If Gordon Brown loses the premiership it will be through sheer carelessness; if in doing so he allows Harriet Harman to take over it will be nothing short of criminal neglect.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1039714/QUENTIN-LETTS-So-Harriet-Harperson-WAS-PM.html
In fact, it may turn out to be Brown’s salvation that that those plotting against Brown will wake up to the fact that they run the risk of allowing Miz Harperson to transfer her posturing to Downing St.
She has denied confiding to an aide that ‘this is my moment’, following Labour’s humiliating defeat in Glasgow East, but I doubt there is anyone who doesn’t believe she thought it.
This is the woman who used the NCCL as the springboard for a political career which was to attack increasingly everything that organisation stands for.
Appointed to the Cabinet in 1997 she failed spectacularly as Secretary of State for Social Security and was sacked. After a short time she was back, holding a series of junior posts, biding her time and never forgetting to parade her feminist credentials, even to the extent of insisting that her children bear her father’s name rather than her husband’s – I’ve never understood the sisterhood’s logic in that. But playing the ‘we oppressed women must stick together’ card always a good way of trumping criticism, almost as useful as being black.
Then she stood for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party, the main plank of her platform being that it was about time a woman did it, as long as it wasn’t Hazel Blears. Throw in a few leftist remarks about equality, some safely vague criticism of the Iraq adventure, an overcrowded field and a slice of luck and, hey presto, she feels entitled to be catapulted from apparatchik non-entity to Deputy Prime Minister.
But this was before Gordon Brown was transformed from Stalin to Mr Bean and he made it clear that a meaningless party job was just that, not a passport to greatness.
But he felt obliged to have her in the Cabinet, and there she sat, biding her time, for she has learnt the virtue of patience. And it wasn’t long before dear Gordon, weary, weighed down by the cares of office and no doubt worn down by ceaseless nagging, let her take PMQs. And then, to demonstrate his total lack of political nous, goes on holiday leaving at least three people to argue about who’s in charge. Harriet, of course, made the most of her opportunity.
So, will she succeed? I fear she might, for she has several factors in her favour.
First, Brown’s position is precarious. He may survive to the next election, but is unlikely to win it. Even if he were to scrape in the pressure for change would be strong.
Second, most of the potential contenders for Labour Leader are associated with the Iraq invasion and recent economic failure. Harman, only recently a Cabinet minister, can appear relatively clean of either mess.
Third, unlike, say, David Milliband, she has cultivated the grass roots and appears to have principles. The fact that she doesn’t is neither here nor there.
Fifth, after their expected defeat, Labour will probably feel an urge to return to more traditional ways and Harman will score there. I think it likely that Alan Johnson would beat her in the Commons vote if such an urge is in the air, but she will win in the constituencies.
Sixth, she will shamelessly demand to be elected on the basis of her sex. ‘If you don’t vote for me, it won’t be because I’m unprincipled, devious and downright incompetent; it will be because I am a woman. Don’t you oppress me!’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1039714/QUENTIN-LETTS-So-Harriet-Harperson-WAS-PM.html
In fact, it may turn out to be Brown’s salvation that that those plotting against Brown will wake up to the fact that they run the risk of allowing Miz Harperson to transfer her posturing to Downing St.
She has denied confiding to an aide that ‘this is my moment’, following Labour’s humiliating defeat in Glasgow East, but I doubt there is anyone who doesn’t believe she thought it.
This is the woman who used the NCCL as the springboard for a political career which was to attack increasingly everything that organisation stands for.
Appointed to the Cabinet in 1997 she failed spectacularly as Secretary of State for Social Security and was sacked. After a short time she was back, holding a series of junior posts, biding her time and never forgetting to parade her feminist credentials, even to the extent of insisting that her children bear her father’s name rather than her husband’s – I’ve never understood the sisterhood’s logic in that. But playing the ‘we oppressed women must stick together’ card always a good way of trumping criticism, almost as useful as being black.
Then she stood for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party, the main plank of her platform being that it was about time a woman did it, as long as it wasn’t Hazel Blears. Throw in a few leftist remarks about equality, some safely vague criticism of the Iraq adventure, an overcrowded field and a slice of luck and, hey presto, she feels entitled to be catapulted from apparatchik non-entity to Deputy Prime Minister.
But this was before Gordon Brown was transformed from Stalin to Mr Bean and he made it clear that a meaningless party job was just that, not a passport to greatness.
But he felt obliged to have her in the Cabinet, and there she sat, biding her time, for she has learnt the virtue of patience. And it wasn’t long before dear Gordon, weary, weighed down by the cares of office and no doubt worn down by ceaseless nagging, let her take PMQs. And then, to demonstrate his total lack of political nous, goes on holiday leaving at least three people to argue about who’s in charge. Harriet, of course, made the most of her opportunity.
So, will she succeed? I fear she might, for she has several factors in her favour.
First, Brown’s position is precarious. He may survive to the next election, but is unlikely to win it. Even if he were to scrape in the pressure for change would be strong.
Second, most of the potential contenders for Labour Leader are associated with the Iraq invasion and recent economic failure. Harman, only recently a Cabinet minister, can appear relatively clean of either mess.
Third, unlike, say, David Milliband, she has cultivated the grass roots and appears to have principles. The fact that she doesn’t is neither here nor there.
Fifth, after their expected defeat, Labour will probably feel an urge to return to more traditional ways and Harman will score there. I think it likely that Alan Johnson would beat her in the Commons vote if such an urge is in the air, but she will win in the constituencies.
Sixth, she will shamelessly demand to be elected on the basis of her sex. ‘If you don’t vote for me, it won’t be because I’m unprincipled, devious and downright incompetent; it will be because I am a woman. Don’t you oppress me!’
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