http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/27/gordonbrown.labour1?gusrc=rss&feed=commentis free

some very interesting and valid points as usual from John...

"Friends" say Brown to trigger a leadership election at some point in next parliament if Labour win the general election

Boris:
1st Pref 1,043,761
2nd Pref 124,977
Total 1,168,738


Ken:
1st Pref 893,877
2nd Pref 135,089
Total 1,028,966


Rumour has it that Jack Straw and David Miliband are considering leadership bids.

This episode has caused me great concern, over perhaps the very future and nature of the labour party. I joined the labour party for I believed it was the party of social justice and a party of the working citizen (regardless of class). Whilst I believe that fundamental premise remains - more so than in the grass roots - if there was ever any evidence that perhaps our labour government is COMPLETELY out of touch with what the grass roots and indeed, our own MP’s want done - the following is ample cause for concern.

I'm currently reading Alistair Campbell's diaries (a Christmas present) and enjoying them rather more than some of the reviewers.  But re-living the Clause IV debate (and getting an inside view of the 'other side') has raised some very important questions for me.  Does the nature of leadership in modern British politics make party democracy impossible?

Well 2007 has come to a close, and I wanted to briefly look back on these 12 months in Labour history, from a left perspective.

A mysterious yet feasible comment has appeared on Labourhome suggesting there has been a telephone conference of 17 MPs to discuss the future of Gordon Brown's leadership of the Labour Party.

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

I have a good deal of respect (or perhaps I should now state 'did have') for John Rentoul but his piece in today's IoS is just silly.

Why? For three main reasons:

Help Nick Clegg make up his mind to run for Lib Dem leadership.

Brown should stake out the progressive ground on Lords reform

West Ham CLP, where the first ever Labour MP, Kier Hardie, was elected in 1892, voted tonight to nominate Gordon Brown for Leader of the Labour Party and Harriot Harman to be the deputy. Gorden was nominated overwhelmingly and Harriot also won the deputy vote by a clear margin. Jon Cruddas was 2nd then Alan Johnson. There was a lively but good natured comradely debate in an “all members” CLP meeting.

UPDATE: just heard that Tower Hamlets Labour Party voted to nominate (supportive) Brown as leader, and Jon Cruddas as deputy (Alan Johnson 2nd).

I'm furious. Absolutely. Bloody.Furious. UNISON Labour Link has just announced it will be backing the Dear Leader and Alan Johnson for the Deputy Leadership.
UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis and some equally furious NHS workers protested at last year's Labour Party Conference. I was there. NHS workers were angry at the privatisation of NHS Logistics. They were angry at privatisation and PFI. They have campaigned tirelessly against marketisation and pay cuts

You couldn't make it up. http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,2084946,00.html

 

<h1>Call for inquiry into leftwing leadership fight</h1>

Patrick Wintour and Will Woodward
Tuesday May 22, 2007
The Guardian

Recriminations are growing over the way Michael Meacher lost the chance to go forward as candidate of the left to challenge Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership, evidence seen by the Guardian shows. Mr Meacher, the former environment minister, stepped aside to allow John McDonnell to be the standard bearer for the left, only for his rival to fail to garner enough support to make it on to the ballot paper.

 

With questions growing about the failed campaign, two MPs originally claimed by Mr McDonnell to be supporters have denied ever nominating him. Papers seen by the Guardian show that the McDonnell camp had claimed the support of Jon Trickett, Labour MP for Hemsworth.

But Mr Trickett said yesterday: "I nominated Gordon Brown for the leadership and never nominated anyone else." If Mr Trickett's name had not appeared as a supporter of Mr McDonnell at an initial meeting between the two camps, Mr Meacher would have had one more nomination than Mr McDonnell, and would have gone forward as the candidate of the left.

Mr Meacher has written to Peter Watt, Labour's general secretary, to ask him to investigate how the error occurred. Mr Watt may refuse to intervene on the grounds that the deal between Mr McDonnell and Mr Meacher was a private matter. Last week it was disclosed that Mr McDonnell's camp had claimed the support of Bradford West MP Marsha Singh. Mr Singh then insisted that he had only nominated Mr Meacher, and was adamant that he had never signed any nomination paper in support of Mr McDonnell.

At the first meeting of the two camps last week, it was agreed that that the two men had 22 nominations each. The two camps reconvened last Monday, by which time Mr McDonnell had apparently secured a decisive 24-21 lead.

A spokesman for Mr McDonnell's campaign said: "I don't know anything about that [Trickett]. The process was agreed and completely accepted by both campaigns and the two sets of supporters.

"There was no dispute over the fact that John was the candidate who had the majority of support. Our feeling is that people are trying to create some mischief."

Gordon Brown says his coronation as Labour leader means there is "no appetite for far left policies in the Labour Party."

Yesterday, following the announcement that so many Labour MPs had nominated Brown that a competiton was impossible, I practically tore up my membership. Today I decided against leaving the party, but there are some issues I feel I need to raise in order to show why I almost took such drastic action.