James Purnell Resigns: Wants Brown to Go

[treelover]

John Prescott on James Purnell

And Ive just discovered tonight that over the last few weeks, James Purnell was not planning for these crucial Local and European elections - he was planning for his own leadership election which he exclusively launched in the Murdoch press.

Not so much a Blarite as a careerite.

from http://www.labourhome.org/forum/?p=5366

Not usually a fan of Prescott, but he is bang on there

 

[_angel_]

Not so much a Blarite as a careerite.

Just a shite.

 

[treelover]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/gallery/2007/oct/02/purnell.photos?picture=330867792

 

[Nemo]

There is a worse alternative. PM Mandleson

Can't happen.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Cruddas, the left winger, not

Cruddas might be.

But only if he played for a crappy third-rate Sunday league footie team, cost that's the only sort of "left wing" he'd have any experience of.

 

[DotCommunist]

Can't happen.

forbidden because of his peerage?

 

[ViolentPanda]

A network without a leader in a smoking ruin of a party led by someone who is not one of their network. Humm.

A network doesn't tend to have a single "leader", though. The nature of the beast is more hydra-like.

 

[ViolentPanda]

I am not Diane Abbott.

You would say that, wouldn't you?

 

[ViolentPanda]

Who can Brown count on?

Who can he go to war with?

Who is left?

The "old school", people like Charles Clarke, Jack five-quid-draw, Blinky Blunkett et al, each of them waiting to shiv him in his haemorrhoids at the first chance they get, none of whom give much of a fuck about anything except power.

Oh lucky people of the UK!

 

[Nemo]

forbidden because of his peerage?

Not exactly; in that very British way, it's not forbidden - it just can't happen.

 

[Zachor]

Why would you be against Mandelson when he's one of the most odious Tory bastards the world has ever produced?

Leaving aside his actual or potential party allegiences. I'm against Mandleson as he is an odious untrustworthy bastard.

If he was a Tory even I'd vote against him. Fuck If Mandy was Tory leader I'd go and vote for Respect

 

[danny la rouge]

Not exactly; in that very British way, it's not forbidden - it just can't happen.

When the Queen appointed Lord Home PM he had no seat in the Commons, but he did resign his peerage and fight a by election to become a member of the HoC. I have no idea what would have happened had he lost, as he was already PM by this time.

 

[Nemo]

Hoon is quitting now apparently.

 

[Nemo]

When the Queen appointed Lord Home PM he had no seat in the Commons, but he did resign his peerage and fight a by election to become a member of the HoC. I have no idea what would have happened had he lost, as he was already PM by this time.

If he'd lost, he have had to quit. There was a difference there though - the Prince of Darkness can't disclaim his peerage, and a PM can't be in the Lords.

 

[Gingerman]

(Buff)Hoon gone.

 

[cybertect]

If he'd lost, he have had to quit. There was a difference there though - the Prince of Darkness can't disclaim his peerage, and a PM can't be in the Lords.

Lord Salisbury ran three administrations from the upper house up to 1902 (and was Foreign Secretary at the same time as being PM )

The practicalities of being PM in the Lords are difficult these days, however. The Commons is where the action is.

 

[treelover]

Here's the real version of the letter:-

Dear Gordon

I love myself. I have worked for my own political self-interest for 20 years; whereas you, sad man, have worked selflessly for the Labour party for far longer, but you've messed it all up, haven't you? I know I owe the taxpayers rather a lot but I hope to get away with it. Professing party loyalty is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

I owe it to myself to say whatever I think might advance my career no matter how hard other MPs stare at me. I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less likely, and therefore threatens my career.

That would be disastrous for my finances. This moment calls for stronger ambition, an active ruthlessness, better self-regard, an open commitment to my advancement. It calls for a government that measures itself by how much it can screw out of the poorest in society while claiming to be doing its best for them. Those are both my values and David Cameron's. But you'll never catch me admitting it while there's a chance of holding onto power.

We therefore owe it to the country to give it an empty choice. We need to show that we are prepared to fight against our rival hucksters in the Tory party and have the courage to hold onto the gold plated spoons of the gravy train.

I am therefore calling on you to stand aside to give me a fighting chance of ending up employed in a future coalition government with the Lib Dems, when I should really be forever banished for avoiding Capital Gains Tax. As such I am resigning from government, but am hoping to return very quickly once you are gone and we've appointed Alan Johnson or even, pray god, myself in your place.

The Party was here long before us, and I want it to be here long after you have gone. You must do the right thing by the rest of us.

I am initially seeking the leadership for Alan with the active backing of people you thought were loyal to you. My actions were taken after consultation with my cronies, when they told me he's got a much better chance than me, but who knows how it will pan out? If the consensus is that you should continue, then I will carry on plotting from the backbenches. But I do believe that this question now needs to be put.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to stick the knife in.

Yours,

James Purnell

posted by Sweik on Guardian CIF, its very good, there is a few more like it

 

[Woollyredhat]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/gallery/2007/oct/02/purnell.photos?picture=330867792

That made me laugh!
From that same page:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/gallery/2007/oct/02/purnell.photos?picture=330867846

 

[ViolentPanda]

The hills of Philippi await.

Trevor has always had it in for Gordie.

 

[Awesome Wells]

so is he still an MP representing a constituency, or has he completely resigned from politics?

If not, what's he really up to?

 

[belboid]

he's playing Redwood to Millibands' Portillo

 

[Nemo]

so is he still an MP representing a constituency, or has he completely resigned from politics?

If not, what's he really up to?

He's still an MP. As for what he's really up to - he was hoping that his departure would precipitate the fall of Brown and he would soon be back in a successor's cabinet in some senior job where he could be more unpleasant to a larger number of people. As it is, that ship has sailed.

 

[treelover]

Apparently it turns out he expected Milipede and others to follow him out, a strategic mistake that has cost him, but Johnson has said how much he admires him and wants him back in cabinet, says it all.