Gordon Brown's chums have set up a parallel Whips' operation that answers to the Prime Minister rather than Mr Hoon. It is being organised by Nick Brown, the Deputy Chief Whip, and includes both Whips and non-Whips who have in common their unquestioning loyalty to the PM. Key figures in this operation include the former whip and minister George Mudie, Mr Brown's PPS Ian Austin, as well as Kevan Jones and Helen Jones, both members of the six-strong parliamentary committee who act as shop stewards for the PLP. Others in this group include Mark Tami and Wayne David, Whips who were among the coup plotters who helped do in Tony Blair and were rewarded with Government jobs, and Tom Watson, seen by many MPs as the 2006 coup's enforcer who is now the blogging minister in the Cabinet Office.
Not only that but according to John Kampfner writing in the Telegraph says that for Labour MP's talking about Glasgow East
the word "meltdown" is on their lips. Evidence suggests they are running ahead of themselves, consumed in a gloom that is only partially rational, but the fear gives weight to the reality.and
On the ground, many local Labour parties are effectively moribund. Much of the work is now done centrally, by email shots, social networking sites and telephone canvassing, but the financial state of the party nationally is so parlous that even much of this work is in jeopardy.
Several senior figures I have spoken to in recent weeks say they are considering standing down before the next election. This is a natural process, but such a retirement process accelerates as the prospect of opposition beckons.
No comments:
Post a Comment