Ferrets in a Sack

[afleitch]

Squeak

The Guardin - Gordon Brown faced fresh speculation about his leadership today after it emerged that Frank Field, the former welfare minister, thinks he will not survive as prime minister until the next general election. Field, who has led the Labour revolt over the abolition of the 10p starting rate of tax, suggested that Brown's personality was a "mega problem" for the government.


"I would be very surprised if [Brown] is still leader of the Labour party then and therefore leads us into the election campaign," Field said. Asked whether he expected Brown to resign of his own accord or be forced out, Field said: "If he asks my advice, I would say to him: 'Talk to the people that you most love and who most love you and see what they say and act on their advice.'"

Field, who repeatedly clashed with Brown over welfare policy when he was a minister, suggested that he did not think that Brown had the temperament to be prime minister. He said that, when he was a minister, he had been shouted at by Brown. Describing Brown's rages, he said: "They are just tempers of an indescribable nature."

Scratch

LONDON (Reuters) - Schools secretary Ed Balls suggested on Monday that Labour MP Frank Field was set on bringing down Gordon Brown and was acting dishonourably in his fight to win compensation for those who lost out in tax changes.

His comments, made at a briefing designed to unite a restive Labour behind policy, could exacerbate party divisions. Field has been leading a campaign by Labour MPs to compensate workers whose salaries have been cut by the government's abolition of the 10-pence income tax band.

Ministers have accepted they made a mistake over the tax change and admitted the issue played a part in Labour's defeat at May 1 elections for local councils and London's mayor.Labour put in its worst performance on record while the Conservatives' polled well enough to put them on course to win a landslide in the next general election.

Balls, a staunch Gordon Brown ally, said ministers initially believed Field was acting honourably over the tax row. But the MP's comments to BBC Radio, in which he attacked Gordon Brown's character, had changed their minds. "I think people could look at what he was saying a few weeks ago and believe at that time that his intentions were honourable," Balls told reporters. "As for what he said this morning, I think I leave you to draw your own conclusions from that." 

Squeak...though she didn't infact mean 'squeak'

TheTimes - Wendy Alexander was called “a busted flush” yesterday by one of her closest colleagues as the gulf between her and Gordon Brown over an independence referendum grew wider than ever.

--

Luckily, Wendy has the backing of her party in Scotland which counts for something. She should have resigned. She should have resigned back in November but Scottish Labour lacks any alternative who can do the job (or wants the job) I believe she did discuss it with Brown. She's not that stupid - there would have been channels. I also believe Brown backtracked leaving Wendy swinging and the silence between them has been noticeable.

More soon...hopefully!

[Silent Hunter]

Might not be a good idea to poke the sack for the Tories- ferrets bite.

[afleitch]

Might not be a good idea to poke the sack for the Tories- ferrets bite.

Not too worried. Going by this months local's most of their owners are now Tory voters

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Factionalism without clear factional lines is a very strange thing.

Wait.

*sniffs*

Something's... wrong...

Aha!

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Not true. While this years local elections can't be directly compared to previous rounds of local elections held during previous periods of Labour rule at Westminster, they were certainly better (a relative term of course) for the government than most rounds of local elections during the late 1960's were. Generally speaking they seem to be roughly comparable to local elections during the late 1970's (adjusted for demographic and political change... and of course to the huge piecemeal changes to the local government system and local elections since then). Not that that's much of a comfort for the government as Labour did worse by any measure in 1979 than 1970.

Of course they were also "better" than most rounds of local elections for Labour before the War, but making anything of that is, frankly, taking the piss a little...

Not that any of that really matters... but I think it's important to at least try to kill myths before they get firmly established. Probably too late on that. Damn you 24 hour news!

[afleitch]

Eeek!

Telegraph - Caroline Flint, the Housing Minister, today made an embarrassing blunder by revealing she told Cabinet this morning that she now expects house prices to fall by between five and ten per cent this year “at best”.

The Housing Minister also admitted that “we can’t know how bad it will get” and told her colleagues that house-building was “stalling” – despite Government claims that they will rapidly accelerate the building of new homes across the country.

Her prediction was revealed after she emerged from Number 10 carrying her official briefing note which could be seen by waiting photographers.

"Given present trends, they will clearly show sizeable falls in prices later this year - at best down 5 per cent -10 per cent year on year."  "Housebuilding is stalling," she also warned. "New starts are already down 10 per cent compared to a year ago. Housebuilders are predicting further falls."

The note ends: "It is vital that we show that at this time of uncertainty we show that we are ON PEOPLE'S SIDE."

[Silent Hunter]

Look Cute!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7397705.stm

[afleitch]

Look Cute!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7397705.stm

I would have given credit where credit is due, until I realised they would pay for it by increasing borrowing!

[The Man From G.O.P.]

I'm guessing this money is pulled out of the air?

[afleitch]

I'm guessing this money is pulled out of the air?

Correction. Someone elses air At least the Tories can't be accused of phantom 'unfunded tax cuts again'

[Silent Hunter]

Thought I'd bump this one.

Then again, 'tis the season for the papers to be silly. They can't fill every page with a scantily-clad woman...