I have by and large refrained from commenting on the Tessa Jowell thus far, mainly because no-one has managed to explain to me what exactly it is that she is supposed to have done wrong.
I expand on this point in this week's Column and accompanying Podcast but I conclude with a look forward to what might happen to Tony Blair following this week's education vote.
"Thankfully for Ms Jowell, it is Mr Blair’s own future to which the attentions of the media will surely now turn. Tory leader David Cameron’s carefully-laid “bear hug” strategy of trying to kill the Prime Minister with kindness by detaching him from his own MPs is now very close to success.
"As I have written before, if Mr Blair is forced to rely on Tory votes to get those reforms through next Wednesday, he will be finished as Labour leader. Very soon now, we could well be writing a far bigger political obituary than that of the Culture Secretary."
2 comments:
Now that would be a strange one. Would we be unhappy at having 'won' Blair's education reforms, but compensate that with the notion of getting rid of the architect. However, as I don't think Blair is 'one of us' anyway, I strongly suspect he wouldn't go unless the Party firmly put its metaphorical toe up his metaphorical arse. The Tories are much more ruthless, as Lady Falklands discovered. I think Blair would be well advised to heed her lesson and not leave the country at the moment.
You could be right Paul, but Martin Kettle's thoughtful piece in Guardian 11th March suggests we might get used to a world in which a MacDonaldite pact becomes accepted as part of the terrain. It would ruin Labour for a decade or so and deny Brown the crown, but it could be about to happen; I would certainly consider leaving the party should it actually do so.
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