Would a Darling resignation bring down Brown?

Would a Darling resignation bring down Brown?

Who is the mystery cabinet minister?

The following cryptic paragraph from leftward-leaning blogger, Paul Linford, has intrigued me for the past twenty four hours. Talking of, inevitably, the Labour succession, he writes:

“..The plan, or so we are asked to believe, is for a leading Blairite Cabinet minister to stage what is being termed a “nuclear resignation” in the middle of Labour’s conference this autumn which would force Mr Brown out within hours.”

Just who of the present cabinet could have such an effect? It’s hard to see. David Miliband (him of the banana)? Not really. Alan Johnson? Maybe but he’s been a rigid loyalist and it would seem like a leadership bid. Apart from that the only figure who is senior enough to have such an impact is Alastair Darling.

In June he went through the humiliation of being told to make way for Ed Balls which he was able to resist. We’ve also seen him talking about the economy in a very different way to Brown.

His great ace is the affect he could have on the markets – particularly if his resignation was expressed in terms of disagreements on the economy.

But it’s hard to see it happening and I don’t think that Paul Linford is either. But always on the look out for value bets I have, however, put a tenner on with Victor Chandler at 100/1 that he’ll be the next Labour leader.

Mike Smithson

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