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'You’re a dead man walking' MPs tell Gordon Brown
Nicholas Cecil and Joe Murphy28.09.09
Gordon Brown was branded a 'dead man walking' today as Labour Left-wingers turned on the Prime Minister.
On the eve of his speech to Labour's annual rally, backbencher Alan Simpson labelled him a “grumpy old man” and described Downing Street as like the “last days of Hitler bunker mentality”.
He added: “The conference is a pageant of loyalty; behind the scenes there is a mayhem of complaints.”
The Nottingham South MP claimed the party's Left, which refused to move against Mr Brown in June last year, is finally prepared to pull away its support. “Gordon has until Christmas,” he said. With many Labour activists in low spirits, Stroud MP David Drew suggested a younger MP should take over as Labour leader. “There is a need for a generational change,” he said. “You have got to bring forward new people and that's the art to keep governing.”
Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn added: “There has to be a change in policies as much as in individuals.”
Luton North MP Kelvin Hopkins stopped short of directly calling for Mr Brown to stand down but tore into his premiership. “We have to have a change of direction to inspire people to believe that we are a real Labour government doing what needs to be done for millions of people,” he said. Other Left-wingers, including London MPs Diane Abbott and Andy Love, are not calling for Mr Brown to go.
However, the decision by some MPs to break cover may turn out to be significant as the Left did not back the attempted coup against Mr Brown last year.
Speaking on BBC radio, Chancellor Alistair Darling said of Mr Simpson: “Alan is entitled to his views. I just don't agree with them.”
He also argued that Mr Simpson did not represent “mainstream Labour opinion” and that most party members were focused on seeking to persuade voters of the choices they faced from Labour and the Tories.
Labour's big guns rallied to defend Mr Brown by heaping praise on the Prime Minister's determination during the economic crisis. Lord Mandelson admitted these were “challenging times” for Labour but said Mr Brown's strength of character would pull the party through. “I think people like a guy who sticks to his guns,” he said. “Who is dogged in that sense, and who is going to stick to his course.”
Tory leader David Cameron was a “flibbertigibbet” who lacked policies and depth, he claimed. Mr Darling said the country could be proud of Mr Brown. “Proud that the people who led the way in stopping recession turning into global depression were our government and our Prime Minister.”
But Labour's misery deepened with a poll showing them scraping rock bottom — and level-pegging with the Liberal Democrats for the first time in memory.
A ComRes poll for The Independent put Labour and the Liberal Democrats on 23 per cent of the vote, with the Tories enjoying a 15-point lead on 38 per cent.
The Tories would be the biggest party in a hung Parliament, though denied an overall majority, if Labour was led by Schools Secretary Ed Balls, Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband, Home Secretary Alan Johnson, Commons Leader Harriet Harman or Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, according to the poll.
Rubbing salt into the Prime Minister's wounds, it claimed Labour would do better — perhaps becoming the largest party in a hung Parliament — if Foreign Secretary David Miliband or Justice Secretary Jack Straw took over as leader.
Mr Simpson said the whole party knew the election was slipping away, including senior ministers. “Gordon's conference speech is really dead men walking'.
“When you have senior Cabinet ministers all acknowledging that the morale of the party is rock bottom, what they are recognising is that grumpy old men have difficulty raising morale,” he said.
“If the haemorrhaging has not been staunched, then I think the Left would not just stand around and watch the party bleed to death from self-inflicted wounds.”
Mr Brown has pledged to listen to the party but Mr Simpson doubts that he can now rally Labour troops to stop them marching to election defeat.
He believes the Prime Minister is torn by inner turmoil with a “sense of festering resentment that he is not loved” and feels “very angry” that he is not getting the credit for things which he should.
“I would like to think he can, and he promised, that he would be different,” Mr Simpson said. “But the difficulty is that you have to ask yourself can he now be different from how he has been for the last 20 years. I think that may be a bridge too far for him.”
Labour conference
In the air
Tony Blair famously mused in 2006: “My project will be complete when the Labour Party learns to love Peter Mandelson”.
Thirteen years on, and the omnipresent Lord Mandelson still strains the affections of senior colleagues.
“Everything is being changed so his speech can get a bigger slot,” claims a party insider, who says other ministers are being cut short to accommodate the First Secretary's extra length.
The fighter-not-quitter was up with the larks to plug the daily slogan on the morning TV and radio shows. But the real test of Blair's dictum will come this afternoon when he stands on the platform to address the activists and trade unionists.
Will they cheer him to the rafters as a reward for his months of constant media appearances to promote Labour? Or will the old suspicion that he is not really “one of us” get the better of them?
Quote of the day
“Maturity and experience against the politics of the playground.”
Alistar Darling lays into George Osborne
Conference whispers
Gordon Brown's aides will be hunting desperately for packets of Lockets today after the PM's voice dried up in the conference hall. In a move that had shades of the dreaded Iain Duncan Smith frog-in-the-throat that haunted the ex-Tory leader, Brown's vocal cords packed up during a Q&A session. Harriet Harman helpfully found a glass of water, but the damage was done. Funnily enough, his voice failure came as he was speaking about Afghanistan...
After roasting his colleagues for “defeatism”, John Prescott set an example today by, er, leaving the Brighton conference. The old bruiser has a ticket to climate change talks in Strasbourg.
Beauty parade
Looking good - Rising hope Ed Miliband has wangled not one but two speeches from the platform. For his first (as manifesto overlord) he donned shirtsleeves for a rousing performance. He further fuelled speculation about his ambitions by whizzing around a string of events, including the Tribune rally.
Bad hair day - Alas for Ed's brother David - the Foreign Secretary has been relegated to the graveyard slot on Thursday, when half the hall will be hungover.
Reader views (33)
“But the difficulty is that you have to ask yourself can he now be different from how he has been for the last 20 years. I think that may be a bridge too far for him.”
What? You mean, can he become competent and show integrity after all this time? Good question.
- Rogan, Irving
Yes,Brown is finished.Someone should tell Labour that although Brown is a dead man walking,the Labour Party has already been sent to the gallows.The only good thing that may now happen is if the Party try to get rid of him and he calls an immediate election and steps down one day before it.
- Dave, london
For goodness sake NO we don't want Gordy to go yet. We want him to carry on walking right up to the election - and then walk off the cliff. He and Mandy are helping a Conservative landslide get bigger and bigger.
- Neil, London, UK
Not much whooping it up at this year's Labour conference. I guess it will be more like a wake.
Mandelson has now shown us what a sad, power-mad individual he is by stating his willingness to work for the Tories. He can see himself disappearing off the front pages of our newspapers and that will be a major blow to this awful, conceited individual who I hope disappears forever from our sight.
- George, Cambridge UK
Paxman's face this morning during Alistair Darling's speech said it all.
The Labour Party should be allowed to die not pandas.
- Janet, London
Brown is just a huge lump of unwanted ballast in a ‘Political Storm’ the sooner they chuck him overboard, the better for them it would be.
Unlike Nick Cleg MP, none of the labour Party members has the GUTS to say what they really believe.
I don’t wish to see the Labour party ‘Self-Destruct ‘ as the Tory have nothing to offer except one word Cuts. So why are they so Gutless in getting rid of dead wood Gordon?
- Carl Barron, Christchurch, Dorset
I say Gordon Brown is the worst Prime Minister since the 2nd World War who has been the worst Chancellor ever.He destroyed our pensions, sold our gold at knock down prices and has reneged on a NuLabour promise to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. The sooner he and Mandelson go the better.
- Keith Priceless, Luton
The electorate will judge Alan Simpson, Charles Clark and Gordon Brown. Neither Simpson nor Clark are doing themselves any favours by dissing the Prime Minister. Whether you like him or not (and most who post here clearly don't like him), Brown has been gutsy and followed on his convictions. He has shown leadership and he may yet be shown to have been right in following a Keynesian rather than Thatcherite policy in the face of recession. What have the other two done but carp. My money is on Brown being re-elected and the other two clearing their offices (hoorah).
- Peace Maker, Battersea
Brown & co have messed up through a lack of vision and stupid decisions. But I wonder how many people would have applauded them for letting Halifax go bust (something the Tories with their hands off approach would approve of I assume).
A tory spin government with mr fake as our PM fills me with dread. This is what angers me most about brown - that his action/inaction/inability together with the lack of courageof his colleagues to tell him to go may allow the Tory faker in.
- Chris, London
Harry H London - Lib Dems = more woolly thinking = more taxes = more immigration = more PC = more EU = Unelectable.
- Dee Jay, Fleet Hampshire
I do not think even if Labour came up with a new policy, new direction or new leader that they would be trusted.
The have let us down so many times.
- Gordon Kennedy, Dagenham UK
Labour,led by Brown, has been a disaster for Scotland and the UK and the sooner we get a Tory government, led by David Cameron, the better for everybody.
- Jkr, Glasgow Scotland,
JKR.Scotland was implicit in bringing New Labour to power;It is Labours country.The Tories have no answers to anything and slowly globalisation is destroying the UK's indentity re: Cadburys et al.I or one fear for the future of my country.Afterall 'dead man walking' Brown signed the nation state away without referendum by signing the Lisbon treaty.
- Andrew, Ely UK
We have had Old Labour , followed by New Labour . Now we have Dead Labour.
- John, dundee
The Labour party made Mr Charisma the leader a decision which will ultimately prove fatal for the party. The leader really does not matter now the damage has well and truly be done
- Gary, Brentwood
Harry H of London says the Conservatives will say anything to win power. Was this not exactly what the LibDems were doing at their conference last week?
Labour,led by Brown, has been a disaster for Scotland and the UK and the sooner we get a Tory government, led by David Cameron, the better for everybody.
- Jkr, Glasgow Scotland,
Andrew Marr is as useless as chocolate teapot, as usual he was poorly briefed, failed to nail McBruun on many specific issues and let him get away, unchallenged, with his ranting lists. I would really like to see McBruun interviewed by Paxman and detailed issues properly investigated.
A little while ago Mandlespin promised us a live debate between McBruun & Cameron - I bet that never happens. In fact the odds are that McBruun bottles out of facing an election (as he always does) and scuttles off into the night.
- Mark Myword, London
Failing eyesight? Brown has been blind for years when it comes to the abyss that he has been leading the country into. Although there is always the suspicion he has known all along and this has always been his plan. No more UK, a federal european government "of the people."
- Gazza, London,England
Yesterday on The Andrew Marr Show on BBC1 Brown was up to his usual trick of deception, when he talked about the UK's debt being lower than a number of major economies. What he failed to explain was that through off balance balance sheet trickery known as PPP, the UK has hidden debts of over £700 billion. A lot of so called future investment in Health and Education will actually be the paying off of this debt, at high interest rates I might add. Incurred by the building of hospitals and schools on the 'never never'.
In addition of this dishonesty is the massive increase in the number of people not working and claiming disability benefit. Incidentally you may be interested to learn that Scotland at 11% has the highest rate of 'disabled' claimants in the UK. A rate which is more than double the national average. Factor in the huge numbers of students who are incurring debts, studying almost worthless degrees. Once again to hide the reality Labour are categorizing Sports Science, Domestic Science and a whole host of other courses as Maths and Science. In order to hide the ever decreasing numbers of students, who are actually studying for the knowledge and skills we need to carry this country forwards.
All of this and the relentless increase in the numbers of public sector workers is about massaging the employment figures in an attempt to con the public.
The Conservatives will say anything to win.
It seems that if we want honesty the Lib Dems are the best option.
- Harry H, London UK
"Maturity and experience against the politics of the playground."
- Alistar Darling lays into George Osborne
Would that be the same maturity and experience that has landed this country trillions in debt?
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Peter Mandleson's comments over the weekend that he would be willing to work with a Cameron government 'for the benefit of the country' must be the first recorded example in history of a rat announcing in advance to the press that he intends to leave a sinking ship,
- Extopcop, London
Doubtless, after the General Election, Mr Simpson will be looking to usurp Mystic Meg.
- Captain Black Of The Mysterons, London, England
I saw his deranged, sweaty attempt to smile through the Marr interview - he has so little grip on reality - pathetic
- David, soton
Well said Alan Simpson!
At long last, Labour MP's are speaking out about the reality rather than rhetoric. His turn of phrase was wonderful;
"Grumpy old men" is so fitting!
Gordon Brown, angry and resentful that he is not loved and not getting the credit he feels he is entitled to, Lord Mandelson becoming bitter as the power and patronage he so enjoys slips away as journalists, civil servants and businessmen realise Labour face oblivion while Prescott rants from the sidelines like a modern-day King Lear!
- Manny Goldstein, London, England
What a lovely sight of those NU Lab headless chickens going round and round in ever decreasing circles!Not long now before we put them and ourselves out of our misery.
- Alan, Chigwell.
I say well done Gordon Brown for rescuing the country from the worldwide economic recession, which has hit many other countries far harder than it has us here in the UK
- Keith Price, Luton England
It's not Brown's poor health that worries me; it's his poor judgement.
- John, London
Clearly they are delusional: Labour is a dead political party walking! As for the election 'slipping' away: it's going to be a massive land-slide.
- Roz, France
Well we all know the contempt Lord Muck and those corrupt Labour cohorts, hold for free speech and democracy.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
There's no smoke without fire and this would explain Brown's rose tinted spectacles when all is falling apart around him. The heavy sweating, however, during the Marr interview was more likely because his past lies are now catching up with his deranged mind.
- Bingham Macnamara, lymington, hampshire
Waffle, waffle, waffle, waffle, waffle, waffle. Joe Public are sick-to-death of reading about what "Lord" Meddleslime has to say.
I could not care less about whether Gormless Brown is on painkillers or what he had for breakfast - what I do know is the UK is borrowing £500,000,000 PER DAY just to survive, there are currently over 4,000,000 unemployed, the £ sterling is not worth the paper it is printed on, skools are churning out wholly illiterate children, the NHS is on its last legs and Meddleslime has the audacity to jump to the defence of Gormless Brown.
Absolute hypocrites the lot of them.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
I think that what’s interesting here is, why has the press turned its back on Mandelson and Brown? It seems like Mandelspin is finding it very hard to come to terms with the reality that a media which he was once able to control with a steady flow of titbits and exclusives from Number 10 have now completely deserted him.
- St, London
Sounds like he is trying to interfere with journalism... And Bruuun we are not worried about your eyesight.
- Georgie, Islington, London
Is Brown hedging his bets allowing such "leaks" so that if his party does insist he go before the election he can claim an ill-health pension (usually much higher than for those who retire early without health problems)? How convenient.
- Ab, London
