Saturday, September 09, 2006
One legged duck
The Independent reveals the results of a poll that shows Labour to be perceived as more divided now than were the Conservatives under John Major:56 per cent of voters see Labour as more divided than the Tories during the Major government, which was racked by bitter divisions over Europe. Only 22 per cent regard Labour as more united. More than a quarter of Labour supporters (27 per cent) believe that Labour is more divided than the Conservatives were in 1992-1997.
With Charles Clarke demonstrating that there is no fury like a former Home Secretary scorned by running to The Telegraph with an angry denunciation of all-things related to Gordon Brown, this perception may grow until it is irreversible.
He says the Chancellor has "psychological" issues that he must confront and accuses him of being a "control freak" and "totally uncollegiate".
Mr Brown is also "deluded", he says, to think that Mr Blair can and should anoint him as his successor now.
Raising doubts about whether Mr Brown is prime ministerial material, Mr Clarke asks: "Can a leopard change its spots?"
He insists that the Chancellor should not assume he will be the next leader. "He doesn't have rights in this, he has to earn them — he has to win the support of the party.
"He, not anyone else, has to win the active support of people like me and his Cabinet colleagues.
Tomos Livingstone in today's Western Mail resurrects the Rhodri Morgan analogy of a one-legged duck as a suitable metaphor for the state of the Labour Party. If they carry on like this then they will spend a long long time going round in circles whilst the process of Government grinds to a halt.
