Monday, June 23, 2008

Move Over Darling?

Crystal Balls or the chance to use a gift of a headline? There's something afoot in the world of Brown politics. Good old Nick Robinson, from the BBC (bless), asks if a new economic direction needs a new chancellor in a fight-back and reshuffle.

Of course it does. It's the economy, stupid. The only thing Brown thinks he can salvage from his disastrous year.

This kind of speculation is, however, rather old news and was reported here last week. Still Nick's blog is a detailed and thorough analysis and worth reading for that. 

Time and again Brown has banged on about the economy, blaming world this and global that for all our ills. Even though he's made a thorough mess of it for the past ten years, it's the one crumb left that he thinks he can salvage in public opinion.

His old pal Darling has probably had enough after the Northern Rock and 10p tax fiasco and would be happy to move out of the media spotlight. 

So a cabinet reshuffle could be on the cards, to give the Brownite cabinet time to settle in. 

And expect David Miliband's brother, Ed (or is it Edward?), to be given a more prominent position in this cabinet. He's got a lot going for him. He's English. He has vast experience of the treasury. He's one of Blairs' and the New Labour Project's rising stars. And he's better looking than Darling. 

Just hope that Brown's side-kick, Edward Michael 'just call me Ed' Balls, doesn't add more labels to his stalinesque department of 'secretary of state for children, schools and families'. Sticking 'treasury' in there as well, just wouldn't go down at all well. 

The 42 day detention debacle and the EU Treaty stitch-up should be the last big political hurdles for Brown. There are no nasty by-election surprises coming up, yet, though there is one potential back-bench revolt in the commons to test his leadership on Wednesday. 

Let's face it, he can't sink any lower in the opinion polls because he's already off the scale. 

Oh and by the way Gordon, happy birthday for Friday.

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