It begins with one whose ambition gets ahead of him or herself. Like the proverbial drip, drip, drip of the tiniest hole in the dyke, Labour front bench cabinet ministers sat silently for the first few moments of Gordon Brown’s holiday and then one-by-one began to stick toes or more in to test the waters during the Prime Minister’s holiday.
1st came Harriet Harman, the UK’s State Secretary and un-anointed Deputy Party Leader. She arrived with family in tow and declared much as former General Alexander Haig did in the crazy few minutes after President Reagan was shot in 1981 that she was “in charge” during the PM’s absence.
Indeed she was the duty officer during that week. However, bringing her family in for a private summer’s day tour of Number 10, the UK’s White House, was declared over-the-top by the press who got wind (and footage) of the non-official visit and began to ask questions.
Along came Chancellour of the Exchequer Alistair Darling (who, not coincidentally resides across the way at Number 11 Downing Street) saying the PM had made a similar promise to him… that when he was away, the mantle of leadership fell to the Chancellour. Oops. The only smile of the week crossed Gordon’s face.
The “Deputy Party Leader” or “VP” role was held by John Prescott who, although a colourful character, was asked to step aside a year or so ago for living a bit too large around the time Tony Blair was finishing off his farewell tour. PM Brown decided the role needed a cooling off period so he left it unfilled. Besides, Brits don’t stand much on ceremony so practical Gordon thought no one would notice.
Now he is being urged to not even consider leaving London for the Olympic Closing Ceremonies in Beijing where the flag is handed to London as the hosts for 2012 as that could trigger a true party free-for-all fight for his leadership role.
It all went completely pear-shaped two weeks ago when a solidly safe Labour parliamentary seat in Glasgow went in a by-election for an ill parliamentarian who recently retired, to the upstart secessionist Scottish National Party (SNP). This crushing defeat was the last straw for many and when coupled with a string of local election losses two months ago, including Labour’s London Mayoral seat of Ken Livingston to the Conservative Party (Tories) meant the calls were becoming stronger for Gordon Brown to leave now and at least make defeat in 2010 honourable.
The vultures are circling Mr. Brown and oddsmakers are taking sizeable over/under bets on his actual departure date. The Tories have thrived under their young new leader, David Cameron and everyone I speak with about the issue shrugs and says that change is inevitable and Labour’s time is up whether Mr. Brown stays or goes, but right now everyone is convinced he is certainly going.
Over the weekend a scathing memo written by former PM Tony Blair late last year was “leaked” in which the former PM, who whom many believe created much of the mess Mr. Brown now must deal with, described Brown’s leadership as “vacuous.” Some of Mr. Brown’s allies fear that Mr. Blair and his supporters are actively working to overshadow his successor much as Margaret Thatcher did to Sir John Major. The Telegraph reported a comment from one minister, “It’s like boiling a frog, You slowly increase the heat until it becomes impossible to survive.”
His holiday turned from bad to worse when David Miliband, Foreign Secretary went on a 48-hour media blitz using Labour code words to say that it was time for Mr. Brown to go. Even the PM’s effort to shed a few holiday pounds by hiring a personal trainer to whip him into shape was attacked by the media as he went walkabout on holiday.
UK politics are nearly as much a blood sport as its US counterpart but it’s usually done so gentlemanly prim and properly that not many will get their fingernails dirty doing their deeds. That is when a someone volunteers to do something “courageous” as the BBC’s comedy’s “Yes, Minister” Sir Humphrey Applegate would call a suicidal act of putting themselves forward.
While Harriet Harman tried to quietly slip unseen from the chorus line to the leading role, David Miliband, who sensed weakness, pulled a stunning Shirley MacClaine and jumped headlong into the void in a not-so-veiled attack of the leadership of Mr. Brown. He did a 48-hour media blitz that was met with stunned silence by his counterparts, many of whom wondered which way to turn until the Blair memo hit then all jumped on board when they sensed he could walk away with the PM role by this patent act of narcissism.
So the show goes on. PM Brown is back next week urging his compatriots to hold a cabinet meeting outside of London in the Midlands and pretending nothing has happened.
Personally I think the woodshed is better outside of the City where they have real woods and trees. If we see David or Harriet unable to sit after that meeting Gordon is back. If not, stick a fork in him. He’s done.
