not so sure you know - i have it on good authority that part of the reason for his anxiety to get the welfare Green Paper out before recess was so that he could be seen to be taking on the big challenges and raise his profile before the summer break - thus, any potential/possible changes would work to his advantage. And I've been very surprised at the praise he has received for the proposals from unlikely sources i.e. the Indie/Grauniad were mainly positive, Frank Field (although he still says they don't go far enough), and other politcal commentators. Purnell's biggest problem, imo, is the unequivocal support he's getting from the Tories for this, he's damned either way the proposals roll-out really now.

 

[JHE]

He'll go after they get totally crushed in the next general election.

Yeah, I don't think Brown's going anywhere - and he won't call an election much before he has to, so that gives him about 20 months of staggering on Major-like.

 

[butchersapron]

So how could Brown be ousted then? From what i understand, many of the unions aren't particularly pleased with the way that the party's policies have been framed and implemented, so would the combination of MP's unhappiness with union dissatisfaction not have some kind of impact on the Executive perhaps?

Maybe. I honestly don't know. Glen was arguing that he couldn't be removed though, maybe he could tell us how it's technically possible (if unlikley if he doesn;'t want to go)? I stopped folloing the constitutional stuff after Blair made it damn sure the top-table would always get what it wanted.

 

[ViolentPanda]

It's almost impossible for the Labour Party to remove a leader who doesn't want to go.

The membership made a rod for their own back in the mid-90s, ceding so much power to the party executive.

 

[Belushi]

Next time he goes into cabinet they should silently present him with a service revolver and then leave the room.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Brown is utterly fucked

Jack Straw. You mark my words that weasel has always aimed for the top job.

This /\/\. He's seen as safe pare of hands that would make a good caretaker leader.

Milipede and Purley boy would be fucking mad to take on the throne right now, time is on their side, they're both young, far better to allow defeat then organise to lead the new generation...

Oh and in reply to the OP, Brown will be gone by December, I can't see a summer coup (Labour simply haven't the guts or mechanism for swift removal of Leaders) but I can see a resignation and leadership contest around conference.

 

[DotCommunist]

Next time he goes into cabinet they should silently present him with a service revolver and then leave the room.

no no, they should do like in 'where eagles dare' when they just open the plane door and turn their heads away

 

[ViolentPanda]

Jack Straw. You mark my words that weasel has always aimed for the top job.

Jack Straw:

The Demon Headmaster: