At 5pm today, Prime Minister Gordon Brown came out of No.10 Downing Street, to make a statement that shook the political world to the core. He announced he was to step down as Labour leader as soon as possible. He announced a leadership election for the party, and hoped that the new leader would be selected before Labour’s annual party conference this autumn. He also said he would not play any part in the electoral process, nor back any candidate personally. It was a dignified and gracious speech, but where does this leave the country now. Lost and confused seems the best way to explain it.
The day started with William Hague, the Conservative Shadow Chancellor announcing to the media of another positive round of talks between the Tories and the Liberal Democrats. Their leaders Nick Clegg and David Cameron have been locked in talks throughout the weekend. However, the stumbling block of the Lib Dems determination to push forward its voting reform seem to have put all negotiations at a stalling process. Later on, after a meeting with MP’s, Clegg confirmed that the PR scheme, which he hadn’t initially pushed for, was now a condition the Conservatives must meet. At this stage, he also announced that he was to open talks with the Labour party. So, was Brown pushed by his own party, did he step down on his own accord, or has Clegg pushed him out of Downing Street.
Throughout the election campaign, Nick Clegg has always maintained that he would not work with Gordon Brown, even calling him a ‘desperate politician’ at one stage. With Brown suddenly leaving, some are already speculating that for the Lib Dems to do a deal with Labour, one of the conditions was for Gordon to quit. Brown insisted that he had made the decision last week, after Labour’s overwhelming defeat, though not by a majority in the General Election. Tonight, William Hague has launched a final set of negotiations for the Liberal Democrats, a ‘take it or leave it’ offer, which included a referendum on voting reform.
For a Labour/Lib Dems coalition government to go through, it would still need to get past the magical 326 mark in the House of Commons. Together, they can’t reach that figure, which means bringing in smaller parties, including Plaid Cwyrmu and the SNP (Scottish National Party). That government just has ‘disaster’ written all over. We haven’t heard much from David Cameron today, which is quite surprising, but with Brown stepping down, he can technically go to the Queen, to request and form a minority government. Nick Clegg’s tactics are not smart at all, he is now playing off the two major parties, and it looks like he will sell out to the biggest party, which is what some people I know closely predicted around a fortnight ago. Clegg and the Liberal Democrats political reputations are on the line, and their reluctance to do a deal, must worry the British people. Some are probably wondering already, ‘Why did we vote, if we were going to get in this mess?’
Today’s announcement brings down the curtain-raiser on Gordon Brown’s long career in politics. Starting out as a strong, political student at Edinburgh University, he got his first break in the Labour party in 1983, with younger hair, alongside a certain Tony Blair. He was a strong figure in the Neil Kinnock regime, but the implications in May 1994 were going to have a sudden part in how today’s politics is shaped.
The sudden death of the Labour leader John Smith, from a fatal heart attack looked to have set the path for Brown to take over as Labour leader. Reluctantly and under pressure from many Labour figureheads, he gave way to Blair, who swept into power in 1997 via a landslide majority. Brown was always seething in private, even if he put a brave face in public, but as the cracks started to appear in the Blair regime over Iraq, Brown did little to support. At times, there seemed to be complete civil war between the pair. Eventually, he got the long-awaited keys to No.10 in June 2007, when Blair decided to step aside. However, he was never elected as a Prime Minister and at the first opportunity; the people decided he wasn’t good enough to run the country anymore. Charity and volunteer work destined for the soon to be incumbent Labour Prime Minister.
This story is far from over, and with MP’s due back for business in Westminster next Tuesday, something needs to happen and quickly. Gordon Brown’s shock decision has put Labour firmly back in the race, but all that we know tonight, is that the British political system is in shock and chaos and the country lost and confused? What happens next is anyone’s guess….
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