Stephen Hesford’s resignation is very unhelpful from Baroness Scotland’s point of view, and may be very dangerous, too: Gordon Brown’s entire government is a fragile rock since the failed coup earlier this summer, and he must fear that the resignation of even the lowliest government bag-carrier might set off an avalanche. Charon sees the call for her resignation as largely partisan hounding but it seems to me her staying is least defensible from a partisan Labour point of view. I’m sure Gordon Brown genuinely doesn’t want to lose her, but neither that nor her competence is the point. In one sense, this was an opportunity: she is sackable (unlike, say, important leadership rivals or potential plotters in the Commons), she has a ready replacement, and sacking her could allow Brown to grandstand his integrity for once, something he allowed David Cameron to outdo him on during the expenses scandal.
I’m sure a scalp would help the Conservatives, but surely it helps them more to have a damaged minister staying on, a story that keeps rolling and further evidence of the Prime Minister’s weakness and indecision.
Carl Gardner2009-09-23T17:14:33+00:00
The longer this goes on the more entrenched the positions. Scotland will only go when she has become an embarrassment (okay, a greater embarrassment) to Brown. Brown’s position has to be the balance between moving her sideways (and the Conservatives and Limp Dems claiming victory) and keeping her in post, but low profile. So far he’s chosen the latter, but she has compounded the injury with her truly crass remarks about Congestion Charge fines and that leaves her with very little room for further manoeuvre.
But I think that most people are simply beyond caring. They’re just waiting for the General Election to turf these guys out. It’s only a matter of time now.
There’s nothing Brown can do about his Nemesis. Each day it looms larger. However, in the meantime he and his colleagues are inflicting more and more damage on us all. I think we’ll just have to take stock after Polling Day and see how best to pick up the pieces.
The pity is that Socialism (in its finest sense) will be annihilated. What Opposition will there be then? The Left has run out of credibility and that is not good for the country. It seems that we’ll have to choose between nationalism and conservatism.
oh that there were the merest trace of socialism anywhere near the seat of power. i’m not convinced there ever was – of course the daily male and the guido’s/iaiaiaian dale’s of this world would love us to believe socialism has infected our once proud society and caused the rot of all things decent, white, male and middle class, but socialism has only ever been a force from the fringes. (a force for good, imho) it will remain as a grassroots movement that waxes and wanes in power and impact but the forces of reaction that have always ruled continue to do so. socialism may continue to do good from the margins, though and the more individuals are inspired to band together and act for issues in which they believe the better for the lot of us. of course socialism isn’t without its stupidities and venalities by any means, but as an ingredient in the societal mix, it does far more good than ill and will continue to do so. one of the strengths of being at the fringe is that you are harder to wipe out. stamp us down and like the hydra we simply grow another head where you aren’t looking. and if people continue to believe in it then it ill continue perforce. sadly, so will conservatism…
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Head of Legal – you have made some good political comments here about Gordon Brown having an opportunity to sack here and gain the moral high ground over David Cameron. That opporunity has now evaporated like the morning dew in mid June on the lawn of Lincoln’s Inn. However, I don’t think anyone out here really cares about “what’s his name” – oh yes, bag-carrier Hesford. Avalache there will not be.