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Category: Labour

Could Charles Clarke be planning a kamikaze mission?

Could Charles Clarke be planning a kamikaze mission?

Would the ex-home secretary provide the “heavyweight challenge” Conscious that it is April 1st I have dismissed the Observer story “Blair: I’ll be treading the boards again” suggesting that the PM is scheduled to appear in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible at the Old Vic when he stands down. But what of the Sunday Times report that the former home secretary, Charles Clarke, is ready to stand against Brown in order to ensure that there is a proper contest? According to…

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Could the 1997 pensions raid come to haunt Gordon?

Could the 1997 pensions raid come to haunt Gordon?

Times wins two year battle to force the Treasury to hand over papers With Labour’s leadership changes only weeks away the main lead in the Times this morning has the potential to cause bother for Brown as his team try to orchestrate a succession without a real challenge. For the “quality” paper that has become NuLab’s most loyal supporter has just won a Freedom of Information act fight to get details of the advice ahead of Gordon’s famous “pensions raid”…

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Is Charles Clarke still trying to kill the Brown bid?

Is Charles Clarke still trying to kill the Brown bid?

The ex-home secretary and Miliband step up the rhetoric Just when the Labour succession seemed to be all settled there’s another big move from the one of the chancellor’s most long-standing party opponents – the ex-home secretary, Charles Clarke. In a speech to the Royal Television Society Clarke, according to the Indy report, rejected ideas that there is “”broad consensus” across the party about the leadership succession. “The leadership is not a done deal to be sorted out within our…

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Will this allow Tony to go out on a high?

Will this allow Tony to go out on a high?

And will Devolution-Day be the moment they line up behind Brown? Following yesterday dramatic meeting between Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams it is becoming clear that Devolution Day – May 8th 2007 – will play a critical part in Tony Blair’s exit time-table. For the achievement of peace between the communities will become a major element of the Prime Minister’s legacy and provide the backdrop of his historic departure announcement. And according to the Times this morning May 8th will…

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Did you join the great Jack Straw gamble?

Did you join the great Jack Straw gamble?

Sadly William Hill’s 6/1 price is no more Over the past thirty-six hours dozens of PB users have been putting as much cash as they can on Jack Straw as next Chancellor at what appeared to be the the very generous price of 6/1. For clearly the leader of the house and the man who has been both home and foreign secretaries under Blair is going to be rewarded with a plum position if and when Brown takes over. For…

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Did this man mount a botched coup to stop Brown?

Did this man mount a botched coup to stop Brown?

What’s behind Mandelson’s series of weekend announcements? Anybody who has followed the news over the past couple of days could not have missed the presence of the former close aide to Blair, Britain’s current commissioner at the EU, and the person that Brown is said to blame for him not getting the labour leadership in 1994. We’ve had a spate of interviews with the ex-Labour communications chief, the news of his desire to step down from his EU role in…

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Brown replaces Blair as Britain’s most unpopular politican

Brown replaces Blair as Britain’s most unpopular politican

Peter Smith reports that Blair Backers are Beaming …again Whether or not it was his performance on Comic Relief, there is no doubt that those who followed our advice to back Blair last week were smiling all the way to the bank. The great showman continued his climb in YouGov’s Popularity poll, reaching his highest score of the year and moving ahead of his Downing Street neighbour…which gives rise to some interesting if somewhat mischievous speculation. What if Our Tone…

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More bad polling news on the budget

More bad polling news on the budget

Will there be another bonanza for Brown BrandIndex punters? Those punters who sold Brown on the IG politicians popularity market in the immediate aftermath of Wednesday’s budget speech look set to pocket another big parcel of cash as more polling has shown that the contents and the Chancellor himself have gone down badly. Rather than wait for the actual index numbers I closed my Brown positions down yesterday making this, together with the successful budget length bets, my most profitable…

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