Posts
EXCLUSIVE PREDICTIONS: The King is Dead, Long Live the King
Having spent most of the day lobbying or publicising the struggle to get John McDonnell on the ballot paper. So that ordinary members - like myself; levy paying Trade Unionists - like myself; and members of affiliated organisations - like myself; all get a chance to vote for Gordon Brown, or not. Well, it gives me no great pleasure to share my instinctive prediction on what happens next. Hoping to be wrong. But fearing that I'm right.
First off, Hilary Benn will probably get the five extra nominations he needs. It's on a knife edge but I'm not sure the courtiers of his enemies at court can now stop this.
Second off, at least eleven of the 26 MPs still holding nomination forms in their paws will put an enthusiastic cross by Gordon Brown's name and make him certain to be the next leader of the Labour Party and the next Prime Minister.
Third off, this news may mean that other slowtrack MPs keeping their powder dry as nominators of last resort for McDonnell may escape without backing him. Compassites Jon Cruddas and Jon Trickett among them.
Fourth off, just by chance young Gordon will have a speaking engagement - somewhere in the North of England - kicking off at 6:15 pm. He could indeed be crowned here in Manchester, TONIGHT.
Fifth off, and this is the biggest punt of the lot, setting aside Iain Dale's flimsy "hot scoop" of earlier this afternoon, I can see the logic of Gordon Brown making the rest of the five week tour of the country AS THE P.M. if that's constitutionally and practically possible.
Could the new King be off to the Palace sooner than expected?
WARNING: I'll have no gags in comments about Tony Blair being the "Lying King".
6 comments:
Sadly, I think you are right but it seems that JMc has said he will "play on to the final whistle". Relieved to see that Dennis Skinner has nominated McDonnell but it comes to something when you start to have doubts about someone who used to be the "hardest" of the left.
Chris, is there any point in staying in the Labour Party? It's sickening.
"levy paying Trade Unionists" what are you after a K or a P?
Well Susan
Oh course there's a point in staying in the Labour Party! There's a point for your constituents in Calder Valley. There's a point for choosing a good successor to your retiring MP. There's certainly a point for the citizens of Manchester. Which is one that'll be well understood by the benighted people in Lib Dem Liverpool whose Pops was cut by 90% this year.
To be honest Gordon Brown was going to win anyway, by a margin. The left and centre left have really messed up in the sense of allowing the first hand in the air from the joint most-lefty MP in the PLP to be the champion. I was always against that though I'd have been very happy with John fronting a programme that had been agreed by the constituency that might even have been the same as his solo programme.
While we're at this honesty business Gordon Brown was exceptionally good tonight and as Walter Wolfgang said to me post Waltergate Brighton GB's succession IS a recovery for the Labour Party.
On the QT I was expecting a bit more of a song and dance about the nominations victory. There was none. There was a mention of not being sure how many candidates were left for the leadership.
And there were jokes and humourous anecdotes and I think a sense that there would be a change.
Keep on keeping on!
Best w
Chris P
PS John: I'm just minding my Ps and Qs ... Baroness Oona King did OK as presenter though she did talk about flattery being the best form of imitation ...
Gordon may have been "exceptionally good." So.....John was exceptionally good at the Fabian debate. Which is probably when Gordon decided to call in the tanks.
Yes he was going to win but To me there is still a profound injustice in what has occurred.It didn't have to. Party members on the left, right and centre wanted a debate and we've all been shafted.Utterly. By the PLP.
The clunking first will live to regret this.I'm sorry, but I could not have sat and listened to Gordon Brown tonight.No=one likes a bully. And I'm afraid that's what he is.
I'm sorry Susan but at this stage I cannot really agree. As you probably know I favoured a selection process within a broader church of the left and a collective policy agreed withint that broader church and a strategy.
John has worked wonders but it was always likely to be like this.
It is only a shame that the Brownies have not shown a killer streak before now ... but I think there is a good case to be made for us having done this to ourselves.
Post a Comment