Mark your diaries
A day for your diaries, Brown’s last budget speech is to be on 21st March.
Let me stress last budget speech. There’s no way Prime Minister Brown is going to let his Chancellor decide the budget.
Happy Birthday Mr Brown
Gordon’s 56 today.
What are Brown’s “first 10 days” surprises?
So bad news for Brown in today’s Guardian poll. Michael White has a good political briefing today. He tells us that:
“Even old friends claim not to know what “first 10 days” surprises he has in store to rebrand Labour after 10 years in power, though they loyally insist that he has “the depth, the breadth, the ingenuity and the will to see it through”"
So what will Brown surprise us with in his first ten days?
- In 1997 he surprised everyone, including his civil servants, by making the Bank of England independent in their first weekend in power. Perhaps he will follow this model and make the NHS independent from political control!
- Abolishing the DTI has been a Lib Dem and Tory pledge in the past (although the Lib Dems believe the regions should take more responsbility for commerce). This would be go down well with voters who always like to see less civil servants. However it does raise questions about who would represent business at cabinet level.
- Brown has already hinted that he will give Parliament the power to decide whether to go to war or not - certainly this is something which will be introduced early on.
- In his interview with Andrew Marr, Brown repeatedly emphasised that a Brown government would be about education - we can certainly expect something on this.
If anyone else has any suggestions, answers on a postcard to the usual comments section please.
Tomorrow’s Guardian will be worrying reading for Brown
The ICM poll in tomorrow’s Guardian gives the Tories a 13 point lead, when participants were asked to choose between a Brown or a Cameron government. This gives the Tories their highest lead since 1992.
The poll was conducted last weekend when Cameron was being criticised over his alleged drug habits at school. We know from Brown’s biography he never admitted taking drugs. Perhaps a toke wouldnt be a bad thing at this stage, it seems to do wonders with the voters.
Mili-Me will not stand
The speculation mill has been at full capacity this week. Just as everyone speculated about Alan Johnson and John Reid last year, they’re attention has now turned to David Mili-Me.* Can David stand up and beat the Goliath Brown?
Writing in the Guardian, Frank Field called for Labour to “skip a generation” and for Mili-Me to stand against Brown for the leadership of the Labour party. Mil-Me has indicated his discomfort with the direction Brown will take things- He wrote in the Times that Brown had to be “bold Labour not Old Labour” and his gaff on Question Time showed his distaste for Brown.
However, for all the speculation, Miliband will not stand. Not only is he far to young and inexperienced, but the rules of the leadership game are against him and stacked up in favour of Brown. So what’s his attention seeking all about- it’s to ensure he has a seat at the Cabinet table under Brown. Perhaps Foreign Secreatary?!
* David Miliband is the Prime Minister’s favorite mini-me. Miliband even walks and talks like Blair.
Big Bumper Guide to Brown launched
According to the Big Bumper Guide to Gordon Brown published by Bell Pottinger Public Affairs (RRP £5,000) Nick Brown is expected to become Chief Whip in a Gordon Brown government. A good position for a “political fixer” who doesn’t shine in the front lines. This will at least keep him away from the cream cakes.
Demise of Labour
I think Benedict Brogan is reading far too much into this.
I’m not sure Gordon Brown will thank Tony Blair for his assessment of Labour’s future prospects. Speaking in Scotland today the Prime Minister said: “In the years to come, at some point of course we are bound to be in opposition.”
You can see his point, but it does sound like he’s predicting eventual defeat for his neighbour next door.
The first rule of Film Club is, you shouldn’t talk about Film Club
The Chancellor’s off on another excursion today- to plug the new Film Club to schools. A noble idea to bring foreign films to schools. Yet many of the films available in the pilot stage are more Hollywood than Art House.
It also appears to be more of a publicity stunt for Love Film, the company that owns and provides the DVDs. Get when they’re young, hey.
Having conquered the virtual world by getting rid of all their competitors (ScreenSelect were their most recent victims) looks like Love Film are looking for new markets to dominate.
Nearly £7k for jet-setting Brown
MP’s travel expenses released today show that Brown spent £6,953 on air travel last year, compared to £478 on rail. It was only last month Brown was telling us how MPs have to set an example when it comes to the environment and how he was doing his bit compared to Blair’s careless “i’m going to continue to fly whilst the world melts” jet-setting lifestyle.
It may be true that these flights are for “business” rather than holiday. But as Brown said
“you’ve got to take people with you and therefore I think you’ve got to show by your actions that you are not only doing what you expect other people to do but you can actually make a difference by these actions.”
Someone might have to start getting the train more often.
No referendum on EU Constitution under Brown
Le Monde gives a possible insight into Brown’s future position on Euorpe. According to the article he will not accept any agreement on the EU Constitution which requires a referendum and will only accept technical changes. This is to avoid the “virus” of Europe contaminating his leadership.
Certainly this is what Brown would like to happen, but what he ends up agreeing to may be quite different.
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Keeping an eye on Gordon Brown's quest for the top job in British politics.
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