To be honest I think the Sundays were all after a juicy headline and were putting two and two together and making 73 in most cases.  For example, the Mail's suggestion that John McD would stand as a 'stalking horse' was just nonsense.  Apart from the fact that the concept has little meaning in Labour politics (if you could get 70+ MPs to nominate you, why would you be anything but a serious contender?) can you think of ANYBODY John would wish to be a stalking horse for?  No, if and when there is eventually a leadership contest, I've no doubt John will be a candidate (and this is probably the tiny acorn from which the story grew) but it would be as a serious candidate seeking to win.

But I agree - now isn't the right time. There is a concern of course that 6 months time (which a variety of MPs from all sections of the party have mentioned as the end of a probationary period for Brown) could be a worse time. 

But I completely agree: strengthen the grassroots set-up.  Get members feeling like they have a stake in the party again.

The best way to highlight that this is happening is to make the next policy consultation much more open and accountable than any we've had so far.  Let people track their CLP's amendment through the process and see where it ends up.

To that end, we'll be putting proposed amendments up on the Labour Left Forum blog so we can follow what happens to them.

Duncan

Whatever GB does now he will be accused either of making gestures (bin tax proposals dropped) or panicking. He cut a slightly pathetic figure on yesterdays interviews and i beleive he know in his heart of hearts he is probably finished.

Cameron is going to mangle him at the next PMQs and who could blame him. Iraq, inheritance tax, non doms, the election that never was,10p tax fiasco, bin tax - where will it end.

He needs to step aside for a generational change and start listening to wiser council than the younger members of his cabinet.

The question is whether Gordon Brown is the person who understands the extent and scale of the problems with the party and, in particular, grassroot activism and party democracy, as well as the underlying causes and possible remedies.
 
On all three counts, I fear he is not. Incumbancy, arrogance, feet of clay, cement shoes and general  otherworldliness poorly equip those in charge to even dream up ideas that will appeal to people (voters, new reruits, young people, etc), let alone to articulate them in words people can relate to.
 
The potential instability that would be caused by a leadership contest in the short term is counterbalanced by the prospect of a Major-esque death by a thousand relaunches and “initiatives” – the drip drip drip caused by lurching from one poorly-handled crisis to the next for two years and which will, in turn, secure opposition for 10 or 15 years.
 
We need to nip it in the bud now. We need to be radical and we need to change – not a return to Blair  – but instead new ideas. We need to ride the crest of the next wave, not try and re-board a train that departed long ago. 
 
There are many backbench MPs who have sat back and taken a lot over the past 11 years - far too much in most cases. They must  stand up, show some guts and save us from the abyss.
 
Our time is running out.

Dear colleagues

After talking to colleagues I guarantee nobody is going to challenge Gordon from the right or left as it would be political suicide.

Wiseman

Until the Party fixes its problems with internal democracy and gets some policies then a change in leadership is a waste of time. But saying that it is absolutely essential that Brown acts NOW to change the way he operates and to restore party democracy, with this consultation get some atual policies. If he can't then he will be remembered not for the good stuff, but for being the worst Labour leader since Ramsay MacDonald.

Well, of course it isn't good to worry about internal politics at times like these: but it's what Gordon Brown is best at.

He was constantly trying to hijack Blair's premiership, threatning him with slicing funding for departments run by Blairites or enemies of Brown.

Mo Mowlam, who he hated, denied the post of Health secretary for fear that Brown would deny her funding.

Him and Ken were in a massive battle for king of the megalomaniacs. He could've tried to help Ken, far more, during this election.

We all know his relationship with Robin Cook was one of mutual hatred. He felt threatened by all three above figures, for the reason that they could challenge his future leadership of the party.

Dear Susan

There is another way, if the GRA, compass and the LRC work together for once, then if we are going knowhere we have a power base to push for change.

Wiseman