AND NOW HUTTON.....

Just been announced that John Hutton, arguably the most rigt-wing member of the Cabinet, is resigning. Good. Riddance.

BRINGING IN MORE BLAIRITES IS NOT THE ANSWER TO GORDON'S WOES

So. Gordon Brown has apparently found the solution to the travails he has recently endured. More progressive policies? A large V-sign to the plotters and pals of Miliband who have been scuttling around for the past few weeks. Well, no. He's going to promote another Blairite.

Guardian reports that Jim Murphy, the Minister for Europe, "impressed the prime minister with his handling of the Lisbon treaty during its bumpy passage through the Commons, and is being pencilled in as the next Scottish Secretary." "Bumpy passage?" We should have had a referendum - the whole business/con-trick of the Lisbon Treaty is one of the reasons why the public remains disenchanted. Risdibly, the Guardian reports that this move is being pushed "to unite the Party." Does Brown ever, ever think of reaching out a friendly hand to those left-of-centre? Now that really might go some way towards healing a few rifts

CLARKE IS PART OF THE PROBLEM, NOT THE SOLUTION

You have to laugh, albeit hollowly, when Charles Clarke comes on the radio and says what great mates he and Gordon are. Of course they are. Why else would he lambast him in the most recent edition of the Blairite publication Progress.

Brown, you see, has upset the ultras by not doing ENOUGH to fulfil the New Labour agenda. Which is a recipe we are told for 10 more years of Conservative rule. In that respect at least, Clarke is right about Brown. But for the wrong reasons. Unless he changes course, the Tories will win the next election.

We have wasted nearly three years of Government agonising over when Blair was going, then not having an open and honest contest for the leadership, and now going down blind Brownite alleys of neo-Conservative policies and trying to out-Cameronise Cameron.

So anxious is this Govt to please the right's agenda that the checks and balances surrounding police searches are likely to be taken away. Another recipe for disaster. Today, the Govt blocked attempts by the left to bring about a more equitable National Insurance system - ensuting the rich paid the same percentage of their earnings in NI contributions as we do. These things should not be happening.

The PLP has got to find a proper voice and start mobilising and campaigning for decent Labour policies. And if that means rebellions then for God's sake rebel.

The other option is a slow and painful sleepwalk to the much greater disaster of Conservative Government. Even if these days, sometimes, I wonder would anyone actually notice the difference........

LOAD OF BALLS......

The Blairites have spoken. It's "all over" for Gordon Brown. Says who? The New labour devotee and columnist John Rentoul, who spent 10 years idolising TB and is clearly going to devote as much time as possible now to trashing Gordon. Not, you understand, that he disagrees politically with much Gordon has done. No, no, his big mistake was in not calling the election and since then, as JR rightly points out, nothing has gone right. So now, God help us, Rentoul is backing a New Year coup and a "dream ticket" of Miliband R for PM and Ed Balls for Chancellor. That really WOULD guarantee Labour losing the General Election. Two clean-cut policy wonks who have never had a life outside Westminster. Two white middle-class males with no ability to relate to anyone outside their class or their narrow New Labour political arena. What a great idea......What cheeses me off most is that Rentoul has the gall to say this nightmare scenario is supported by "serious Labour people." I think we know exactly who he means by that........

CLARKE GETS SET FOR NEW YEAR KNIFING

Quelle surprise......the first of the Blairites to break cover and diss Brown is Charles Clarke. The man who would have stood for Leader had he been able to garner enough nominations.

Being part of the Establishment, of course, he gets massive coverage in the Guardian for thoughts which we on the left were voicing ages ago. Way back in September, left MPs were denouncing Brown's racist rhetoric but this embittered ex-Minister ( as the phrase goes) now gets headlines for saying "You talk about 'British jobs for British workers'. If the Labour party had been at any point in the 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s, there would have been massive controversy about that. But no one has because of the loyalty to Gordon."

Actually, Charles, many HAVE spoken out. Just not in the circles you move in.
Despite his criticism, Clarke says more than a tad disingenuously that he would be "delighted" to serve under Brown. "Obviously the role would have to be something I felt I could do." Clearly, he won't be expecting a call any time soon .Far more likely that he and his cohorts are already planning to put the boot in big-style in the New Year.

MORE GUFF ABOUT THe TB/GBs

Bet you all can't wait for yet another TV film about the Blair/Brown years. The ever sycophantic David Aaronavitch is the one Chosen to interview Tony about his 10 years in Number 10. Yawn yawn yawn. It all sounds like a re-hash of old stuff to me and just confirms what we all already know. They loathe one another.
But tellingly, in the programme Former Cabinet Secretary Lord Butler apparently accuses Blair and Brown of acting like a "revolutionary cell" inside New Labour and attacks Blair for refusing to consult the Cabinet about a Govt decision.
"[Mr Blair] said to me: 'They will all agree'. I said: 'That's not the point, we have Cabinet government in this country, it is a big decision and people will expect the decision to have been taken by the Cabinet.'"
Blair tells Aaronovitch: "I didn't want any argy-bargy. If you'd had a Cabinet discussion and people saying it's a bad idea and that had come out, the Government would have ended before it began." One wonders why he didn't go the whole hog and just abolish the Cabinet. Well, actually, in real terms, he did.

PUNCH AND JUDY POLITICS

Didn't take long.......only several months after Gordon moved in to Number 10, the Blairites are back doing what they enjoy most - having a go at Brown. Today's Mail On Sunday wasted acres of newsprint on a piece by Blair biographer Antony Seldon jawing on about how TB felt "like an abused wife" and the alleged misdemeanours of Ed Balls and the Milibands. The only interesting thing about any of this is why exactly do they get so heated about stuff. Because, frankly, it matters not whether Blair or Brown is the PM. There is no difference at all ideologically between the Blairites and the Brownites. It's not political , clearly just personal nastiness and acrimony. And now Gordon is in a bit of trouble they're back briefing the media, bigging up David Miliband, and generally getting set for a nasty bit of in-fighting in the long run-up to the General Election.One gets the distinct impression that these are, basically, just not very nice people. Ferrets in a sack would probably have more of a moral compass.

GRIM DOWN SOUTH FOR BLAIRITE LAURA!

The following story from the august pages of the Crawley Observer has been brought to my attention. Have members perchance been reading How To Select and De-Select Your MP, by Chris Mullin.?

SOME of the town's grassroot Labour supporters have snubbed Laura Moffatt by deciding NOT to automatically back her as the party's next candidate for MP.
The Observer can exclusively reveal that members of the Ifield and West Green Labour group made the decision at a special joint meeting on Sunday.The agenda for the meeting states: "The Crawley Constituency Labour Party has began the process to decide whether Laura Moffatt MP should automatically become our next Parliamentary Candidate or whether we should proceed to have a full selection process and panel of candidates."This is your chance to have a voice in what happens."A source told the Observer that the vote in Ifield went eight to two against Laura with the vote in West Green polling seven to one against.MP Laura has represented Crawley since 1997, but now has the smallest majority in the country - just 37 votes.When we contacted the MP she confirmed she was aware of their decision but sought to play down the embarrassing snub.She said: "It is fine, its absolutely cool I have done it before." LoL......