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Peter Mandelson urged to drop Gordon Brown in secret talks

By MAIL ON SUNDAY REPORTER

18th October 2009

Talks: Two of Gordon Brown's most prominent enemies are claimed to have told Peter Mandelson it was up to him to tell the Prime Minister to resign

Gordon Brown's hopes of surviving suffered another blow last night after it was claimed that two of his most prominent Labour enemies told Peter Mandelson it was up to him to tell the Prime Minister to resign.

Leading Blairite ex-Ministers Alan Milburn and Stephen Byers are understood to have had secret talks with the peer in which they said a new leader was the only way to stop David Cameron.

A senior Labour source said: ‘Milburn and Byers told Mandelson he was the only person who could tell Gordon what to do. They said he must get him to go but Peter resisted, saying he doesn’t want to be accused of betrayal.’

The report came as Labour MPs and Downing Street insiders said new moves to oust Mr Brown were being discussed at all levels: 

• Popular MP Parmjit Dhanda, who stood unsuccessfully as Speaker, is under pressure to stand as a ‘Brown Must Go’ candidate for the key job of Parliamentary Labour Party chairman;
  
• Mr Brown reeled after women Labour MPs shouted him down at a meeting over his ‘bungled’ handling of the expenses fiasco;
  
• And a whip who is one of Mr Brown’s closest allies told No10 he had made a ‘f****** mess’ of the expenses row.
  

One of Mr Brown’s closest No10 confidants said: ‘Every time Mandelson comes through the front door, we wonder whether he has come to tell Gordon it’s time to go. He is the only person with any real authority in the building and it is surreal watching the PM looking to him to tell him what to do.’

But Business Secretary Lord Mandelson’s friends say he wants to avoid being blamed for Mr Brown’s demise. One said: ‘For years Peter has had to endure taunts that he helped Blair beat Brown to become leader and he is terrified of being portrayed as the assassin again.’ 

Mr Brown ‘looked ill’ after Labour MPs shouted abuse when he addressed them on expenses. An ex-Minister said: ‘I have never seen a Labour leader treated with such contempt.’

Rebel Barry Sheerman could stand aside for Mr Dhanda to challenge Brownite Tony Lloyd for the PLP chairmanship.

‘If we can get 100 MPs to vote for us it will send a powerful message to the PM that we want him out,’ said one anti-Brown plotter.

But no sooner does a new leadership favourite emerge than their reputation fades. 

Home Secretary Alan Johnson’s star has dimmed after he was challenged on TV for claiming £200 a month for food. 

Mr Milburn denied having a meeting with Lord Mandelson. ‘I can’t remember the last time I spoke to Peter – it was probably in the summer,’ he said.

Mr Byers was unavailable for comment. Lord Mandelson’s spokesman said he had not seen Mr Milburn since spring and had not met Mr Byers recently either.

...as Kinnock hails Harriet ‘La Pasionaria of Peckham’ 

By SIMON WALTERS

Harriet Harman’s bid to succeed Gordon Brown received a boost when former Labour leader Lord Kinnock lashed out at a whispering campaign against her blamed on allies of the Prime Minister.

In a passionate tribute last week, Lord Kinnock condemned Labour figures for ‘bitching’ against her. 

And he hailed Ms Harman as ‘La Pasionaria of Peckham’ – a reference to heroine Dolores Ibarruri, known as La Pasionaria, or passion flower, for her defence of the Republic in the Spanish Civil War, and famous for her battle cry of ‘No pasaran!’ – They shall not pass.

Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock has hailed Harriet Harman (right) as 'La Pasionaria of Peckham' - in a reference to Communist heroine of the Spanish Civil War, Dolores Ibarruri (left)

In a colourful speech at a dinner in Camberwell in honour of the Deputy Labour Leader, Lord Kinnock questioned the motives of opponents of her women’s rights campaign, suggesting they ‘came off the breast too early’.

He said: ‘People in our own party are saying bitchy things about Harriet because she 
is forging ahead with a fundamental, democratic socialist mission to advance equality. There are one or two in our movement who don’t disclose their identity and criticise her.’

Lord Kinnock did not point the finger at the Prime Minister’s allies. However, his speech followed media attacks on Ms Harman,  attributed to unnamed supporters of Mr Brown who are convinced she is plotting to take his job. They claim she is trying to recruit high-profile Labour supporters for a leadership battle.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1221192/Peter-Mandelson-urged-drop-Gordon-Brown-secret-talks.html#ixzz0UH2QN5Hb