Hazel Blears' resignation leaves Gordon Brown's premiership in crisis

[Sheilbh]

  James Purnell's apparently resigned.  This is big.  He's the leading Young Turk, he wants the job of leader (at some point) and has been very effective in his ministerial roles so far.  This could be, rather weirdly, even more important than the resignation of the Communities Secretary as that was more important than the resignation of the Home Secretary.

If young talented minister start thinking it's better outside the cabinet than in it then Brown's fucked

Edit: According to Nick Robinson Purnell's resignation letter will be published by the Sun and the Times tomorrow () he apparently wants to force a leadership election in which he won't stand.

As with Smith and Blears this is sort of personal as Brown's people have been briefing against them all.  They've suggested numerous times that Purnell's gay, which he isn't.  He's just young.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Just about to post the very same thing, more or less :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8083585.stm

I'm fairly sure Brown will be out within the month now. The question is, when can we expect a General Election?

[Sheilbh]

I'm fairly sure Brown will be out within the month now. The question is, when can we expect a General Election?

Autumn?  I think Spring and Autumn are traditional election times.  Surely too many people are on holiday and stuff over the summer?

[Richard Hakluyt]

Yes, the autumn sounds right to me. It will take a few weeks to remove Brown and then the new leader will be able to set a date about 6 weeks in the future............so maybe september?

It would feel very odd to have a general election in the summer, I can't recall when this last happened, so I think that waiting till september will not incur many criticisms.

[Sheilbh]

Purnell's letter:

Dear Gordon

    We both love the Labour Party.

    I have worked for it for twenty years and you for far longer. We know we owe it everything and it owes us nothing.

    I owe it to our Party to say what I believe no matter how hard that may. I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more not less likely

    That would be disastrous for our country. This moment calls for stronger regulation, an active state, better public services, an open democracy.

    It calls for a government that measures itself by how it treats the poorest in society. Those are our values, not David Cameron's.

    We therefore owe it to our country to give it a real choice. We need to show that we are prepared to fight to be a credible government and have the courage to offer an alternative future.

    I am therefore calling on you to stand aside to give our Party a fighting chance of winning. And as such I am resigning from Government.

    The Party was here long before us, and we want it to be here long after we have gone. We must do the right thing by it.

    I am not seeking the leadership, nor acting with anyone else. My actions are my own considered view, nothing more.

    If the consensus is that you should continue, then I will support the government loyally from the backbenches. But I do believe that this question now needs to be put.

    Thank you for giving me the privilege of serving.

    Yours

    Rt Hon James Purnell MP

Apparently no-one knew this was coming.  Purnell's friends weren't aware it was happening, neither was Downing Street and he released the letter to the press before he sent it to Downing Street.

Nick Robinson has suggested he might have been speaking to Tony Blair because it 'smacks of Blairite firmness'

[Neil]

That must be it.  Even in these days, where only the prime minister is really important, surely a PM can't withstand half his cabinet resigning.

[Oexmelin]

While the system is pretty much the same, party life and dynamics seem much stronger in Britain than they are in Canada - or at least, much more public with a stronger sense of «a Party» rather than «a Team / a Man ».

[Richard Hakluyt]

On an election day as well, quite amazing.

[Neil]

While the system is pretty much the same, party life and dynamics seem much stronger in Britain than they are in Canada - or at least, much more public with a stronger sense of «a Party» rather than «a Team / a Man ».

That is true.  The factions within British parties are occasionally important, whereas the only time they ever mattered in Canada was when the federal PCs disintegrated.

[Sheilbh]

The Spectator say that the rumour at the minute is that David Miliband is stepping down tomorrow.  I can't think of a situation like this

And the Brown Bunker's spin (poor Jim Knight on the news at the minute) is just ridiculous

[Richard Hakluyt]

I've slipped up, should have got some beers in to drink whilst watching the entertainment 

[jimmy olsen]

The Spectator say that the rumour at the minute is that David Miliband is stepping down tomorrow.  I can't think of a situation like this

And the Brown Bunker's spin (poor Jim Knight on the news at the minute) is just ridiculous

There are no American troops in Baghdad!

[Richard Hakluyt]

Newsnight did a piece on Preston a few minutes ago. In 5 hours of filming and chatting to voters they did not meet a single BNP supporter 

[Sheilbh]

There are no American troops in Baghdad!

It was like a Soviet Apparatchik:
'This sort of thing always happens in the run-up to a reshuffle.'
'I believe the vast majority of Labour Party members will be annoyed at the destruction of their work in the run-up to this election by MPS and their expenses and these resignations.'
'I think the Parliamentary Labour Party should stand by the convictions they had when they, overwhelmingly, nominated Gordon.  When Hazel did, when Jacqui did, when James did, when I did.'


Purnell's getting great spin though.  The Independent journalist on the BBC just said that Purnell loved the party and has a great sense of loyalty to it, he wouldn't have wanted to sully that by being involved in plots and conspiracies.

Brown's going to be away on Saturday for D-Day celebrations which will, surely, be a dreadful time.

Edit:  And Labour's thumbscrews are out to get loyal MPs out issuing statements describing just how much they disagree with Purnell

[Neil]

'I think the Parliamentary Labour Party should stand by the convictions they had when they, overwhelmingly, nominated Gordon.  When Hazel did, when Jacqui did, when James did, when I did.'

Their convictions?

"Alright, we've finally gotten rid of Blairhitler, the charismatic leader that was running the risk of tainting us with the electorate as a bunch of police-state warmongers who are friends with George Bush.  Now we'll put in Gordon, whose lacklusterness won't rock the boat, and who will only fight one more election.  Then we can get on to choosing a real future for the party, one that will keep us in power."

I would say that Brown broke with their convictions by surpassing lacklusterness into dismal territory.