Brown in Blair's trousers?
Gordon Brown's Blairite speech has been hailed as a signal of his readiness to succeed The Great One to the throne of New Labour. All other bets are now closed as Ministers and ambitious MPs now drift their rhetoric into line with the Chancellor.
But if the Chancellor considers his recent ideological conversion to the Blairite-Mandelsonian vision a smart move, he should think again. Sounding more like Tony; acting more like Tony; effectively 'being Tony' may ease the transition and smooth The Great One's ego, but it defeats the object of having anyone but Tony.
At the last election people voted Labour despite Tony being the leader, not because, so they held their noses knowing that he would be gone soon. If Brown continues to develop into a Tony-clonie then there will be no point in Tony going at all.
Brown's dourness, his rigid Presbyterian ideology and his affection for spending public money has maintained his popularity with the grass-roots of the Labour party. The Unions, the old comrades and class warriors feel disenfranchised enough from the party leadership. Brown's rhetorical move to the right, despite his past closeness to the grass-roots could be the final straw.
Good foresight - Tony isn't going, as it turns out. So Brown was clearly under instruction.
Posted by
Matt |
Wed Sept 28, 12:24:00 pm