LOYALTY AT WHAT PRICE?

I have to admire the tenacity of Margaret Beckett on Newsnight just now - and it must be said the loyalty as she was one of the first to be sacked from the Cabinet.But at what price? Labour comes 5th in a by-election , lowest poll ratings since polls began, but Gordon is doing an "extremely good job in difficult circumstances." In a word, no.
I think I admired her undoubted tenacity more when she lambasted Neil Kinnock in 1981 for not voting for Tony Benn. One can only hope(against hope) that as a friend of Brown Beckett is offering wiser counsel than the official line she was spouting on the media.It could all have been so different

BECKETT'S WAITING FOR GORDON - BUT I'M NOT

New Labour's fear of a leadership election is getting absurd. Margaret Beckett is rolled out today urging Cabinet colleagues not to stand against Gordon Whyever not! Well, I know why not. If someone like Hain ( who is still highly regarded by many on the leftand has done a great job in Northern Ireland) stood against GB then the results could be very interesting. But he isn't going to. Today, Brown shoots himself in the foot again by doing his Punch and Judy act with Blair over "personalised services" including plans for GP surgeries in supermarkets. Why can't they cut out the stupid gimmicks and come up with the revolutionary idea of decent public services properly planned and managed by the public sector.I must confess to being pretty gloomy when Michael Meacher ignored the counselling of hundreds of us and insisted on launching a campaign. It was the classic left imploding on itself scenario which I have witnessed so many times in my 40-odd years. But it seems this could well have been a catalyst for the left to unite and really get behind this campaign. No offence to Michael but he really should have listened.The pressure NOT to have a leadership election will continue. We need to keep lobbying our MPs, being positive , and we'll get the contest without which Labour really will be sleepwalking to disaster with Gordon.

On a lighter note, my partner's suggestion ( after several pints at our local the Fox and Goose) that Feminists 4 John should start chaining themselves to railings is probably a bit over the top!