What's said and what's not
- 26 Jul 08, 10:30 AM
Listen very hard this morning for what Jack Straw is and isn't saying. The justice secretary has not called on the Labour Party to back Gordon Brown. Indeed he has not uttered any words himself at all since the Glasgow by-election.
Instead, allies of Mr Straw have said that he is urging rebels to "calm down". What that means is that he is asking for MPs who are pressuring him to bring about a change of leadership to ponder on the problems that would cause.
Firstly, it would be divisive. Secondly, the public might not like a party looking inward at the very time the voters want their concerns to be the top of the agenda. Finally though, and most importantly, Mr Straw has warned colleagues that a change of leader would trigger demands for an early general election for which Labour is particularly badly prepared at the moment.
It's interesting too to note that David Blunkett talked of there being no mechanism for removing Mr Brown today. I am not suggesting that Messrs Straw and Blunkett are secretly plotting against Mr Brown but what's clear is that they have not rushed to a full-throated declaration of approval either.
