Last week's disastrous by-election result for British Labour, when it lost the previously third safest Scottish seat of Glasgow East to the Scottish national Party (SNP), has added yet more pressure on the affable yet seemingly disaster-prone UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Following on from the equally bad result at the 2008 Henley by-election, and a series of mishaps and missteps by the previously rock-solid Labour administration, the notoriously hard to please British press have sniffed blood and are baying for the Labour leader's resignation.
The Guardian sums up the press reaction since the by-election loss in this article.
Gordon Brown and the Labour party have also taken a hammering amongst voters with the latest YouGov opinion polls for the Daily Telegraph showing 74 per cent of voters dissatisfied with Mr Brown, against just 15 per cent describing themselves as satisfied. Only 26 percent supported Labour, down two percentage points from the last survey.
The figures are so bad, it has brought into question the future of a
Gordon Brown-led Labour party as a viable electoral force. Yet in
asking "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" Brown's main argument to the party for
retaining him seems to be there is no-one else with the necessary ability or experience to lead Labour to the next election.
Bruce Anderson of the Independent, explains:
Gordon Brown is finished. As the Prime Minister, he is in office, not in power. As a party leader, he is confronted by insubordination on an unprecedented scale; far worse than anything John Major experienced. As an electoral asset, Mr Brown is toxic waste. Yet it is still likelyAnderson goes on to explain there are three factors which will help Brown in his
that he will fight the next election. [source]
quest to retain the leadership should he decide to stay.
1. Leaving now would open Gordon Brown to suggestions of being one the
country's worst-ever prime ministers. He has every incentive to stay to
improve that judgement.
2. It would be difficult under Labour party rules to lauch a serious, coherent challenge to Gordon Brown prior to the next election.
3. Any Labour "new blood" would probably prefer to "sit out" this election which promises to be a disaster for the party, if opinion polls translate into voting intentions.
Despite his electoral problems, party heavyweights, in public at least, have lined up behind the embattled PM.
John Prescott, the former deputy prime minister, said Mr Brown was the onlyHowever the Telegraph is reporting a number of senior Labour MPs, including
person able to lead the country through the current economic downturn.
Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader, said Mr Brown, in his decade as
Chancellor, had been one of the most successful finance ministers in
the world and deposing him would turn an economic challenge into a
political crisis. [source]
former ministers, are planning to petition the cabinet calling for
action over the leadership of Gordon Brown.
...a group of moderate MPs are planning a letter addressed to the entirePolitical analysts are suggesting Gordon Brown has limited time, possibly only until
Cabinet setting out the reasons why they are despairing about the
problems facing the Labour Party - including Mr Brown's leadership.
In order to resolve the issue the MPs will say that a leadership election
needs to be held to clear the air. The group - which will number at
least 30 - will not put forward who they believe should stand against
or succeed Mr Brown, saying that is a matter for the party. [source].
the party conference in September to turn opinion polls drastically around
otherwise he will inevitably face a challenge to his leadership.
Image top left: Labour party logo. Image top right: Gordon Brown at World
Economic Forum, 2007. Credit: World Economic Forum/flickr.
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