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Brown plays down 'gossip' over battle for leadership
Joe Murphy, Political Editor18 Feb 2009
GORDON BROWN today dismissed as "gossip" an outbreak of Cabinet infighting over the Labour leadership.
In the wake of dismal poll ratings senior ministers are being accused of jockeying to succeed Mr Brown.
Harriet Harman found herself denounced by Cabinet colleagues for wooing the unions and promoting herself at Mr Brown's expense.
At his monthly press conference Mr Brown dismissed the reports as "gossip, which I dismiss entirely".
Ms Harman was named favourite to succeed Mr Brown, with Ladbrokes listing her as 10-3 frontrunner, ahead of Alan Johnson, David Miliband and Ed Miliband. But anonymous ministers have accused her of being "out of control" and jockeying for support from the unions on issues like City bonuses.
It was even suggested she was behind a "fantasy" report that Mr Brown could quit to become a global finance regulator. One minister said: "She is trying to appeal to the party rather than to the country. She should be reined in."
The Prime Minister's aides said Mr Brown had no complaints about his deputy. "There is no problem as far as he is concerned," said one.
Ms Harman's supporters today said the Equalities Minister was the victim of a whispering campaign.
Labour MP Sally Keeble said: "If Harriet was preparing to mount a leadership campaign it would be obvious to people like me but she is not.
"The most damaging thing would be internecine warfare at high levels of the party."
Another ally said: "Harriet has distinct views and speaks out for them - she does not plot behind the scenes."
Reader views (16)
The Harperson taking charge? A socialist ideologue being brought in to win back the political middle ground (you know, where most of the voters hang out)?
Yep, the Tories must be shaking in their boots! Even the LibDems must be drooling at the thought - they need something to counter-balance the blathering of their leader in the eyes of potential voters.
- Rogan, Irving, 19/02/2009 05:36
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To be fair to you, Keith Price, you're loyal to your ideals - but to a fault. The rose tint in your glasses, figurative or actual, quite neatly fits in with your political shade. Your loyalty doesn't make GB or his current crew fit to rule though, it merely means that you turn a blind eye to massively anti-socialist opinion in the country at the moment. When you speak of voters, its opinion that matters!
"Power corrupts.... (etc)" - in democatic politics, it takes the form of parties in power forgetting that they don't walk on water quite as well after a few years as they did when they swept aside the opposition. My lot did it before, as did yours - as yours are doing now. The wheel has turned. The pendulum has started swinging back to balance out the excesses - as it will again in the future.
No one says you have to like the wilderness years - but if you believe in democracy, you have to understand and accept it. Unless of course you are advocating a one party state? But there's a name (other than 'failed') for that form of socialism, isn't there.
- Rogan, Irving, 19/02/2009 04:40
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"When you have a leader as decent and successful as Gordon brown, you are always going to get jealous folk from all parties who pipe up and criticise him, without good reason"
Hear hear, old boy. You get exhausted listening to the rantings of the Tory minority who haven't won an election since the Pet Shop Boys were the tops, some time in the last millennium
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 18/02/2009 22:59
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Is Keith Price for real? What planet has he been living on for the past 12 years!!
- Stuart, London, 18/02/2009 19:41
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Who ever takes over from Brown better have a very safe seat, otherwise they are unlikely to be around after the next election.
- Roger, London, 18/02/2009 19:28
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Gordy, beware the ides of march. don't go to the senate.
trusted friends may yet prove anything but and your
birthday is nigh. accept no white elephants, or Trojan
horses from those that bear false face smiles.
- M.O'Brien, london.uk, 18/02/2009 19:17
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Keith have you been sniffing the glue again? Who is the kamikaze MP who wants El Gordo's job? Apparently the rats on the Titanic were still fighting over the last pieve of cheese as she sank beneath the waves.....
- Mark, London, 18/02/2009 19:09
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When you have a leader as decent and successful as Gordon brown, you are always going to get jealous folk from all parties who pipe up and criticise him, without good reason
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 18/02/2009 18:15
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They must be living in cloud coockoo land
- John Smith, London , England, 18/02/2009 17:43
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If his colleagues are not plotting to replace Brown the electorate is?
- William, London, 18/02/2009 17:16
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Gordon Brown as global financial regulator and Harriet Harman as PM? I do have a sense of humour but this is taking things a bit far, surely?
- Daniel, London, 18/02/2009 14:34
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If Harriet Harman is a viable contender for the Labour leadership, their prospects are worse than dire!
- Kevin Sullivan, Roehampton, London., 18/02/2009 13:44
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So, we had warmonger bliar trying to bring peace to the ME and he's failed, now there appears to be rumours that Boredom 'Bust and Boom' Clown will try and sort out the world's financial problems. Who are these deluded idiots proposing such rubbish???
- Ralph, GB, 18/02/2009 13:14
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Either way, this would have been a really stupid move on Ms Harman's part. The next Labour government will be voted out of office WHOEVER is in charge, for crimes against humanity, common sense, and the common purse. If she can wait a couple years, then THAT would be a sensible time to aim for the leadership.
- Marianne, SW France, 18/02/2009 11:31
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"Angela Merkel was pressing for him to become a global financial regulator."
It's nice to know that aren't the only country in the world with a deluded leader.
- Bob, Cheam, 18/02/2009 11:30
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I thought everyone was plotting against Gordon Brown. That's why he is afraid to hold a General Election.
- Neil, Gloucestershire, England., 18/02/2009 10:31
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