Alistair Thompson is Conservative candidate for West Bromwich East. He also runs Media Intelligence Partners with business partner Nick Wood, the former press secretary to Conservative leaders William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith.
Sunday’s marmalade dropper in the Sunday Times will have actually cheered up Gordon Brown. Events they say are the enemy of Government, but as yet another sleaze row erupts around the Prime Minister, one would expect there to be a deeper gloom than normal emanating from Downing Street. But in reality the PM I suspect is quite relaxed about the latest batch of greedy MPs being exposed.
In fact I would go further. I suspect that as Mr Brown read the headlines yesterday and then got to the collection of his colleagues who had been named, his rage would have turned to whatever adjective passes as a description of joy in No 10. He might even have danced a little jig, perhaps I have gone too far.
This might sound quite fantastical, but let’s look at all the facts. The PM as we know is a deeply bitter person, whose motto is rumoured to be, “In victory malice, in defeat revenge”, who hates anyone associated with the old regime of Tony Blair. Now look again at those who have been implicated, not a single Brownite among their number.
All of them are from the Blairite wing of the party, or in Harriet’s case she is a deeply untrustworthy person, a plotter, a schemer and a possible rival for the top job.
In one Sunday Times article most of Brown’s critics and those who have plotted against him have been publically shamed.
The sisterhood, or more particular the WAGs, (Women Against Gordon) whose power and reputation was growing, has been torpedoed by Margaret Moran, who allegedly claimed, that they do not only support other women MPs, but will also pull strings for them when lobbying on behalf of companies or other outside interests.
Then there are the main culprits, Byers attacked Brown in December 2008 for being ‘uncaring and distant’ and launched a devastating attack on Gordon’s obsession with governing in the interests of the Labour Party not the Country. I think we all remember that shambolic attempted coup by Hewitt and Hoon last year. They have all been irreparably damaged and their last remaining political friends will quickly distance themselves as we have seen in the newspapers this morning.
Both Andrew Adonis and Peter Mandelson’s departments have been quick to issue statements basically accusing Byer’s of being a fantasist, although this was couched in very soft civil service speak.
The second point to make on this issue is that Brown will be happy that the BA strike is off the front pages. Labour MPs are worried that the Conservatives have hit upon one simple message that is striking the right note with voters. Brown had hoped that a last minute deal would have vindicated his vacillating position and allowed him to have attacked the ‘wicked Tories for stirring up unrest’. But this strategy has failed and that lingering question about whether he backs those crossing the picket line, the strike-breakers has come back in to play.
The fact the strike went ahead is a blow to his authority, shows just how in hock to UNITE the Labour Party truly is and reminds voters that there is a real choice at the next election. In an election that has so far been reduced to personality politics, here is a simple issue with miles of clear blue water between the parties.
Labour is on the side of a vested interest group, who are already paid way above the industry average and seem intent on bringing this flagship British company to its knees in their pursuit of even more money, holiday and perks. The Conservatives are sticking up for both the company and the passengers.
Finally the headlines, although focussed on Labour, will do neither Party much good as they just feed into the narrative about MPs being nothing more than money grabbing, unprincipled rogues, willing to sell themselves and their country to the highest bidder. This narrative only benefits the fringe parties, UKIP, the BNP, English Democrats, Greens and nationalist parties and will be another boost to the number of voters already planning to dessert to the main parties.
No far from being disappointed by the headline, Gordon will be pleased. This story will continue to run until the Budget when this will dominate the news agenda and the obligatory investigation that Brown will announce either today or tomorrow will not be completed until after the election.
