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Brown snipes could hit Mayor vote, Labour told
Nicholas Cecil, Political Correspondent14.04.08
Labour MPs were today urged to stop attacking Gordon Brown amid fears it is damaging Labour ahead of the May local elections.
The Conservatives today seized on the latest spate of criticism of Mr Brown's premiership to claim that Labour is at war with itself.
Downing Street appeared increasingly alarmed that briefings by former ministers and backbenchers against the Prime Minister could boost Tory mayoral candidate Boris Johnson.
A No 10 source said: "You would think that at a time when every Labour MP and activist is working flat out for the best outcome on 1 May and to re-elect Ken Livingstone, these bitter ex-ministers would join the fight instead of all this anonymous sniping in newspapers."
The latest rumour was that former home secretary Charles Clarke was considering running as a "stalking horse" against him, a move he strongly denied. But the discontent with Mr Brown is more widespread. He faces the threat of revolts over the axing of the 10p starting tax rate and plans to detain terror suspects without charge for up to 42 days.
Mr Livingstone, who will attend Sikh Vaisakhi (New Year) celebrations in London today with Mr Brown, has said he would join the rebellion against the tax shake-up.
The policy has even been criticised by former Treasury minister Geoffrey Robinson, a longstanding Brown ally. Shadow chancellor George Osborne said: "Labour is fighting itself rather than fighting for the country."
Labour is trailing the Tories in the latest poll, by 28 per cent to 44 per cent, a gap which would almost certainly give David Cameron a Commons majority.
The YouGov survey for The Sunday Times also showed Mr Brown's personal ratings plummeting at a more alarming rate than any leader since Neville Chamberlain in the Thirties.
Mr Brown will be pinning his hopes on restoring a sense of leadership when he flies to America tomorrow for meetings with President Bush and other leaders at the UN. Health Secretary Alan Johnson insisted he was "a serious man for serious times".
Reader views (8)
'Clive' from London said that "If you think life is expensive now, just you wait until you have the Tories in power. Maybe you forgotten what they did in the past."
I'd like to think that even if a Conservative government made life more expensive (a suggestion which I think is utter rubbish), at least we might get some value for money, unlike the multi-million pound waste we get from New Labour.
- Robert Cunningham, Harrow, London, UK
Sure, kick out Brown and bring in D Cameron.
Have you noted at all that you're economy has been doing better than the American one for the last 8 years?
If you think life is expensive now, just you wait until you have the Tories in power. Maybe you forgotten what they did in the past. Even now their policies are skewered and their sound bites are those of people that are just in a rush to get into power and enjoy the perks.
Would rather have the Lib Dems than the Tories!
- Clive, London, UK
Mike Lyons: very well said! It is sickening how Chairman Ken and Ghastly Gordon Brown, who are two of the most vile, incompetent "champagne socialist" corrupt pigs this country has ever seen, are able to get away with thieving millions of pounds from hard working taxpayers to feed their egomaniac lifestyles.
How dare they steal all this money from us by punishing taxes like the Congestion Charge and increased vehicle excise duty!
They need to be kicked out office as soon as possible - they have destroyed this country and life under their draconian and oppressive CCTV surveillance regimes has become unbearable.
At a time when people are suffering the terrible effects of an economic crisis, what does the arrogant and incompetent Nu-Labour government do - raise taxes, scrap 10p tax relief, increase fuel duty and increase parking fines!
It is outrageous and these dictators must be stopped!
- Daniel Howard, London, UK
Gordon Brown and livingstone have taken London taxpayers to the cleaners with no real benefit sent money to Scotland and made only London pay for the Olympics. Utter disgrace vote these thieves out May the 1st.
- Dave Smith, London
Anyone could run the Country if they were receiving 83% tax on every litre of fuel purchased it doesn't take a business man to think that out. Also Mr Brown has put on more hidden taxes since being in Government than any Goverment person and claims it's high oil prices while Ken Livinstone is going abroad on the money taken from Londoners via Congestion Charges and Fines, etc. Who gave them the right to do this? We all must be blind. They are living the life of Reilly at the expense of Londoners and the rest of England and no one says nothing it is sickening watching people being scammed in this way by two people who should be booted out of office and their power taken away from them as that is all politics crave, power. So lets vote them, out wake up everyone.
- Mike Lyons, London
Let the fun Begin! The more sniping by Brown at Boris, the better. The Pseudo-Proto-Closet Marxist-Commies of NU Labour are in for a thrashing. I do not need to be a 'Rocket Scientist' for this. As long as Pa Broone and Pals does not try and create/stage a 'National Emergency' a la Uncle Bob Mugabwe to stay in power as 'Dearest Leader', then let loose the 'Michael Mouses' of NU Lie-bour. They will do all the necessary work to ensure the Labour Party are consigned to their own Back Rooms of 'Bitching and Back-stabbing' in due course.
Am I being too cynical - you bet!
- B Clark, Chelmsford UK
The PM has never had a recession, even as chancellor. Mrs Thatcher had two, no wonder the public hate him.
- Dirty European Socialist, UK
The government seem ever-more desperate to control those in their party who rightly voice their disapproval with the current state of things.
Let's hope Brown and co get kicked out soon.
- Robert Cunningham, Harrow, London, UK
