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PM's biggest mistake... by his candidate in Glenrothes
Paul Waugh, Evening Standard26.09.08
Gordon Brown's failure to call a snap general election last autumn was one of his biggest political mistakes, Labour's candidate for the Glenrothes by-election has declared.
In a fresh embarrassment to the Prime Minister, Lindsay Roy suggested that the party would be in a better position if Mr Brown had not lost his nerve.
Mr Roy's remarks came as the Standard learned that Cabinet colleagues are to urge Mr Brown to overhaul radically his Queen's Speech this November to help to bounce back from a defeat in the Scottish by-election.
Senior figures believe the current list of Bills looks as if it has been "dusted down off a shelf" and some fail to address voters' most pressing concerns.
The Glenrothes by-election, expected on 6 November, is seen by many ministers as a possible trigger point for a Cabinet revolt.
Although Labour held the seat with a majority of more than 10,000 at the last election, the Scottish National Party is in a strong position to take it.
Mr Roy told STV's Politics Now programme last night that he would be disappointed if Mr Brown did not campaign for him.
He said the Prime Minister's "biggest mistake" had been over the 10p tax row.
Asked the second biggest one, he said: "In retrospect - and it's easy with hindsight - it may have been not calling an election over a year ago."
The Tories have dubbed the Prime Minister "Bottler Brown" for failing to do so and many Labour figures believe privately that it was a misjudgment.
The Queen's Speech, with the pre-Budget report, is seen as a key weapon in the autumn fightback against the Conservatives.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears refused to criticise those who had plotted against Mr Brown. "I'm not in the business of condemning people," she told BBC1's Question Time last night.
Reader views (7)
There is usually little in the Queen's Speech that affects Scotland, because it is mainly concerned with subjects over which the UK government has no Scottish jurisdiction, such health and education. So it will be interesting to see what is contained in this year's Speech if it is to attract voters to Labour in the Glenrothes by-election.
I don't recall GB making any reference to the by-election in his speech on Tuesday and, although he failed to say it, I think the promises he made only affect England, certainly not Scotland. So has he already ruled out any possibility of Labour winning the Glenrothes by-election?
- Ian, Edinburgh
The saddest mistake was that Brown could never accept that he was merely Ernie Wise to Blairs Eric Morecambe. The stooge has nothing to offer.
- C Adams, Pont l Abbé France.
How does the song go ? Oh yes, 'Things can only get better' etc, sublimely Orwellian.
- Vini, London, England
The greatest mistake that Gordon Brown made was to insist he was made Prime Minister... people had a higher regard for him before then
- Paul G., London
Dangerous territory for a PPC. There's no way that Gordon will want himself personally associated with a by-election loss of this scale.
I'm happy to lay odds that he'll either stay away completely or make a photo-op stop at the train station...
- Richard, Birmingham, UK
To be honest, there are that many to choose from, I'd be hard put to pinpint Crash's WORST mistake!
- Marianne, S W France
Couldn't agree more: the timidity of Mr Brown has infected the entire party and he has forfeited the goodwill of the British people. Cravenness and timidity are ugly qualities in a grown man.
- Neil, london uk, Airstrip ONE .
