Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for nine years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
As I commented on an earlier post, if you are a political correspondent, with an editor demanding a story, whilst the rest of the village is asleep... you've got to write something. So, take this story in the Daily Telegraph today Gordon Brown faces plot by Labour MPs amid double blow in polls.
It took THREE BLOODY JOURNALISTS to write this pile of crap? Between the three of them, beavering away in a deserted Westminster, they have managed to come up with not a single attributable quote... not even the standard guff from a backbench Labour MP looking for his Andy Warhol moment.
Now, I am not a 'Labour insider' or 'a Labour source' but I can tell Andrew Porter, Robert Winnett and Jon Swaine here and now, read my lips... there will not be a Labour leadership election.
The reason there won't be a leadership election is nothing to do with Labour MPs not being as brutal as those Tories who stabbed Thatcher in the back. Nor will there not be a leadership election because of the constitutional problems of replacing a Labour leader - although you can just imagine the fun the media would have over the three months of blood letting in a full blown leadership election.
You do not need an honours degree in The Art of the Bleedin' Obvious to know why there will not be a leadership election. Any new leader would have to call a very quick general election. Failure to do so would bring the full force of the media shitstorm down on the head of a new Prime Minister with charges of being 'frit'.
So, we have a new Labour leader, but the same economic uncertainty (all the interviews I heard from Glasgow East indicated that it was a vote against food and fuel price inflation, not the personality or lack of it of Gordon Brown). The new Leader has no time to put that right, nor to stamp any 'new personality' - perceived by many to be so important - on the Party or the country.
That general election in the current climate would lead to a spectacular defeat. That spectacular defeat would lead to many Labour MPs - including backbenchers and cabinet ministers - losing their seats.
So, Westminster correspondents, there we have it, plain and simple. Enlightened self interest is a powerful motive, and it will rule the day.
Here's an important lesson for you: if you are staring at a dead horse with a whip in your hand, stop bloody flogging it. And whilst we are kicking about the cliches, remember the one about turkeys not voting to bring forward Christmas.
I heard from interviews with Glasgow East residents that the shocking state of the Labour Party north of the border was another good reason to boot them out.
For what it's worth, I agree that there won't be a leadership election.
Thanks Bob. So either:
1. The PLP are a group of rabbits in the headlights, and will not even be able to mount a serious challenge for power until 2040, or
2. GB will issue a "Back me or Sack me" ultimatum on return from Southwold, which in the medium term would give Labour a fighting chance to avoid a melt-down in 2010, or,
3. Realising that a Macawberish approach will totally destroy the Labour movement as a political force, it will be Brown out, go to the Country and prepare for government in 2020. While any of these options are pretty vile for a socialist, if Labour play it wrong, they could be the Liberal Party of the 21st Century.
Bob Piper said:
July 28, 2008 10:40 AM | permalink
Alex, so? Journos have no story in more than one newspaper. Your point is?
atropos, you show a startling lack of imagination if you can only cope with three scenarios.
I agree that most Labour MPs would prefer to keep their noses in the Westminster trough for as long as possible as they thrash about desperately looking for some other means of employment, but there must be one or two in really safe seats who can see the advantage of despatching 'Boxer Broon' to the knacker's yard quickly, losing the next election under a nonentity (they have plenty to choose from) and thus neatly handing over the economic mess of potage to the Tories knowing the opprobrium that *any* government is going to receive when it tries to get the country back into a reasonable shape. Stick around until 2010 and the ordure simply gets piled higher!
The poor fellow must have had enough, he's done his best and still they don't like him. What he now needs to do is call a general election today, resign from the Labour Party and tell all that only a government led by Cameron would be able to make this country great again. Then it's back to his cottage with wife and kids to read his beloved books, and occasionally switch on the telly to watch and delight in what he has started as all about fall over in blind panic.
Why do Labour assume their standing will improve over the next 18 months ? The effects of the economy are going to get worse and the Party is falling to pieces .
A good conference and a backs to the wall save Labour campaign and you still have a Party.
A year from now and I think they may well be replaced as the second Party in England at least.
I agree. The PM is not under threat. There is no cause to panic now. This MP seems to be giving succour to the enemy. Why does he not have more common sense.
OK in 12 months time we can see how things are. But if we panic after every bad phase what next a new leader every 4 months.
July 28, 2008 9:55 AM | permalink
I heard from interviews with Glasgow East residents that the shocking state of the Labour Party north of the border was another good reason to boot them out.
For what it's worth, I agree that there won't be a leadership election.