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Gordon Brown faced claims government discipline is breaking down after refusing to reprimand a Cabinet minister and a ministerial aide who went off-message.
To the consternation of loyalist MPs, Downing Street declined to comment on the conduct of a senior aide to Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth, who attacked his boss's attempts to reform compensation for wounded troops as “bonkers” and “profoundly wrong”.
Eric Joyce was said to be escaping with no more than a slapped wrist for his remarks. He even said that if the Ministry of Defence managed to cut compensation in two test cases, it would be “a victory for bureaucracy over bravery”.
At the same time, Cabinet minister Peter Hain infuriated colleagues by flatly contradicting the Home Secretary over the extradition of computer hacker Gary McKinnon.
Although Alan Johnson staged a weekend fightback saying the extradition laws were fair, Mr Hain said laws between Britain and the US were one-sided. Wishing the hacker “good luck”, Mr Hain said: “It is much easier to be extradited from Britain to the US than it is for people to be extradited from the US to Britain.” Downing Street refused to criticise either man, despite the doctrine of collective responsibility that says a minister or aide wishing to speak out against government policy should resign.
Some ministers voiced frustration. One told the Standard: “It is hard to say Joyce should be sacked if Peter Hain can contradict the Home Secretary without any punishment.”
The Conservatives said it showed a government in decline. Frontbencher Greg Hands said: “A Labour minister calls his boss bonkers. Peter Hain openly attacks the Home Secretary. Gordon Brown's ministers seem to be losing the will to govern.”
Mr Joyce, a former Black Watch major, was commenting on a High Court case brought by the MoD to challenge rulings which increased the payouts to two injured soldiers.
Mr Joyce said the public gives politicians “a lot of rope”, but added: “Where we get the moral call profoundly wrong on a matter of how we treat our astonishingly brave service personnel, we'll find ourselves dangling at the end of it.”
Mr Ainsworth last week ended his holiday to order a review of the compensation schemes be speeded up.
Reader views (28)
Gormless Brown, the photo alone confirms this.
- David, Fleet UK, 21/08/2009 09:25
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but still people will follow like lemmings and vote for this wretched party !!!
- Ronnie, UK, 03/08/2009 22:26
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Gordon who? I thought they were all off on their 82 day, eco-friendly holidays at Freezing-by-the-Sea.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 03/08/2009 18:40
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Agree with all that's been said, Ken H left out Rumpsfelt. What next Harmans all women high command. God help us from this lowlife government.
- Peter, France, 03/08/2009 17:41
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Excellent title, 'House of Conmen'.
Is it that I a certain rippling of annoyance in the UK detect?
The English humour was the thing I missed the most but England is no longer a laughing matter except, of course, to other countries.
- Ex London, Germany, 03/08/2009 17:33
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This implies he had some semblance of a grip to start with.... the man is a disgrace and will be judged as such by history
- David, soton, 03/08/2009 17:29
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Pa McRuin is likened unto King Kanute, sat in his Throne pretending that "All is well!" and "The Tide will go out!" That is so true, the tide will Go out and take NULab with it.
The internal squabbling between Mr Mendacious and Mrs Harperson as to whom is running the country whilst McRuin is on hols building 'Sandcastles In the Air'. So funny, I nearly spilled my mug of coffee!!!
- Uncle Vanya, East Anglia Area UK, 03/08/2009 17:15
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What grip ?
- Fay Mcademy, London, 03/08/2009 16:28
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It's quite obvious the poor deluded man is on his way out both mentally and politically.
All hope of salvaging the newlabour experiment has copllapsed under his 'leadership'
The newlabour spin machine has realised too late in the day the folly of an unelected 'leader' who was unable to establish his authority and the self evident lack of spine in failing to remove him.
People don't respect this lack of discipline at most times but when the whole country is tightening its belt and cutting its cloth, the sight of newlabour being unable to take a decision to save its life is breath taking.
He's on his way out; finally.
He will not be missed.
- Robin, London, 03/08/2009 16:08
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buffons led by bufoons and who is the greater bufoon?
us, of course, for voting these patently inept, greedy and corrupt false faced no hopers into power and onto the gravey train at our expense.
when will we learn?
after untold years of being cheated, lied to and taken as prime mugs by these self serving oportunists we still are naieve enough and frankly stupid enough to keepvoting them in to power.
wake up and see the truth, we are the ones that have the power, if only we'd use it.
- M.O'Brien, london.uk, 03/08/2009 15:52
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And how many more times are 'our' moronic mass media intent on relauching this mendaciously disingenuous, blatantly corrupt, undemocratically arrogant ZaNuLabour vermin.
Lie after lie after lie.
Yes ... I do detest them!
- Dave, Cumbria, 03/08/2009 15:40
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The headline says that Gordon Brown is losing the grip, but how can he be accused of losing something that he has never had?
- Scotty, Cambridge UK, 03/08/2009 15:19
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As a life long Socialist; I can honestly say that Blair and Brown, and all those other MP,s that supported them are a disgrace to all working people; yes even the middle classes that once trusted them also.
I never thought I would live to see a worse government than that government of Margaret Thatcher's; that sold out the UK for a few pounds for tax cuts; but I was wrong; New Labour are the worst government I have known in the last 60 years.
Get out now Brown, before you destroy the UK beyond repair.
- Mickinlondon, london., 03/08/2009 15:04
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The point about the MOD's disgraceful case is surely: If the soldiers weren't injured in the first place, then they wouldn't have had the complications afterwards. Ergo, the two are linked. A new low even for Brown's morons
- Stephen, N London, 03/08/2009 14:47
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"Losing"? I think you mean "Lost, as soon as he bottled calling that general election last year".
- St, London, 03/08/2009 14:35
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As we all should know thruth is always the first casuality in war and regretably as a result of spin and underfunding by Brown and Blair it was not and will not be the last. The public is all too aware that penny pinching by Brown with respect of our armed forces even as we asked more and more of them is at the root of the deaths we have experienced. It turns ones stomach to think of the brave soles in Afghanistan doing their duty while the pond life of Browns administration scurry around looking for places to hide and failing them - a failure all the more revolting as it is literally killing our troops.
- Christian Ball, London UK, 03/08/2009 13:58
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What is so deplorable about this Government is the fact we are losing the lives of young men to spread democracy to a country like Afghanistan - a ridiculous undertaking given the cultural mores in that country - not least their attitudes to women!! And the utterly pornographic aspect to this is that this government behaves in the most undemocratic fashion. If Brown was passionate about the principle of democracy and he is when it comes to spending the lives of young blokes WHEN IS HE GOING TO CALL AN ELECTION AND SUBMIT HIMSELF TO THE CAUSE HE ESPOUSES!!!
- William Saunders, Yate, Bristol, 03/08/2009 13:36
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As an American living in England for the past 10yrs, I can admit that the US is far from perfect, but this is incompetence & corruption on another scale...
I know, I know... If I don't like it filthy Heathrow is open for business - the one-way flight is booked...
Hopefully they won't lose my luggage...
- Andre, london, 03/08/2009 13:03
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Let's not sack this clown yet, get him to run through his CV and see if he is qualified to do the job. Then sack the useless git.
- Rod, Epping, UK, 03/08/2009 12:12
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This Labour Government & Party are simply falling apart at the seams . . . why don't they put us (& them) out of our misery and just call the bloody General Election so that we can draw a line under 12 years of failure and start to put right what Labour have destroyed . . . as they always do when they're in power!
- Silent Hunter, Stirling, Scotland, 03/08/2009 11:54
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Brown, Blair, Bush, and Cheney's, military knowledge, prowese and genius, to say nothing of courage, stands out proud with every word the cabinet members utter.
Makes'ya look forward to the general election and political 'Firing Squad'even more.
- Ken.H, Harrow. UK, 03/08/2009 11:52
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Brown talks about "investing" while trying to fleece our wounded troops in the High Court!
This is he tells us is due to his values and moral compass.
Hitlers started like this and ended up exterminating millions because of his values and the contribution it made to his counties economy.
Is it something about being a Chancellor that sends people of their trolley?
- Barry, Wales, 03/08/2009 11:39
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Perhaps Bob Ainsworth will tell us of his military experience that gives him the right to criticise Eric Joice who I believe has actually got some army service? Wasn't he in the Communist party?
- Fred, Horsham, 03/08/2009 10:24
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AS a direct result of this Government's incompetance, lack of funding, etc, people have died. Joyce was right, and Brown, Ainsworth, etc are wrong, and history will judge it as so.
- Very Very Angry At Paying Tax For Mp'S Expeses, Home Counties, 03/08/2009 09:55
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"bonkers" is a word that can be applied to very many Labour MPs, Lords and Ladies. Actually probably the whole cabinet.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 03/08/2009 09:40
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It's not the government action that is 'bonkers' its the compensation scheme itself. Joyce has been put up to provide a smoke screen. A scheme that compensates someone who has returned to full fitness but at the same time fails to provide adequate support for those permanently disbled is simply mad. Go back to the War Pensions scheme which can be adjusted over a life time of possibly deteriorating health and modify that for modern conditiond. Once again a 'first time' labour policy has been found to be flawed in practise because it did not put soldiers welfare first and above containing costs.
- Peter Haldane, London, 03/08/2009 09:27
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By his own admission, he's not as intelligent as the Military, what are the chances he'll "do the right thing"?
- Bob, Cheam, 03/08/2009 08:30
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The Ministry of Defence, Home Office, Jackboot Straw and the Speaker of the House of Conmen seem to spend most of their time in the High Court fronting litigation funded by Joe Public.
THIS PATENT NONSENSE MUST CEASE FORTHWITH.
ARE YOU LISTENING GORMLESS BROWN?
STOP CHALLENGING EVERYTHING THAT MOVES GORMLESS.
I AM SENDING BOB AINSWORTH A DISPOSABLE RAZOR SO HE CAN GET RID OF THAT STUPID MOUSTACHE - HE OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT GET SUFFICIENT EXPENSES TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD RAZOR BLADES.
Yours most respectfully
REUBEN CAMARA
Republic of Morecambe
Where Geraldine Smith MP claimed GBP249.99 for a table lamp on expenses
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK, 03/08/2009 08:00
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