Dear Bob

Alternatively, I saw Nick's vacuous musings as an opportunity.

http://petergkenyon.typepad.com/peterkenyon/2008/07/spiking-the-plotters-guns---issue-nomination-papers.html

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The rebels should clam down, stay cool and take in some rays. Getting worked up after every protest vote plays into the tories hands. We need to take time, it is long recess time for think, take in some rays. See what affect the party conferences have. There is often some equalisation after the conferences.

I think thats rather fatuous actually, Politics has its own language and an absence of support for Brown from Straw is not without meaning.

So speaks a man who knows all about having his own language....

Nick and his meeja chums are seeking another triumph having successfully whipped up the "shall we shan't we" election fiasco at last year's conference having lost their staple diet of alleged Blair vs Brown spats to write about. Now they want to wring as much as possible from the should Brown stay or go "story".

The best thing party members (and especially MPs) can do is to refuse to join in. But you can bet your life that someone somewhere won't be able to resist his 5 seconds of fame by saying something that'll get him on the telly.

When I lost Labour's last seat on our council in May (not my fault guv - popular councillor standing down with a majority of only 10 last time round!) the first thing the bloke from the BBC asked me whilst his chum poked a camera up my nose was "do you think it's all Gordon Brown's fault" or words like that. I guess they asked hundreds of Labour candidates the same question but the only one they repeatedly broadcast on TV and radio was the goon who said "oh yes of course it was" or words like that. Why does a minority of people in our party always feel the need to do our opponents' job for them?!