Amid all the talk about the speed or lack of it of reaction to the Hoon/Hewitt proposal by various cabinet members, I thought I'd check how fast I'd been.
My own denunciation of the coup attempt was composed, written and posted here, according to the time on the post, at 12.43 pm. That's just 13 minutes after Hoon and Hewitt broke cover. One hour 17 minutes before the first Cabinet Minister responded. And to pick some names at random, five and three quarter hours faster than Harriet, four and three quarter hours faster than Jack and a whopping six and a quarter hours faster than David.
They all have at least two special advisers to watch rolling news for them, help them decide what they think about major political events, and draft statements for them, yet were in one case 2600% slower than a part-time blogger who just happened to have one eye on Sky News while in the middle of an M&S tuna and sweetcorn sarnie on my lunchbreak.
Clearly cabinet posts aren't allocated on ability to respond decisively and fast in a political crisis. Or maybe I missed an alternative explanation for the delayed reactions...
Luke,
ReplyDeletevery droll. I was dithering by contrast, as it took me until 1.30pm, though I would plead in mitigation that I was trying to do hyperlinks as well as analysis, and I didn't spot any of those in the Cabinet statements!
Maybe they're . . . how shall I put this?. . . not quite so convinced about Gordon as you appear to be.
ReplyDeleteIt must have been something to do with the snow. I can't think what else it could be.
ReplyDeleteI have a really horrible feeling that every single member of the Cabinet was holding back their support for Brown in case it turned out that they were the one everyone was going to unite behind to replace him.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how long Brown would have taken to make a statement!
ReplyDeleteSunday's Mail has a devastating attack on the character of the talentless bully.
ReplyDeleteHe's unfit to lead anything. This must be known to you but you continue with this ridiculous loyalty.
At least, shut up. Silence would be a more morally defensive position.
Do you really think we have a cat in hell's chance with Gordon in charge?
ReplyDeleteTheir execution was sloppy but history will judge Hoon and Hewitt to be braver than all the idiots, from the Cabinet down, who sold millions of working people down the river because they wouldn't tell one man to quit.
Latest polls (post-coup) apparently show Labour UP 1% on 30%, Conservatives still on 40% and LibDems down 1% on 18% (nb. a 10 percentage-point margin would secure the Conservatives a Parliamentary majority of 22 seats), so still seems pretty tight and the coup plot has made little impact, if anything, it could have made Brown look a smidgeon stronger ... might people also be starting to wonder about the wisdom of Cameron's post-election 'emergency budget' .. eg. 'cling to nurse for fear of something worse' as I believe the traditional expression in these situations has it.
ReplyDeleteI was slower than the lot of them, but so what? Speed isn't everything. Sometimes a slower and more considered response is better.
ReplyDeleteSo what your really saying is that they are not fit to lead the country yeah??
ReplyDeleteNot much singing as the latest poll shows Labour on just 24% (Poltical Betting website).
ReplyDeleteWhat's it like being a lemming?
At least they don't know they're going over the cliff.
Anonymous ; Why are you so happy at the tories being favorites to win? Why do you want to make life tougher for working and lower middle class people?
ReplyDeleteWhy do you want to increase inequality?
Does increasing poverty please you?
The Polls are showing some very confusing data, I'm not sure what to trust. My instincts at the moment are telling me that Labour are heading for a huge defeat in the spring.
ReplyDeleteThe conservatives have landed a hard blow on Labour this week promising to cut immigration by 75%and will be looking at putting in place restrictions on the European Union. This alone if its true will make me vote conservative...immigration is my main concern.
Dear Luke
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, I managed mine at 1.06pm but included the first lobby reaction reported by James Landale confirming my suspicions.
http://petergkenyon.typepad.com/peterkenyon/2010/01/labour-party-plotters-led-by-patricia-and-geoff-who.html
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