The last time I saw Caroline Flint in the media she was featured in a rather glamorous photo shoot for a glossy magazine. By any standards, she is a very attractive woman. Her resignation letter to Gordon Brown was rather less alluring.
In a move calculated to cause the maximum damage to the PM, she launched a highly personal attack, accusing the PM of using her as "female window dressing". What tosh.
Caroline Flint resigned as part of a highly organised coup with her mates Hazel Blears and Jacqui Smith and one can only wish that she does not revive a political career devoid of princple but packed with personal ambition. The behaviour of the Blairites deserves punishment - not praise. When Robin Cook resigned from the Cabinet over Iraq, for example, his coleagues on the backbenches applauded him. There is nothing to applaud in the self-seeking antics we have witnessed in the past few days. Yvette Cooper has replaced Purnell at DWP and one hopes she will take another look at the draconian Welfare Reform Bill. Purnell's baby.
On another note Ian Gibson, caught up in the scandal over MP's expenses, has announcd his resignation. Whatever his culpability , one must conclude he has acted out of principle.
It is a shame that the Cabinet Ministers who have also been fingered in the long list of MPs taking advantage of the system do not show one ounce of responsibility, or humility, and do the same.
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9 comments:
When I read the stuff Caroline Flint was saying about Brown I was shocked. Gordon Brown may be a lot of things but I don't believe sexist is one of them. As you say, it is all clearly an coordinated attempt to bring the Prime Minister down.
I hope Flint never works in this town again. She wanted to set up transit camps for the poor ffs!
Yep Susan.
Carolyn Flint does a photo shoot for a glossy magazine.....draped across chaise longue on the front of the Guardian....which No10 wasn't too happy about....then she complains Gordon Brown used her as window dressing.....10 out of 10 for hypocrisy. What's gone on with these walkouts is a disgrace.
Dave Draycott
Agreed, Dave.
I'm not so sure that it was part of a planned coup - more, perhaps, that she expected or had been offered a Cabinet post, but then didn't get one?
There is a certain level of incompetence here on all sides. If Brown wasn't going to promote her, then he shouldn't have let her think that he intended to.
Jacqui Smith clearly wanted out. Blears is much more part of the Blairite inner circle than Smith and I don't wear the 'coup' theory. Blears and Purnell, maybe.
I'm afraid I still think that Brown has to go. People just hate him. I don't, but I do find him incredibly lacking in both warmth and panache and I think you need one or the other.
As for Ian Gibson, I can't really see that he did anything wrong, but then I think the entire reaction to the so-called expenses scandal is typical of the puritanism of Britain! Give me the French attitude every time....
It does remind me of another lady, who took the media by storm was seen riding a tank with a head scarf, promoting her self as Churchill after the Falklands, and she won the next election, Brown also reminds me of John Major after Thatcher was stabbed in the bank.
But in the end you have to look at what Brown will now do, he has said the welfare reforms will go ahead, will we have social housing going up and councils told to build, nope.
Will anything change will anyone change it the answer is no.
So sadly we have a leader who cannot change sadly he believes in what he is doing, and I will not vote Labour.
From an eastern region perspective, Ian Gibson has acted in an honourable fashion, and has promised to work hard to get his successor elected.
What will be interesting will be the selection process for the candidate for the by-election.
Will the constituency be allowed free reign to select, or will a candidate be "imposed" by NEC...
Interesting times...
but gibson resigned
because he said he was standing up for his children
and they came first
i agree but not at tax payers expense
he knows how damaging a by
election will be
its not on priniciple, unless its a principle of my expenses should not be questioned
the issue should be that others like blears should also be barred from standing
flint
she fell on her brush
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