What a surprise! The Sunday Times is reporting that the part sell-off of the Royal Mail is being called off. Brown can’t afford any further back bench rebellions with his authority in tatters:
Following last week’s defeats over the Gurkhas and MPs’ expenses, allies of the prime minister said that the controversial scheme to sell off part of the postal service would be “kicked into the very long grass”.
Labour whips have told the prime minister that, with his authority badly damaged, a Commons defeat over the Royal Mail would be “inevitable” if he put it to the vote.
However, there are good commercial reasons for the sale to not to happen.
One other aspect of this panic driven U-turn is how this will go down with Mandy. The sell-off has very much been his policy. Mandy gave a very pedestrian performance on Today when he spoke about looking forward to ‘a sunny weekend’. If Lord Peter turns against Brown, his days really are numbered.
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I think that Mandy has probably already had the cheque that was in the post and so is set up for life. He's given up on Brown and will not raise more than a little finger to save him from his inevitable downfall. The old enmity runs deep despite what they say in public.
ReplyDeleteThere is no one that can save Labour now.
Agreed. Blears intervention is very significant. I posted seperately about this.
ReplyDeleteTed Foan 12:51
ReplyDelete"There is no one that can save Labour now."
How about T.Blair? He might not be able to 'save' Labour, but in terms of damage limitation they could do worse.
I can't put together a scenario leading to his moving back into No.10 but my instints say it's at least a possibility.
Here are some random thoughts I associate with a Blair return.
Brown's health; The Satanic Trinity (Mandelson, Blair and Campbell); National emergency; Caretaker; National unity; Churchill; Pretty straight sorta guy; No time for a novice; Why choose a counterfeit when you can get the real thing; Boldness; Hold the fort.
And he shall come again to rule both the......
Anybody know where I might get any odds on a TB resurrection?