Jun 21 2007
Gordon Brown 3 Menzies Campbell 0
The Prime Minister in waiting’s first public move was a masterstroke.
He invites the Lib Dem leader in for talks, offering junior jobs in his government. By doing this he poses as a thoroughly "new" politician, trying to build consensus with people beyond his party, showing he is not wishing to retreat into an old Labour bunker.
If the Lib Dem leader accepted, he would bind his party to supporting past and present policies of the Labour government, for very little influence. If he refused, he would show all that Liberal hot air about wanting a "new" style of politics that allows people of different parties to co-operate in the public interest is just spin that they do not mean.
Menzies Campbell decided to reject the offer.
The story leaks out, and the troubles in the Lib Dems begin. Having lit the yellow touch paper Gordon Brown does not retreat behind the nearest spin doctor, but decides to light some further political pyrotechnics.
He offers the former Liberal democrat leader, Paddy Ashdown, a place in the Cabinet - probably Northern Ireland Secretary - behind the back of the present Lib Dem leader.
It was a brilliant calculated risk. If Ashdown accepted, the Lib Dems would split between those who liked Ashdown and thought he was right to try to influence the Labour government, and those who thought the Leader was right to have nothing to do with Labour patronage. If Ashdown refused, it would underline the message that Lib Dems are not serious about building consensus and co-operating in power. Ashdown is working in Northern Ireland, and could offer something to the post settlement position there.
Ashdown decided to turn the offer down. Gordon Brown can sit back happy in the knowledge that there will be serious repercussions in the Lib Dems, who will have to argue over their model of politics, based on the assumption that they come third and then seek to enter alliances or coalitions with one of the major parties.
Alan Johnson, Educaiton Secretary,??this morning on the radio did not seem to understand the political finesse behind all this. When he was asked about job offers for Lib dems he rejoiced that they do not want to enter a coalition, because he said, nor do Labour. Clearly Gordon Brown is going to have to put senior Labour figures through some politcal education, so they do not??give the ball away from his brilliant long passes.??
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John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
Please don’t become entranced with Brown, as, regrettably, most of you have been with Blair. You politicians are too easily impressed, particularly when the dark “arts” of political skulduggery are employed. We, the electorate, are not looking for the latest Machiavelli, we want politicians who are competent, honest, principled and have integrity - or is this just a fanciful idea in the world of “modern” political parties in Britain?
Though I have always hated anything coming from Brown, I admire this move, worthy of a chess grandmaster.