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Brown ready for showdown with rebels after Kelly leak
Joe Murphy, Political Editor25.09.08
Gordon Brown is preparing for a showdown with rebel Labour MPs on the day the Commons returns from its summer break.
Supporters of the Prime Minister suspect there will be an orchestrated attack on his leadership at the private meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party. It will be the first mass gathering of MPs since the resignations of dissidents including ex-whip Siobhain McDonagh, former vice-chairman Joan Ryan, envoy Barry Gardiner and minister David Cairns.
Hopes of a truce after Mr Brown's successful conference speech were shattered by anger at the leaking of Ruth Kelly's resignation plan - described as "a declaration of war" by one minister.
It is unclear whether Mr Brown will attend the PLP meeting - to be held after MPs get back on 6 October - because he may hold his Cabinet reshuffle then, but it would be wounding if rebels made a show of flouting his authority.
Meanwhile, tensions are rising in ministerial ranks amid claims that the Prime Minister plans a "Night of the Long Knives" to assert his authority.
The Evening Standard has learned that Justice Secretary Jack Straw and Chief Whip Geoff Hoon are among senior ministers advising him against culling suspected Cabinet rebels, a move MPs think would trigger civil war. Several ministers broke tradition by lobbying publicly to stay in their jobs. Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he wanted to keep his and friends said he would quit rather than accept demotion. Health Secretary Alan Johnson described himself as "deeply entrenched" in his department.
Die-hard Brown supporters are urging him to purge suspected plotters from the Government before they get a chance to resign on their own terms.
Some even want ministers to be subjected to a "loyalty test", in which they would have to promise allegiance privately in return for keeping their jobs.
Mr Straw is understood to believe there is no need to alter the Cabinet because it was refreshed only this year when Peter Hain resigned in a donations row.
He is said to be urging Mr Brown to limit the reshuffle to middle and junior levels, where fewer changes were carried out in the last big reshuffle 18 months ago.
A number of well-connected backbenchers are nervous that a big reshuffle would backfire, particularly if billed as Mr Brown stamping his authority. One ministerial aide said: "Reshuffles conceived to send out messages have a terrible track record of going disastrously wrong." Another insider said: "The public are worried about their jobs and their mortgages and they would not be very impressed if they see us fiddling around with our job titles."
Mr Brown is said to be agonising over how sweeping the reshuffle should be. He has no choice but to replace Ms Kelly and others, including business minister Lord [Digby] Jones, who want to leave. The Daily Mirror today claimed Welfare Secretary James Purnell, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Business Secretary John Hutton - all senior Blairites - could be in the PM's crosshairs.
Another rumour is that Mr Hoon could be replaced by deputy Nick Brown, a die-hard ally of the Premier. However, although Mr Hoon is keen to succeed Peter Mandelson as Britain's European Commissioner, a decision on that post cannot be taken until next year under European rules.
Reader views (11)
Mike in Lincoln - there was no sign of Osborne on TV, or indeed any other shadow cabinet members, because it is an established convention that policians from one party remain out of the spotlight while other parties' conferences are on. Brown broke that convention last year by going to Iraq during the Tory conference to try to steal their thunder - except it didn't work.
The poll you refer to was taken immediately after Brown's speech and before he was back on form botching Ruth Kelly's resignation announcement.
The man is not a clunking fist, he's a clumsy fist - not Brown just Bennett.
- Philpot, London
Mike thanks for the reassuring words. We all feel better already knowing that Gordon and the gang are going to save the day. They have made a hideous, dreadful mess of this country, and, of course, they should know how to fix it. How many more years should we give them? 5, 10, 15. I think 20 years should do it.
- Notanother2years, Notsurewhichcountryyet
Nothing of Osborne on the main telly channels again this week I noticed, no Tory plan to save the world, seems to have been in hiding like his boss. Thankfully Gordon has sorted the mess out for you all, so your pension will still be waiting for you when needed. The latest polls show that lead you are all so fond of talking about has been cut in half, what a difference a bit of panic makes. We'll stick with Gordon I think, can't trust the other lot, especially as it looks like they go walkabout when danger threatens.
- Mike, Lincoln UK
If Brown is the best of the parliamentary labour Party to lead them the rest must be a right load of plonkers.
- Len Welsh, Grays, England
Die hard supporters of Gordon Brown? Canny loyalists might be more appropriate. A new leader may not appear before the next election. And even a new leader could be given a vote of no confidence on a couple of bills as PM effecticely forcing an early election. There are some similarities between David Milliband and John Major (e.g difficult to strongly dislike because they are always trying their best and seem reasonable people). And this must be tempting for Labour MPs desperate to get re-elected. But the canny Brown loyalists know that the Labour party electoral system is unlikely to elect Milliband unless Brown stands down and it is one horse race. Gridlock.Pathetic Government for next two years.
- Nick London, London UK
I wish he would stop picking and bullying the weaklings in his Party and take on Cameron and Osborne for once.
- Tom, St. Albans
So while most of us worry about losing our jobs, how to pay our mortgage and utility bills, how to feed our families and whether we will have any pensions at all (if we can ever afford to retire) the government is locked in civil war worried about their job titles and tribal loyalties. Surely we should expect the government to do what its paid for in such difficult times and govern the country, not disappear up their own backsides.
- Essexrose, London
It's nice that Brown and his cronies think they have time to bicker about who said what at a time like this. The sooner we get rid of these clowns the better.
- Mark, London
If gordon runs to to form he will duck out of any showdown.And on that last writers letter how come Ruth Kelly waited till she had her summer hols before resigning
- Dave Smith, Croydon
Unbelievable. Snubbed by the US, snubbed by just about everyone including his own cabinet and yet Clown still thinks he is best man to lead.
For someone to claim to be an intellectual and serious. Someone please give this cretin a dictionary, at the same time a book on maths for idiots.
Being blind in one eye is no excuse. Deaf, dumb and blind springs to mind.
- Alec, West London
"MPs get back on 6 October"
For most of us, that is 2 months after our summer holidays. Maybe MPs should consider working similar hours to the rest of us?
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
