Brown Dithers While The Union Burns

Turns out that Gordon Brown has ‘dithered’ for over a year on Wendy Alexander’s great big plan to take the battle to the SNP on their own ground. Which is foolhardy at best, but really does sum up the idea of Alexander doing her best to punch above her weight (or her height). She’s decided the best think, and she’s steamed ahead, knowing she is right.

Fast forward to last Friday, the day after the drubbing of Labour in the local elections in England and Wales. Choosing a moment of maximum weakness for her erstwhile mentor she let those close to Brown south of the border know that she was thinking of pronouncing in favour of an early referendum.

A message was sent back: “She was told that the Prime Minister did not think it was an appropriate course of action.” Number 10 then went back to worrying about Labour’s annihilation and the threat to the PM’s position, not for a moment thinking Wendy would do anything.

In Scotland, Alexander stewed a bit: she had been messed around for a year, Brown was in too weak a position to argue so she decided to try and bounce him into it.

She would go ahead without letting him know and then he would have no choice but to back her. She was stitching up her supposed friend because she thought she could get away with it in the circumstances.
Three Line Whip, The Telegraph

Sounds like a broken record from Brown though… If he can’t listen to his own party, how can he listen to the electorate, as he so grandly promised?

Explore posts in the same categories: Commentary, Labour

Tags: gordon brown, listening, wendy alexander

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