‘We are having to scrape the barrel’

Our Dear Leader will not wish to spend that long reading the Sunday papers.  Another poll, an unhappy Queen and the never ending speculation on his leadership, which we will come to.  Then we have Brown’s failed efforts to build an election team of all the talents:

Three senior Labour figures,all of whom played key roles in Tony Blair’s string of victories, have rejected personal pleas by No10 to help Mr Brown defeat David Cameron.

Labour chiefs say they are being forced to ‘scrape the barrel’ when it comes to putting together their campaign team because Mr Brown has made so many enemies in the party and has little chance of winning.

‘No one wants to work for Gordon either because they think defeat is a foregone conclusion, they have no faith in him or they just don’t like his ranting,’ said one source. ‘We are having to scrape the barrel.’

To make up for Brown’s lack of success in building a team around him, his speech writer has been given a promotion that has upset Mandy:

Gordon Brown has angered his closest confidants by promoting a junior aide to one of the most powerful positions in Downing Street.

In a move designed to shore up his team in the run-up to the next election, the prime minister has moved Kirsty McNeill, his 29-year-old speechwriter, to be his adviser in charge of external affairs.

However, the promotion has dismayed Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, who does not believe she has enough experience. It has also alienated a string of long-serving and trusted advisers.

What a non-brilliant piece of management expertise to move your speechwriter just weeks before Brown attempts to save his premiership at the party conference.  Team building the Brown way.

How bad does it have to get in the bunker before someone blows the whistle?