Mood grows for “last-ditch” challenge to Brown

Gordon Brown is facing a possible challenge to his leadership early next year in a “last-ditch” move to avert a Labour Party annihilation at the general election.

by Tribune Web Editor
Friday, November 13th, 2009

by Chris McLaughlin

Gordon Brown is facing a possible challenge to his leadership early next year in a “last-ditch” move to avert a Labour Party annihilation at the general election.

The growing support for a change of leadership, which is being taken seriously by Downing Street, will be tested next week when nominations open for the chair of the parliamentary committee of Labour MPs.

The publicly little-known office is being seen as a lightning rod symbol of support for Mr Brown, whose aides fear the result could trigger a leadership challenge when the Commons returns from the Christmas recess in the new year.

MPs in favour of a challenge are telling colleagues that a change in leadership, coupled with an immediate announcement of an election to be held in March, would save Labour at least 50 seats, according to some recent polling, and, at worst,  deny the Tories’ David Cameron a working majority.

The possibility of a challenge is to be openly debated next weekend at the annual general meeting of the pressure group  Compass, which commands the largest informal grouping of Labour MPs in the Commons.

Momentum for change has been fired by a Guardian report citing internal party polling which was said to suggest that Labour could be reduced to a rump of 120 MPs if Mr Brown leads it into the election.

Neal Lawson of Compass defended the need for a democratic debate about what could be the end of the Labour Party. “The long-term survival of the party is in jeopardy and the question is do we just sit still and let it happen.

“The alternatives are not comfortable and, of course we want to take Labour back to being a democratic socialist party. But the more pressing  issue is whether or not there is going to be a party left to change.”

The vote for the parliamentary committee post – which is decided by a ballot of all Labour backbenchers – takes place days after the Compass debate. Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman, who has made clear his view that Mr Brown should be replaced,  has indicated that he is considering challenging Brown-supporting incumbent Tony Lloyd, MP for Manchester Central.

The parliamentary committee is the official channel between the Prime Minister and backbenchers but the election of officers this year is being seen as a potential test-run for a leadership challenge.

If a challenger to Mr Lloyd, standing on a Brown-must-go ticket, won 80-100 votes a contest  would be deemed viable. Pressure would  then increase on Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Home Secretary Alan Johnson to throw their hat into the ring.

There are doubts over whether Mr Sheerman has sufficient personal support to bring in the necessary votes to clear the 75 threshold of signatures that would be required to trigger a contest and  support is being canvassed for former minister Malcolm Wicks, MP for Croydon North. Mr Wicks is co-ordinator of the recently-formed Labour Future Group of MPs, which includes several who have publicly called for Mr Brown to go, including former Home Secretary Charles Clarke.

The mood for what one supporter called a “last-ditch effort to save the Labour Party”, has been bolstered by a Populus poll for The Times earlier this week which put the Tories’ lead at just 10 points, on 39 per cent to Labour’s 29 per cent, barely sufficient to give Mr Cameron a majority.

A reduction of Labour’s 351 MPs to 120 would require a Tory lead closer to an improbable 28 points. Most polls put the lead around 13-14 per cent, a gap which a growing number of Mps feel could be significantly closed with a change of leader.

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  • http://www.antilisbontreaty.com Jack

    I don’t understand why Brown, a man who has trouble even writing a simple note, is PM of the UK? I suppose he did his part to sell out to the Lisbon treaty first by promising a vote and then not having one. His puppet masters must surely be happy with him.

  • http://www.antilisbontreaty.com Jack

    I don’t understand why Brown, a man who has trouble even writing a simple note, is PM of the UK? I suppose he did his part to sell out to the Lisbon treaty first by promising a vote and then not having one. His puppet masters must surely be happy with him.

  • swatantra

    Brown should think of the Party and step down. Hes done his bit as Chancellor and PM. He can’t really top what hes lready done and surely he knows that even if he won the next election by a slim majority there would still be speculation about his ability to soldier on from day 1. Face up to reality Gordon. Go on a high note. Let somebody else have a go and save the Party. But if that fails, I doubt if Sherman has the guts to be the stalking horse.

  • Cllr Ken Hulme

    No chance of any challenge. Its the Silence of The Lambs. The towel has been thrown in before the opening bell rings.

    I can see Derek Draper and that ghastly crew of spin merchants already writing Labour’s epitaph – The Strange Death of Labour England.

    No steam in the boiler

  • swatantra

    Brown should think of the Party and step down. Hes done his bit as Chancellor and PM. He can’t really top what hes lready done and surely he knows that even if he won the next election by a slim majority there would still be speculation about his ability to soldier on from day 1. Face up to reality Gordon. Go on a high note. Let somebody else have a go and save the Party. But if that fails, I doubt if Sherman has the guts to be the stalking horse.

  • Cllr Ken Hulme

    No chance of any challenge. Its the Silence of The Lambs. The towel has been thrown in before the opening bell rings.

    I can see Derek Draper and that ghastly crew of spin merchants already writing Labour’s epitaph – The Strange Death of Labour England.

    No steam in the boiler

  • Robert

    Nobody would want to take over now, if they lose the next election they be crucified by saying they were not good enough or Brown was the better person, Labour is going into opposition next year, so it’s best to leave Brown take it, he will then step down hopefully he will leave the Party, and he can then write a new book or work at a bank or go into the EU vault as a minister or something, But nobody whats the job now because labours in such a dam mess.

  • Robert

    Nobody would want to take over now, if they lose the next election they be crucified by saying they were not good enough or Brown was the better person, Labour is going into opposition next year, so it’s best to leave Brown take it, he will then step down hopefully he will leave the Party, and he can then write a new book or work at a bank or go into the EU vault as a minister or something, But nobody whats the job now because labours in such a dam mess.

  • Christopher Smith

    In the next few decades some very interesting biographies will be written about Gordon Brown, perhaps concentrating on the psychological aspect as much as the political. Here is a man who authored books about courage whilst prime minister, but never had the courage of his own convictions. A man who tried to do good by stealth, and adopted underhand methods in order to do so. A man who started as a socialist but who became the loudest praise singer for the lowest form of finance capitalism.
    At last, after all these years, by raising the issue of the Tobin tax, he is beginning to show that he might have realised the error of his ways – but it is too late, Gordon Brown has all the credibility of a small town accountant who recommended his clients to put their life savings with Bernie Madoff. Events have found him out.
    New Labour is bad enough – we all know that the Tories will be infinately worse. The Labour Party owes it to the British people to get rid of Brown before the election – anyone else will be more believed!

  • Christopher Smith

    In the next few decades some very interesting biographies will be written about Gordon Brown, perhaps concentrating on the psychological aspect as much as the political. Here is a man who authored books about courage whilst prime minister, but never had the courage of his own convictions. A man who tried to do good by stealth, and adopted underhand methods in order to do so. A man who started as a socialist but who became the loudest praise singer for the lowest form of finance capitalism.
    At last, after all these years, by raising the issue of the Tobin tax, he is beginning to show that he might have realised the error of his ways – but it is too late, Gordon Brown has all the credibility of a small town accountant who recommended his clients to put their life savings with Bernie Madoff. Events have found him out.
    New Labour is bad enough – we all know that the Tories will be infinately worse. The Labour Party owes it to the British people to get rid of Brown before the election – anyone else will be more believed!

  • Brian

    Is “New” Labourism dead and will there be 1979-83-type wrangling again when Labour goes into opposition?

    Any hope for a revival of something like socialism?

  • Brian

    Is “New” Labourism dead and will there be 1979-83-type wrangling again when Labour goes into opposition?

    Any hope for a revival of something like socialism?

  • Ralph Baldwin

    The irony is of course that GB has had every opportunity given to him and refused to take it. He was warned before the expenses situation along with many other MP’s what the impact would be. He has been warned along with the others about the banks for years on end. They have thousands of members who could have helped contribute on some policy issues, especially on policy implimentation as it manifests on the ground.

    He could have helped the party and unions to increase their memberships by finding new ways for the Party and Unions to relate to the majority of the public.

    He has enjoyed great support for years and not used a single ounce.

    Quite remarkable really. The important thing now is that we await the General Election and sadly rely on the elctorate to save us from our so-called leaders who have used the Labour ticket to enrich themselves and not give a damn.

    Sadly those MP’s occupying the “safe seats” will lead the party after the Election and they have nothing better to offer, just more of the same trash.

    So it won’t be possible for Labour to challenge again for a General Election victory for at least ten years. We need more members from more diverse backgrounds to take part in selections and weedle out the sycophantic corrupt morons.

  • Ralph Baldwin

    The irony is of course that GB has had every opportunity given to him and refused to take it. He was warned before the expenses situation along with many other MP’s what the impact would be. He has been warned along with the others about the banks for years on end. They have thousands of members who could have helped contribute on some policy issues, especially on policy implimentation as it manifests on the ground.

    He could have helped the party and unions to increase their memberships by finding new ways for the Party and Unions to relate to the majority of the public.

    He has enjoyed great support for years and not used a single ounce.

    Quite remarkable really. The important thing now is that we await the General Election and sadly rely on the elctorate to save us from our so-called leaders who have used the Labour ticket to enrich themselves and not give a damn.

    Sadly those MP’s occupying the “safe seats” will lead the party after the Election and they have nothing better to offer, just more of the same trash.

    So it won’t be possible for Labour to challenge again for a General Election victory for at least ten years. We need more members from more diverse backgrounds to take part in selections and weedle out the sycophantic corrupt morons.

  • con

    Ah well it will soon come to pass that new labour will come to pass, then we can rebuild, hope with luck it will be a real strong labour party the party of the people.

  • con

    Ah well it will soon come to pass that new labour will come to pass, then we can rebuild, hope with luck it will be a real strong labour party the party of the people.

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