At first you think it's a strange joke but if today's Daily Mail is anything to go by, Brown is set to agree to giving Thatcher a state funeral when she dies.

For PM?

Is the new Car Tax proposals that we were told would affect only a minority of people, but which today's reports indicate will actually affect over 40% of families, another rerun of the 10 tax proposals that also wouldn't hurt many people?

Labour MP, Bob Marshall-Andrews, is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society and a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association, but despite this, I like his maverick style. He has some honour and sense of fairness: traits not normally associated with many of his colleagues of late.

On his official website at epolitix.com, we are reminded of the unceremonious ejection of Walter Wolfgang from the 2005 Labour Conference with an article entitled, "Our PM Is Nothing But A Bully - Just Ask Old Walter."

The frail 82-year old Mr Wolfgang, who has devoted his life to the Labour Party, had the audacity to propose that Jack Straw was being less than honest about Iraq.

Mr Marshall-Andrews writes: 'For this offence Mr Wolfgang is seized by a massive, apparently anonymous "steward", physically manhandled from his own conference and detained by police as a suspected terrorist. A nearby delegate, attempting to intervene, is himself assaulted by another massive example of New Labour's finest. Hours later, Blair delivers an apology wholly typical of the man. "I'm sorry," he says, "but I wasn't there."'

Gordon Brown has decided not to address the GMB conference.

It's a common view in the media that Gordon Brown has yet to 'explain' his vision.  I happened to catch a speech he made a couple of weeks ago that gives a clear a sense of who he is and what he believes in as I think you're going to get. 

It wasn't extensively reported in the press, perhaps partly because it was to a church audience, or because it took place in Scotland. I think the biggest reason was because it can't be reduced to a one sentence soundbite. 

Commentators simply can't have it both ways - complaining one week that Brown has explained his mission and then failing to report its detail and tone of a landmark speech. Even those without faith can gain a lot from reading Brown's speech to the Church of Scotland, so here it is in full.

http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page15582.asp

Two senior figures offer advice to Gordon Brown in the wake of the result in Crewe and Nantwich.

I was pondering this on my blog...Did blair engineer the 10p tax fiasco, knowing fine well that Brown would have to deal with it and would probably bugger it up?

I am sick to the back teeth with how anyone could back a racist, bigoted, homophobic toff for mayor.....a person that has made a career out of acting the clown!

Why are there so many tories commenting on everything here?

Gordon Brown has ruled out the possibility of his taking part in a US style televised debate with David Cameron and Nick Clegg in the run up to the next General Election.

The statement launched by Progress today is to be welcomed. Not because they are right but because it helps spark a debate. So far its largely Compass saying that Brown needs to up his game. Now there is contestability over which direction and the more free market elements of Labour’s big tent will presumably welcome an injection of political competition.

Is it time for Gordon Brown to be brave and hold a referendum on the EU Treaty?

Today's Observer noted that Brown and Clegg have been holding talks with regards to constitutional reform.

Following Brown's grilling by the Commons' liaison committee, now seems an appropriate time to briefly assess how he's doing...