John Denham for Leader

snowflake5 Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 06:38:05 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

We need a capable leader from outside the squabbling cabinet.



There is now no doubt that we will face a leadership election in the next year, and bitter arguments seem to be raging between the Brown people and the Stop Brown people. Brown's popularity sadly seems to be sinking, as the blows from the Blair side register with the public, and I'm starting to think that it might not be retrievable. And the other side, Reid, Clarke, etc, look equally unappealing.

So it might be worth looking outside the cabinet for a new leader, and I think John Denham fits the bill. For me, the only non-negotiable is the economics, which I believe must remain the same if Labour is to win the next election - but this can easily be resolved by whoever winning the leadership appointing Ed Balls as chancellor. On Iraq, there needs to be a change of direction.

John Denham is New Labour, but crucially, a humane version, he's kept faith with the original ethos of the project. He's a man of conscience and integrity who resigned over Iraq. His judgement on Iraq proved spot on. The public like him, he's good looking, he is youngish (he's 53) but not out of nappies like Cameron, and he is English. He is also intelligent and capable. As far as I can tell he has no enemies and the whole party should be able to deal happily with him. He would probably win back many voters who deserted in 2005 to the Lib Dems.

Here's his CV for those interested.

  • Born John Yorke Denham on 15 July 1953 in Seaton.
  • Educated at Woodruff Comprehensive in Lyme Regis and Southampton University where he did Chemistry
  • Elected Member of Parliament in 1992 as MP for Southampton Itchen
  • Resigned his position as Home Office Minister in March 2003 in protest at Iraq
  • Now sits on the Home Office Select Committee

What do people think? Is he acceptable to everyone in the party and the general public and should we start trying to persuade him to throw his hat into the ring?

tags: , , (all tags)

Display: Sort:
John Denham for Leader | 17 comments (17 topical)

Re: John Denham for Leader (#1)

by Glass House on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 07:20:40 PM GMT

Not being in Cabinet, it will be difficult for him to raise his profile. Maybe if Blair reshuffles the Cabinet in the New Year...?

Still backing Alan Johnson at the moment


Re: John Denham for Leader (#2)

by snowflake5 on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 08:05:04 PM GMT

His value lies in him being outside the cabinet (plus his integrity in the way he resigned over Iraq) - he's effectively rejected the dark turn that Blair took.

But you don't reject him out of hand, right? You think he could be OK?  


[ Parent ]

Re: John Denham for Leader (#3)

by Glass House on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 08:16:39 PM GMT

Yep, I think he'd be great. I just think that Alan Johnson has similar attributes and will find it easier to raise his profile.


[ Parent ]

Johnson, Reid or Denham (#4)

by tigerbay on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 08:39:35 PM GMT

My problem with Alan Johnson is that he's just a bit too boring - is grey the new red?

I think the public definately would like a less-showy more 'normal' premier after Tony Blair, but there's only so much normality the public takes before falling asleep.

We need someone who is not too showy yet someone who is not too boring.  Essential someone who's plain speaking, down to earth but has charisma.

Having Johnson would be to repeat the mistake the Tories made in having Major follow Thatcher.  

The only question is, who fits the bill?


[ Parent ]

Re: Johnson, Reid or Denham (#6)

by Glass House on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:36:29 PM GMT

What on Earth makes you think that Alan Johnson is boring? Time and again people i hear people talk about how charismatic he is?


[ Parent ]

Re: Johnson, Reid or Denham (#7)

by tigerbay on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:44:52 PM GMT

Must be some weird sixth thing I've got going on...


[ Parent ]

Re: Johnson, Reid or Denham (#8)

by tigerbay on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 09:45:12 PM GMT

sixth sense i meant.


[ Parent ]

Re: Johnson, Reid or Denham (#9)

by snowflake5 on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 10:14:24 PM GMT

Glass House, why don't you do an article explaining why you would vote for Johnson? I must admit I don't know much about him. But like tigerbay, I don't like him and I don't know why.


[ Parent ]

Re: John Denham for Leader (#5)

by snowflake5 on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 08:41:11 PM GMT

A bit more on John Denham:

He is for tuition fees (as I am). On Lebanon, he wanted the government to call for an immediate ceasefire, and on 7/7, he wants a full public enquiry. His views pretty much chime with most labour people, centrist on economics, but not gung-ho for war. He's a thoughtful man.

More on his web-site here

http://www.johndenham.org.uk/

The only slightly contentious thing may be his views on immigration. Denham wants the govt to crack down on exploitative businesses who employ people illegally without paying tax (I agree with him), and he wants curbs on immigration from any further EU accession states (which I disagree with). He wrote an article in the Guardian setting out his views:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/immigration/story/0,,1830060,00.html


Re: John Denham for Leader (#10)

by davidfloyd on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 09:29:09 PM GMT

"The only slightly contentious thing may be his views on immigration. Denham wants the govt to crack down on exploitative businesses who employ people illegally without paying tax (I agree with him), and he wants curbs on immigration from any further EU accession states (which I disagree with)."

Well, like you, I disagree with the second position but I'm not sure it's especially contentious when you consider the views of the electorate.

I think Denham's one of the good guys and I'd definitely like to see him in cabinet.

I'm not sure whether he's a big enough political figure for the top job, though.


Re: John Denham for Leader (#11)

by Paul on Mon Sep 11, 2006 at 03:10:50 PM GMT

I have long taken the view that Brown cannot be beaten from the Blairite right in a leadership election under the current rules, for the simple reason that (a) most Labour members are to the left of Blair, and (b) any attempt at this stage to promote a Blairite alternative will be seen for what it is - a transparent power-play by Blair designed to block Brown, which will in turn swing the pendulum of sympathy back in Gordon's direction.

He could be beaten from the "sensible" left, but only in my view by someone with senior ministerial experience who was essentially signed up to the New Labour agenda in all but one regard: the war.  John Denham is potentially this candidate.


Re: John Denham for Leader (#12)

by Glass House on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 05:37:21 AM GMT

Most members of the Tory party are to the right of David David and yet he was beaten by someone percieved to be further to the left of him


[ Parent ]

Re: John Denham for Leader (#13)

by Paul on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 02:08:39 PM GMT

Hmm.  Don't think that was much to do with left-right positioning, even if the Tory electorate were sophisticated enough to think in those terms.  Cameron (a bit like Neil Kinnock in reverse) came up to the Tory leadership via the right, then moved rapidly to the left.  I don't think many Tory members were aware of quite how far he would move when they elected him.

No, the reason Cameron beat Davis had to do with star quality, not where they stood on the left-right spectrum.  Cameron was perceived to have it, Davis was not.  When the two of them made those speeches at last year's conference, Tory members saw in Cameron someone who could make the Tories sexy again.  In Davis they saw someone who would simply be a re-run of IDS, a dull platform speaker with all the charisma of a wet paper bag.  


[ Parent ]

Re: John Denham for Leader (#14)

by crossland2 on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 04:44:56 PM GMT

Im another Denham fan ,but also find it hard to imagine how he would raise his profile enough.

He'd be interesting as Home sec.


Re: John Denham for Leader (#15)

by snowflake5 on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 05:08:25 PM GMT

For those interested, here's his voting record in Parliament:

http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpc=Southampton%2C+Itchen

I recommend reading it to the end, it makes interesting reading.


Re: John Denham for Leader (#16)

by Ian G on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 02:56:03 PM GMT

I take it you've read Denham's article today in the Guardian?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1871899,00.html

It doesn't say very much new, but the tone is spot on.

At the moment I would be very much inclined to support Denham. I believe he could lead a party more in the Labour tradition, but without scaring centerist voters.

Johnson seems a bit too much like an old style trade union barron to me. I don't think he'll go down well with the public.

I think the value of having someone completely untainted by Iraq, or loans for peerages, and who hasn't been involved in any public name-calling over the past week or so would be incalcuable.


Re: John Denham for Leader (#17)

by swatantra on Thu Sep 21, 2006 at 07:29:32 PM GMT

John who?. I'm afraid he's got the recognition factor of nil with the electorate. Anyway he's too nice a bloke to be PM. The next three years are going to be tough for Labour and we need 'Bruiser' Brown abley assisted by 'Smoothy' Johnson at the helm.


John Denham for Leader | 17 comments (17 topical)