The cult of celeb PM's

There is a very good piece in the Observer today by the Mail's Peter Oborne in the absence of the holidaying Andrew Rawnsley.

He argues that we now have the cult of celeb Prime Minister and that has led to the issues that have arisen over the last week vis a vis smeargate.

The modern notion of a celebrity prime minister, permanently surrounded by an army of flunkeys and operating out of a great command centre inside Downing Street, is novel.

he argues

1.Celebrity prime ministers are actively hostile to historic freedoms and civil liberties.

2.Celebrity prime ministers see due process merely as an encumbrance and resent the civil service disciplines of impartiality, scruple and properly noted cabinet meetings.

In this new environment, the crucial aide is the press officer, whose job is to burnish the image of his leader, while using smears and other secret tactics to punish and marginalise political opponents.

A story too far

I wander whether the Times this morning is just stirring the embers of the Scottish debate.

Its lead story concerns a report that Gordon Brown has come under pressure fromcertain MP's to axe the so called Scottish mafia in his government.

Brown is being urged to give key jobs to ministers who can reach out to middle-class voters in England’s marginal seats.

says its political editor Jonathan Oliver.

He quotes the MP for Chorley Lindsay Hoyle, who reportedly says

Voters are looking to see a better balance within the cabinet to ensure that all the regions of England are represented.”

Surely this is a non story.If the party really and truly believes that this is the main issue,then it's time to go

An all round performance is required for Labour

There is a good piece in this morning's Independent by Steve Richards.

He argues that it is about time that other cabinet members started to contribute a little more pointing out that

For the first time since Labour came to power cabinet ministers have a chance to breathe, to become fully developed political personalities

And for the Prime Minister

Suddenly it is in his interests to allow stars to shine, rather than smother alternative shafts of light in darkness. It does not help Mr Brown to be seen alone raging in the storm. On the contrary his chances of finding at least some fleeting shelter are enhanced if he is seen as leading a more vibrant team

I think that Steve is correct but I just wander who these people are that are going to come to the rescue.Yes as he points out David Milliband put in a good performance on Andrew Marr but outside of him?

I worry that as with the Tories it may require a skipping of a generation before the party gets back on track with Milliband being the fall guy with the potential aka Hague

Gordon looks to youth to relaunch again

Gordon Brown is undertaking yet another reluanch according to this morning's Times

The paper has been told

that Mr Brown believes that the mini-reshuffle forced on him by the departure of Peter Hain has given him the opportunity to show that he has ministers anxious to continue Labour’s reforming policies – and to counter the idea that David Cameron’s Conservatives represent the future.

Brown has eight of the so called young turks in his cabinet.The newest addition James Purnell is 37,Andy Burnham is 38,Ruth Kelly is 39 and Douglas Alexander is 40.Then we have the team of Millibands,David the oldest at 42,Ed 37, and the husband and wife team of Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper.

It is an interesting policy.The young Turks were blamed in part for pushing Brown into a corner over the election that never was.Douglas Alexander is particualar taking the blame.It was claimed that the greyheads such as Jack Straw and Alistair Darling pulled the Pm back on track.