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Jittery Jowell: Infighting will destroy election hopes
Nicholas Cecil13.03.09
Labour must show humility but not descend into despair and division as voters turn against the Government in the recession, a senior minister will warned today.
Olympics minister Tessa Jowell, who attends Cabinet, will call for “calm, unity and quiet resolution” as the Government is battered by the economic crisis.
Ministers should admit lessons must be learned, she will add.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, though, is expected to strike a more defiant tone by saying the Government has nothing to apologise for despite the view that there have been failings in Britain's financial regulation system.
The peer was expected to say in an interview to be broadcast today: “If this were some ordinary recession, rather than an almighty great international crisis in our banks, then we might have something to apologise for. And if it were only taking place in this country, and not round the world, then probably some blame would attach to ourselves here. But neither of these things is true.”
With tensions growing in the Labour party, Ms Jowell will say the stakes are too high for infighting to destroy its chances of winning a fourth term.
Labour is falling in the polls, slipping again below 30 per cent of the vote, and Commons Leader Harriet Harman has angered some MPs with what they see as manoeuvring for a leadership battle if Gordon Brown is defeated at the next election, expected in spring next year.
Her appeal to Left-wingers was crucial in winning Labour's deputy leadership.
Warning against abandoning New Labour ideals, Ms Jowell was due to tell a party event in Lewisham: “We all know the political situation is difficult but we must not allow those difficulties to breed despair and division within our ranks.”
The Dulwich and West Norwood mp will add: “We need to show we understand the anger, frustration and fear people are feeling about the recession.”
She will say activists should not be lured into embracing the freedoms of opposition instead of the “challenges of government”.
She will add: “There are some who, as times get tough, are tempted by a retreat to Labour's traditional comfort zone, who preferred the campaigning of the Eighties to the responsibility of governing ... But that would be a terrible abdication of our duty to the country and those who most need a Labour government.”
Left-wingers have argued that New Labour's championing of free markets sowed the seeds for the downturn.
Ms Jowell will warn against using the recession to brand Labour's 12 years in power a “failure” and dismiss as “naivety” claims there would be few differences between a Labour and a Tory government. “It's the same argument which helped get Margaret Thatcher elected in 1979,” she will say.
Reader views (37)
Thats brightened up my day! As if they have any chance at all!! Thanks Tessa - that has made me laugh!
- Stan Jones, London
What is the point of voting out one Conservative Party,and then electing another?
- Colin, Bristol
New Labour - traitors to the working class, destroyers of the economy & utterly corrupt.
They are going down to obvilion in the next election.
Good Riddance.
- Gordon M, Gerrards Cross, Bucks
Fingers crossed we see their backs ASAP, for good!
- Barry, Redhill
Attempting a U Turn half way down the clifface !
- Wills, Soton
Jolly good. Fight away. Feel free and don't let the begrudgers from spoiling your fun.
- Albert Hall, hove england
the labour party and their heirachy are increasingly aware that they are staring into an abyss and slowly it is dawning on them that it is one created by their own attitude and arrogance. like all political parties power corrupts and an overlong period in power increases the impression that they are masters of all they survey and govern and they are supreme in their vision.
as cromwell said,' you have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. depart, i say and let us have done with you. in the name of god, go!'
Blair is the main architect of their implosion, aided and abetted by pres cot, straw, brown, smith, blears, Harman and a plethora of now departed and lesser accolites.
however, having said that, the next shower will ultimately prove as bitterly disappointing and callous.
- M.O'Brien, london.uk
and they let the riff Raff of the world into Britain
and more of the same waiting in Calais
- Arthur Ruse, dover uk
If we had any doubts, we now know that the words forthcoming from Brown's lips that he has nothing to apologise, has in fact come from his "mentor" Mandelson. I guess Mandelson also dreamt up the phrase "the do nothing party". All I say is change the record over, we have all had and heard enough of this shower. New Labour was a lie and they have, at last, been found out!
- Sarah H, Wiltshire
What election hopes ?
- Steve Morgan, Surbiton
"Jittery Jowell: Infighting will destroy election hopes" And what election hopes would they be? Perhaps that Britain-hating NuLiebour will be merely consigned to the political wilderness, rather than being completely obliterated?
Let's face it, there ain't much chance of anything else happening!
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
Ms Jowell - and Mandy - seem to think "more of the same" will guarantee a "historic fourth term".
It might not be April Fools Day but it IS Red Nose Day, so I suppose this is just two cast members of the Whitehall Farce doing their bit.
- Graham, Ilford Essex
Ken had his thumb over "rising to £9.3 billion" when I signed!
- Dave, London England
Tessa is only in the government to be the fall guy when the Olympics fail. She should cross her fingers and hope that Labour is well clear by the time that all crashes down.
- Jilly, London
Mandelson has nothing to apologise for....he was not elected and is responsable to no one.
- P Doff, filey yorks
"Olympics Minister" - and that is just one of the many reasons why we will not vote for you, Tess. Showing humility and stopping the infighting will not reverse 12 years of tax rises, a ruined economy, two unnecessary wars and no progress in transport, health or education infrastructure.
Need any more clues?
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
I cannot think of one "interest" group in the UK - from trade unions to pensioners who do not now loathe this government and cannot wait to wave them off to their quangos, directorships, Euro jobs, gold plated pensions and oblivion. Apart from their favoured PC "victim groups" who bathe luxuriously in the taxpayers largesse.
- Ricky, Hackney, London
Apology - from Labour?? Don't bother. Completely worthless. Just get out and make way for the BNP!
- David Moon, Seaford, East Sussex, UK
same here joe,
we now need to save our heritage and country asap. god bless our soldiers past and present. bnp my vote
- Yvonne, harrow Weald
Don't let the door hit you on the way out love.
- Jimbob, Kensington
Hmm and here was I thinking it would be incompetence taht would destroy their election hopes
- Kathy, London
Laugh or what Tessa you have no chance.
- Dave Smith, Croydon
Labour has ruined the UK and she is one of the many culprits. Do everyone a favour and quit now along with the rest of your useless MPs that have caused the problems.
- Mike, London England
How is the case against her "estranged" husband going? This lady claims she didn't know he took out a joint mortgage as she "just signs papers without reading them". The sooner they are all out the better. They have no hope so they should just go.
- Thomas, London
Tessa you are delusional if you think Labour has any chance whatever might happen.
- Marianne, SW France
IDoes she really believe that it matters one iota whether Labour is fracturing or not? The electorate stands ready to fracture them big time -- whether they are already fractured isn't going to make a bit of difference.
- Phil Jones, London UK
Wake up and smell the coffee Tessa. Labour has squandered the Nation's inheritance, decimated pensions,the armed forces,education, NHS and sold of every last piece of the family silver.
- Jeremiah, London
Election hopes? I would be surprised if Labour actually allowed such decadence. Democracy, what's that?
I am still waiting for my vote on the EU Constitution which was rammed down the throats of the British people by unelected, unaccountable Eurocrats.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
I will NEVER vote labour - they are the most corrupt party imaginable.
- R.F., Yorks, UK
Nothing will make any difference to the result of the election-which is certainly signalling a Labour calamity.
Even if things turned suddenly economically around-most people will still fancy a change.
It's just such a pity we have to wait a year til we have the opportunity to pass judgement on the currently un-elected Prime Minister and his truly dreadful administrattion
- William Grierson, Kimpton-UK
The country is angry. We want an apology from someone at the top. If they say they have nothing to apologise for it means that their policies were right. How can they possibly say that their policies were right while they admit that the banks should have been more regulated?
- Alex C, London
Most people have made their mind up never to vote Labour again well before the recession.
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
Quote: Labour must show humility but not descend into despair and division as voters turn against the Government in the recession, a senior minister will warn today.
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Lord Mandelson is right; they have nothing to apologise for? The buck stops at the top.
Tessa Jowell is ten years to late.
The Labour Party died when Blair was elected with his New Labour Party.
They forgot their grass-root voters; and coveted the rich voters of the Tory Party.
The old age pensioners that fought and died for this Country; are the worst cared for people in the Developed world.
10 million of them will not forget New Labour.
Pray all you like Jowell and Mandelson; but you are finished; and the public know it; even if you do not.
- Mickyinlondon, london
We know, and good.
- David, Fleet UK
No - Labour destroys election hopes. Lets hope there is a GE soon.
- Stuart, london
Humility? They should be downright ashamed of what they've done to this country. There's not a man left standing who would vote for Labour now. They have DESTROYED this country and I despair for the next generation of working class children. Shame on 'Nu-Labour' for picking up where Maggie left of and superceding anything we ever though they could possibly do to follow in her wake. Now in the next general election there's going to be a huge rise in votes for extremeist parties such as BNP and at the end of the day the British people are generally open minded, socialist, and liberal but they are forcing us into a corner.
- Real, London
Too late for the political correct Labour party. But thakyou for opening my eyes and will be voting BNP at the next election onwards.
- Joe, Swanley Kent
