Every time you think things cannot get any worse for Gordon
Brown, something else comes along. With Labour trailing badly in the polls and
facing what may be yet another round of bad election results come May, even
some normally ‘loyal’ Labour MPs have started to raise the question of getting
rid of Brown – whose personal ratings are now rock bottom – as leader, less
than a year after he came to office in the election that never was. Labour MPs
are rebelling, not because they have suddenly discovered a long-lost socialist
conscience, but because they are staring at the strong possibility that Labour
will lose the next election and they will lose their seats.
When wobbling Labour MPs were told that a defeat over the
10p tax rate abolition, raised as a result of Frank Field’s now withdrawn
amendment, would be in effect a vote of no-confidence in the Brown
administration, the prospect of a Labour leadership contest happening rather
earlier than many might have expected, started to look a serious possibility.
Jackie Ashley, writing in the Guardian of 21 April, had openly raised this
prospect noting that the Brownite spin about a vote of confidence ‘…cannot be a
bluff. He has stamped his authority on this so clearly that to lose would finish
him.’
In her article, Ashley goes on to report: ‘Labour is doing
so badly in the polls that quite a lot of backbenchers, and even ministers, are
saying behind their hands: "Good thing too, let’s call that bluff and have
a change of leader while we can." Some are dropping their hands and saying
it openly.’ Although Field and some of the other rebels have been bought off
this time on the back of some half-promises from Darling, the underlying causes
that have fuelled this crisis over the Brown leadership will not go away.
Later she quotes John McDonnell MP in a television article
as saying: "I would like a leadership election now … We should have the
leadership election we never had. Let’s ask Gordon Brown, what do you really
stand for? Let the Blairites put up their candidate … Let’s have a contest
now and clear the air." When asked if he would stand again, the response
was a clear ‘Yes’.
We agree – there should be an election for Labour leader now
and we would support John standing. The John4leader campaign in 2006/7
attracted considerable support, both in the party and in the ranks of the wider
movement. It was enough for Brown to take steps to pressurise Labour MPs into
not nominating John in order to keep him off the ballot paper, even though that
meant there would be no leadership election.
So not a single person in this country has had the
opportunity to vote as to whether Brown should be Prime Minister. Our chance of
a vote was stolen by the Brown machine and the cattle-like behaviour of the Labour
MPs. Brown was scared of what would happen if he had to stand up to six weeks
of real challenge from the Left on the government’s – and his – policies and
record.
Oddly enough, having raised the question – along with others
it should be noted, both on and off the record – Ashley then goes on to reject
the idea saying; ‘it certainly would not produce the leftwing resurgence that
McDonnell hopes for. Whoever won would be to the right of Brown and relatively
untested and unknown. But to achieve even that mediocre result would certainly
involve a fractious, drawn-out public contest. We would see the kind of
bloodletting that normally happens after parties lose power, not while they are
still in office.’
Even if you ignore the fact that Brown is already firmly in
the right-wing camp, then Ashley’s points still do not hold water. Working
class voters are turning against New Labour because of their policies and their
record in government. Sticking together and saying nothing will not work for
Labour MPs if the policies you defend are costing you more and more votes anyway. The fact is that right wing policies have
lost Labour millions of votes. The election of a Left wing leader and a turn
towards socialist policies would not only invigorate the ranks of the Labour
Party but also enthuse millions of now disillusioned voters that they should
once again vote Labour. The threat of a Tory victory at the next election would
just fade away.
As things
stand, keeping quiet and letting Brown muddle on with his Tory-Lite policies,
will simply make things worse. We should also be clear that this has nothing to
do with personalities, but is all about policies and programme. A serious and
open debate about where Labour is going is long overdue and would be welcomed
by many in the Labour and trade union movement who have felt that they have in
recent years had no voice and no way to express their concerns.
There is no enthusiasm for the other
suggested possible candidates from the Right wing being floated around by
various MPs – they are all tainted with the same brush and people know it –
whereas John would provide a real alternative and a new hope for those millions
who have given up with New Labour, yet fear the return of the Tories. We should
demand that a wrong be righted. We were cheated out of a vote over the
leadership in 2007; let’s not be denied in 2008.
