Can Gordon be a leader designate this summer?
OK, so we know he won’t be playing croquet at Chequers, but nobody has confidence in him and these are not ordinary times are are living in; these are extraordinary times of international conflict which could escalate in an unpredictable way over the next few weeks.
Inflamed terrorists could easily regard the UK as a sitting duck under the leadership of a limp and widely derided Deputy Prime Minister. There have been repeated recent reminders too about how Tony Blair has lost his grip.
William Rees-Mogg describes today just what worrying times we are living in: there are now four wars in the Middle East.
“The most disturbing aspect of the international crisis is that the global initiative has largely passed to the terrorists. There are now four wars in the Middle East. In Iraq, the Sunni insurgents and militant Shia frustrated the reconstruction of the country. In Afghanistan, the Taleban can choose when and where to attack British forces. Our forces are brave and professional, but overstretched and under-resourced.
“In Palestine, Hamas, a terrorist party committed to the destruction of Israel, won the elections; terrorists connected to Hamas began the latest fighting in Gaza by kidnapping an Israeli soldier. In Lebanon, another terrorist organisation, Hezbollah, reignited another war front by kidnapping two Israeli soldiers and by a series of rocket attacks on Israel. Israel has attacked Lebanon savagely in reply.”
He firmly believes it is time for Blair to step down and that Gordon Brown should become leader, though Blair adamantly denies he plans to relinquish his post.
So I wonder, is there any reason why Brown cannot become leader designate during the the summer recess instead of Prezza, who would be way out of his depth in dealing with the spiralling conflict in the Middle East. These are exceptional and extraordinary times and Blair needs to act accordingly. Giving the helm to Brown instead makes good sense to me. I would certainly feel safer to start with.
I’ll swap you our incompetant sleaze ball Peter Costello for your incompetent sleaze ball!
Michelle, thanks,I guess better the sleaze ball you know!
Your idea rests on the assumption that Brown will be a safer pair of hands than Prescott.
The choice between being lead by a politician whose reponse to terrorism is likely to be to nationalise it, or being lead by a politician whose reponse to terrorism might be to seek ways to tax it, is not one I would care to make.
I agree with your point.
The only thing I have to add is that whoever is in power won’t be able to prevent further terrorist attacks. MI5/6/ etc. have to be lucky every time to catch the terrorists but the terrorists only have to get lucky once.
They say that in Israel, every israeli either knows someone who has been killed in a terrorist attack or seriously injured because there have been so many now. Hopefully, we’ll never get to this level in the UK though.
My advice, stay out in the countryside!
Injured cyclist, that’s quite a terrifying thought for those living in Israel. And your point about M15/6 is spot on, very succinct.I guess leaving the country is the only sure safe option, but that is an impossibility for most.
I think you are forgetting this is Britain, not America. In Britain there is a principle of collective cabinet government (remember that?) – it’s very different to the American system where all the cabinet are appointees, rather than elected officials in their own right, and the vice-president assumes the president’s full powers in his absence.
Decisions in Blair’s absence will be made by the collective cabinet as usual. Mr Prescott will merely chair the meetings – he most certainly doesn’t have the power to overrule the cabinet or “govern” on his own. (When did Tories become so ignorant about the British constitution?)
Snowflake5, In my opinion, Prezza is not fit to chair the cabinet meetings, he does not deserve such an honour, that’s the whole point of my post.I would have more confidence with Gordon Brown in this role.
Lets not be silly. There is no chance that Brown is some kind of old labour comrade or nationalisation freak.
Brown is excellent on International relations and would be perfect to deal with the Middle East crisis.
Although he may need to look after his baby!