Reply to: Will Clarke Become Blair's Geoffrey Howe?

[AtW]

Yes Minister speak for he's out to get Blair?

Possible, this reminds me to watch it again

[Sysman]

Well, here is what Mr Clarke said:

""I do not think it would be appropriate to remain in Government in these circumstances and so I shall return to the backbenches where I will be a strong and active supporter of this Government and the leadership of Tony Blair for his full Parliamentary term.""

Yes Minister speak for he's out to get Blair?

[ASB]

To underline his perceived docility, somone once likened being attacked by Geoffrey Howe to being savaged by a dead sheep.

Dennis Healey

[vetran]

ltd company?

one wonders what his IR35 status was? Sounds like a real Friday to Monday situation to me.

[hyperD]

What I find suspicious is that so many scandals have peaked just before the local elections when they would have maximum impact. It's as if someone was out to topple Blair well ahead of the main election when it really matters.

Yes, the Mirror story on Prescott was a prime example - Alcoholic Campbell would never have done that to bury news or sleight-of-hand the Clarke crisis.

I think it might be the Brownites...

Talking of the spin-meister...

It has emerged that spin doctor Alastair Campbell charged the Labour Party £10,000 per month plus VAT for his work on the general election campaign.

The remuneration for the former Downing Street communications director's services were revealed by the Electoral Commission watchdog on Monday amid increasing questions over the expenses of political parties.

It had been thought that he had been working for the party free of charge.

And the level of spending on his advice will raise eyebrows in Westminster and further questions over Labour's finances among left-wingers, who complained last week that the party had paid a £7,000 campaign hairdressing bill for Cherie Blair.
Campbell's bill was, pro rata, equivalent to his £120,000 government salary at the time of his resignation in September 2003.

The arch-loyalist and architect of the New Labour project has remained an occasional adviser but was brought back in full time to Labour HQ in the run-up to polling day last year and was considered responsible for the strategy of uniting Blair and chancellor Gordon Brown.

The expense details also revealed that Labour spent £530,000 on polling advice from US expert Mark Penn during the campaign.

The money for the former adviser to Democrat president Bill Clinton came on top of £140,000 given to Tony Blair's personal pollster Lord Gould.

The Conservatives spent £441,000 on controversial Australian adviser Lynton Crosby, who guided Michael Howard's 'dog whistle' strategy and hardline campaign message.

Following the revelations over Mrs Blair's hairdressing bill, it was also revealed that the Tories spent £3,600 on make-up for Howard in the campaign.

[Fungus]

Indeed they don't compare. What made Howe's attack so savage was that he had always been a very placid and loyal Thatcherite. When such a docile person lays into the leader, it makes an impact.

To underline his perceived docility, somone once likened being attacked by Geoffrey Howe to being savaged by a dead sheep.

What I find suspicious is that so many scandals have peaked just before the local elections when they would have maximum impact. It's as if someone was out to topple Blair well ahead of the main election when it really matters.

[AtW]

Well, will be interesting to see what happens later this year - Brown should become more active and make some mistakes, so far he executed his strategy flawlessly - not even his wife goes around the world making expensive lectures or having 7 grand haircuts.

[meridian]

I don't geddit.

Didn't Clarke offer to resign at first? If he thought the circumstances merited resignation, why does he think it's wrong to be sacked?

[ASB]

Well, here is what Mr Clarke said:

""I do not think it would be appropriate to remain in Government in these circumstances and so I shall return to the backbenches where I will be a strong and active supporter of this Government and the leadership of Tony Blair for his full Parliamentary term.""

Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...166767,00.html

IMO the only way Clarke can do that is if Brown would encourage him and provides a good chance: every coup needs a provocateur.

And Geoffrey Howe said much the same thing. It is what happens next in the speech he will give to the house that matters.

Personally I doubt he will go as far as Howe (who wasn't a provocateur merely vitriolic). However his "tony was wrong to fire me" type comments do suggest some fireworks to come.

[Lucifer Box]

IMO the only way Clarke can do that is if Brown would encourage him and provides a good chance: every coup needs a provocateur.

That's exactly what I'm postulating: that Charles Clarke may become the provocateur, as Geoffrey Howe did. As to what he said this morning, well he was hardly going to say "I'm off to plot Tony Blair's downfall, the bastard" was he?

[AtW]

Well, here is what Mr Clarke said:

""I do not think it would be appropriate to remain in Government in these circumstances and so I shall return to the backbenches where I will be a strong and active supporter of this Government and the leadership of Tony Blair for his full Parliamentary term.""

Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...166767,00.html

IMO the only way Clarke can do that is if Brown would encourage him and provides a good chance: every coup needs a provocateur.

[Lucifer Box]

Well, I dont know details of what happened in the past, but Clarke compromised himself so much that he would not dare start contest, perhaps that's why Blair kept him around to make sure he is so deep in it that he cant fight back for this sacking.

No, no, Geoffrey Howe didn't stand against Margaret Thatcher in a leadership contest, he knifed her in the back with a very critical speech in the house after being given the arse in a reshuffle. This emboldened others to stand against her. I postulate that Charles Clarke might do a Howe, i.e. stick the knife in to precipitate Blair's departure.

[AtW]

Well, I dont know details of what happened in the past, but Clarke compromised himself so much that he would not dare start contest, perhaps that's why Blair kept him around to make sure he is so deep in it that he cant fight back for this sacking.

[Lucifer Box]

After such scandal when he got sacked? If he was against war in Iraq and that had him sacked, then he would have had a chance at leadership contest, but now he is a joke and will be happy to be in Govt under Gordon Brown, which he will suuurely promise in exchange for his support.

No, you misunderstand, Alexei. Geoffrey Howe didn't attack Margaret Thatcher because he thought he could be or because he wanted to be leader. He did it for revenge after being sacked in a cabinet reshuffle. It was that attack that emboldened subsequent challenges and precipitated her departure from office.

[AtW]

Perhaps Charles Clarke will feel emboldened in a "nothing to lose" sort of way and move to precipitate things by directly challenging Blair?

After such scandal when he got sacked? If he was against war in Iraq and that had him sacked, then he would have had a chance at leadership contest, but now he is a joke and will be happy to be in Govt under Gordon Brown, which he will suuurely promise in exchange for his support.