Cameron presses Brown again on his split with Wendy Alexander

We don't often do this but the letter that David Cameron has just sent Gordon Brown about Wendy Alexander's referendum u-turn is worth reading in full:

"Thank you for your reply to my letter of yesterday, in which you repeated your claim that no-one was calling for a referendum on Scottish independence now. 

This morning Wendy Alexander made the following remarks at First Minister’s Questions: 

“Will he [Alex Salmond] bring forward a Referendum Bill in next year's legislative programme next week?”

“We believe that the uncertainty is damaging Scotland.  I and my colleagues have therefore offered our support to bring this issue forward now”.

“We believe that Scotland deserves a choice sooner rather than later”.

“I have offered Labour's support for an early referendum”

“Why won't he bring the Bill on?”

“The First Minister tells us that over 80% of Scots want a referendum - so why are we still waiting”.

How on earth does any of this match up with your repeated claims that no one is calling for a referendum now, or your claim in Parliament yesterday that you were going to “review the progress” of the Calman Commission “before making any further decisions” on a referendum?

To claim, as you do in your letter to me, that there is no inconsistency between your position and that of Wendy Alexander because “there is nobody seeking legislation at Westminster to have a referendum” is exactly the sort of linguistic gymnastics that is making people confused and even angry with your style of leadership. They desperately want a Prime Minister who can give straight answers to questions.

Anyone comparing what you have claimed, and what Wendy Alexander has repeated again this morning, will conclude that either you have been completely unclear and potentially misleading in your replies to my questions, or you have lost control of your Party – or perhaps it is a combination of the two.

In light of this open challenge to your authority, perhaps you could make it clear who now speaks for the Labour Party on the issue of a referendum?"

Comments

[Cleethorpes Rock]

Either Brown is so weak that he allows his leader in Scotland to start "free-styling" on policy, or he is strong in which case he should fire her. Which is it, Gord?

I think we should run a spread bet on how many times our spokesmen can get the word "dithering" into an interview over the next few days.

[Steve]

Brown must be portrayed as a man lying to England and attempting to break up the UK. IF this resonates the Labour party are absolutely finished

[Deborah]

Steve, What do you mean "Brown must be portrayed as.........."
Surely he is doing it all by himself?

[ScottishToryBoy]

Either Brown is so weak that he allows his leader in Scotland to start "free-styling" on policy, or he is strong in which case he should fire her. Which is it, Gord?

He can't fire her, she was voted in by Labour members

[AlanofEngland]

The English Claim of Right is a live pledge, already signed by 615 English loyalists. It will give us equality with Scotland but will not break up the Union. When I checked a few minutes ago, I noticed David Cameron hasn't signed it yet. I wonder why?

"We declare and pledge that in all our actions and deliberations the interests of the English people shall be paramount. We further declare and pledge that our actions and deliberations shall be directed to the following ends:
To assert the right of the English people to live in a sovereign nation state of England, free of foreign control;
To agree a scheme for a Parliament for England;
To mobilise English opinion and ensure the approval of the English people for that scheme;
and to assert the right of the English people to secure the implementation of that scheme."

[Orlando]

Brown’s verbal gymnastics is precisely one of the things that puts people off politics and politicians. It is clear that Alexander is freelancing. There is no better argument against nepotism than Wendy Alexander…there should be a photo of her in the dictionary next to “nepotism”. Does anyone believe that if she was not the sister of the International Development minister and Labour’s election guru that she would be leader of the Scottish Lab? Although, if she continues this way…the Scottish Cons may actually get a chance to win a few seats in Scotland at the next election—both general and for Holyrood…So maybe we should cheer her on...Keep up the wonderful job Wendy!!!

[Scott]

Dont think any of Labours lost votes will be comming our way Orlando

[Andrew James]

This is a hopeless situation for Brown. It's difficult to see what the outcome will be - whose policy is the correct one? He cannot continue to deny that Wendy Alexander is calling for a referendum, at the risk of looking utterly ridiculous (not that he doesn't already). But what should he do? Andy Burnham appeared to be completely clueless on The Daily Politics on Wednesday - 'It's a matter for Scotland' - actually, this matter doesn't concern JUST Scotland....

The man is utterly incapable on all levels... Labour must keep him.

[DavidRHayes]

I agree with Deborah regarding Brown, he is digging his own political grave so fast, all Cameron is having to do is to make sure he stays in.

However our attacks should move to the Labour Party as a whole, that way Labour are less likely to throw out Brown as their leader before the election.

It shouldn't be difficult, we just need to agree on 1-3 central themes of attacks and about 4 more to back those points up.

The more that it is seen that the whole Party that is the problem, the chances of a Labour revival will be extremely thin, and would not be so easily remedied by changing leader.

[James Burdett]

ScottishToryBoy - You are right in that he cannot fire her, however like him she was 'elected' unopposed.

[Orlando]

Scott, I agree that not many of Lab lost votes are coming our way...BUT there are a few Lab/Con marginals in Scotland in which a combination of the failures of Lab in Westminster and Holyrood might bring enough unionist Lab (and some LibDems) votes toward the Con to win some of those seats. Unforutnately, the big winners of all this will be the Nats...

[Graham Doll]

Cameron has got Brown bang to rights here. Brown's pathetic and barefaced lies are exposed for all to see. To think this lame excuse for a man became our (unelected) Prime Minister! GO GET HIM, DAVE!

[Conand]

Brown repeatedly said that the 10p tax change wouldn't hurt anybody ('don't worry I won't hurt you', to coin a phrase) and then had to admit that it did.
Now he is repeatedly 'miss speaking' about Labour's policy on a Scottish referendum.

Finito! Brown is finished. It's a shame really, we wanted to keep him in the side for the next leg of 'Labour's General Election Fiasco'.

Brown is a joke, and it ain't that funny anymore. We need a Prime Minister.

[Examiner]

Does Cameron have any genuine interest in whether Scotland wants a referendum or not? Or is he just posturing and posing as Westminster politicians do? A retorical question of course. Cameron, like his mirror image, Gordon Brown, uses the Union as a flexible weapon depending on the opportunity in front of him. Not Union, England or Scotland has meaning or importance for him though one suspects that both of them are primarily Scottish since both abhor England and the English. Why on earth any English voter votes for either of them is a total mystery to me. Both want to export their money North to Scotland, or West to Wales and Ireland. Both are European to their bones, and both have the same political beliefs. They are as like as two peas in a pod. Last weeks little voting exercise was a monumental folly, in that whatever the result we all get the same government. In any case the proportion of the population bothering to vote was tiny.Get real!

[graeme archer]

Sometimes it's fun to try and hold two opposite views in your mind at the same time... Sort of a mental exercise in empathy... But not this time Mr Brown. You are lying to save your face, pointlessly, and in so doing allowing Alexander-2 to play with the Union, for domestic partisan "advantage" (again, pointlessly).

Incidentally, pace several comments above: there's nothing contradictory about requiring a fairer democratic and financial settlement for England, and remaining a passionate Unionist. See Dominic Grieve's speech on Platform today. Every single component of the sorry tale of the unravelling of the idea of Britain is the fault of this stupid government.

[David Belchamber]

Whilst on the subject of Gordon Brown lying to the nation, what about the "fake facts" he trots out the whole time i.e. inflation (is 2.5%), lowest interest rate, lowest unemployment etc?
Any others to add to the list?

[David Parker]

Remember, Gordon Brown doesn't "do" referendums, he merely promises them.
It is interesting that, in all their pathetic excuses and explanations for their recent bye-election defeats, not a single Labour or Lib-dem candidate admitted,let alone apologised for, the fundamental breaches of promises of a referendum over the "Lisbon Con/Treaty" by both parties. Equally interestingly, David Cameron studiously avoided any mention of the Lisbon Affaire, or indeed, of the EU, as one of the reasons for public dissatisfaction with Labour and Lib-dem politicians.

It is clearly the perceived wisdom of the political classes that Britain's relationship with the EU is not a major political issue which matters very much to ordinary voters. This is partially true, to the extent that the political class, with a few honourable individual exceptions, ably abetted by the BBC and the majority of the main stream media, have misrepresented, or deliberately concealed,
The true extent to which EU legislation or regulation already affects or controls the daily lives of ordinary British (EU) citizens.
However, this can't last forever. Even without the ratification of the Lisbon Affaire, the adverse results of EU legislation are becoming increasingly evident in Britain and, sooner rather than later, this will become a major electoral issue.

So far, Cameron's vision has been entirely short term, paying lip service (with no hint of sincerity) to the eurosceptic majority of the Conservative Party, in an attempt to placate the minority but powerful and vociferous europhile element within it.

Even in the medium term, however, and possibly before the next general election, people will be beginning to question the need, or justification of the expense of, a Westminster puppet Parliament.

David Cameron is, therefore, in an unusual position, with the opportunity, with some courage and risk, to re-establish both Britain and his own party, or merely to take refuge in offering more of the same under a Tory name.