I was right about Alan Johnson (blog, 12 June), but only just. I was also right that the Labour party would choose a woman as deputy leader (17 May), but again only just, and I was totally wrong about Hazel Blears.
Harriet Harman may prove to be a bit of embarrassment to Gordon Brown, given the left wing credentials she flashed at every opportunity during the deputy leadership campaign. She publicly and stridently advocated stronger links with the trade unions (she has pretty strong links herself; her husband is Jack Dromey, formerly of the TGWU, now the super-union, Unite) and bemoaned the widening gap between rich and poor after a decade of Gordon’s stewardship of the economy.
Today she denied saying that the Government should apologise for the Iraq war, despite agreeing with John Cruddas during a hustings event when he said that the Labour Party should “say sorry”.
Gordon has made it fairly clear that Harriet should not expect to become Deputy Prime Minister; instead she will also hold the office of party chairman. Jack Straw is tipped for the role one heartbeat away from the premiership – if, indeed, Gordon decides that it should continue.
He must be worried, however, that the lefty feminist, known jokingly around Parliament as “Harriet Harperson”, has acquired such a dangerous power base.
Harriet Harman may prove to be a bit of embarrassment to Gordon Brown, given the left wing credentials she flashed at every opportunity during the deputy leadership campaign. She publicly and stridently advocated stronger links with the trade unions (she has pretty strong links herself; her husband is Jack Dromey, formerly of the TGWU, now the super-union, Unite) and bemoaned the widening gap between rich and poor after a decade of Gordon’s stewardship of the economy.
Today she denied saying that the Government should apologise for the Iraq war, despite agreeing with John Cruddas during a hustings event when he said that the Labour Party should “say sorry”.
Gordon has made it fairly clear that Harriet should not expect to become Deputy Prime Minister; instead she will also hold the office of party chairman. Jack Straw is tipped for the role one heartbeat away from the premiership – if, indeed, Gordon decides that it should continue.
He must be worried, however, that the lefty feminist, known jokingly around Parliament as “Harriet Harperson”, has acquired such a dangerous power base.
1 comments:
I like this analysis. If Brown chooses Straw as deputy PM neither will have a democratic mandate. On those grounds alone, Brown can't afford to shun Harriet too obviously.
Post a Comment