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Harman is Labour's nightmare
Joe Murphy, Political Editor19 Feb 2009
Secretly, guiltily, tentatively, the Cabinet is beginning to plan for the post-Gordon age.
None but a fool would openly jockey for the party leadership at this stage. But political reality means that the big players, who make their reputations by thinking 10 steps ahead of everyone else, must consider who will wear the crown if Labour is cast out of power.
The dread now being spoken aloud is that Harriet Harman could, with the support of trade union allies, the soft Left and women activists, trounce them all. "My head says it cannot possibly happen," says one minister. "But my guts say it is possible - and the consequences would be far worse than people realise.
"You would be looking at a generation of our best young talent packing their bags and leaving front-line politics rather than waste time in a shadow cabinet led by her. We would be out of power for at least a decade because she could not win a general election."
To be fair to Ms Harman, her political talents are greater than her critics allow. One sage Labour figure says the reason she beat Alan Johnson to the deputy leadership was not by being a woman but "because she had definition and he didn't", ie Labour voters knew what she stood for: women's issues, equality, bashing City excesses. Her appeal may be narrow but it is distinct. Enter, from the modernising wing, her possible nemesis in the shape of Yvette Cooper. Critics say she lacks Ms Harman's populist touch, but against that there is her back story - comprehensive school, trade unionist father - and her appeal as a working mother with young children.
A Cabinet minister is planning to approach Ms Cooper, seeing her as a genuine potential Premier. But at the very least, Ms Cooper could take the wind out of Ms Harman's sails and allow another Brownite moderniser like Ed Miliband to cut through.
Reader views (9)
Personally I think there is little to choose between them. Actually no single person comes to mind who could be seen as a natural replacement for Brown. Well, that says it all really, doesn't it. It's the wilderness for them, I hope, and for many years to come.
- Sarah H, Wiltshire, 19/02/2009 22:00
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she's not just london's nightmare, her husband has had a
good few troubled nights as well.
- M.O'Brien, london.uk, 19/02/2009 18:06
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Harriet Harman & Yvette Cooper should be cooking and ironing. Too many women in politics now and none of them any good.
- Harvey Tuckett, KINGSTON UPON HULL, 19/02/2009 17:58
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Her proposed "Equalities" Bill plans to legally discriminate against men who are not from an ethnic minority when job seeking. Thats about 45% of the population whom I hope will not forget this appalling challenge to our civil liberties, natural justice and human rights and will never vote for the Harperson or Zanu Labour.
- Ricky Martin, Hackney, London, 19/02/2009 16:50
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Not the best of a bad lot, the worst of the worst lot.
- Judith C, London, England, 19/02/2009 16:09
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Either name the cabinet minister or it is a certainty he/she does not exist.
- Colin, barking essex, 19/02/2009 14:49
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We have gone through a lot lately, one way and another, having GBrown as our PM has been so bad for this country and the results are devistating. One doesn't have to concern oneself with who the next Labour Leader will be, its irrelevant, they won't in power after the next election!
- Elizabeth Jell, UK, 19/02/2009 14:09
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Bring on even bigger clowns.
- John, manchester, 19/02/2009 12:02
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Best young talent??? What talent?
- Chris, Brighton, England, 19/02/2009 12:00
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