• @HarrietHarman Harriet, this is your time. Be bold. Mandolsen is the new Deputy PM. Resign and stand for the leadership. Now or never! in reply to HarrietHarman #

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Will Sir Alan Sugar have to be fired from the BBC?

Sir Alan Sugar, newly appointed Business Champion for the Government must face a tough choice.  He has to resign from the BBC and leave his show ‘The Apprentice’ or he resigns from the Government.  He cannot have both.

The BBC must remain impartial in the political arena.  Paying salary and supporting Alan Sugar breaks that impartiality.  The BBC must never break that bond of trust and impartiality with the License Fee holders.  At this moment in time they are…until Sir Alan makes a choice.

It is clear from interviews today that Sir Alan has been badly briefed about his new role.  On Sky News he had no idea of what the ‘whip’ was.  He made it clear he would consult and do whatever the BBC want him to do.  It is slowly dawning on him he has made a mistake.

Gordon Brown opted for a cheap headline with Sir Alan and now it is badly backfiring on Sir Alan.

So BBC, over to you.  It is time for you to make it clear to Sir Alan.  Resign your role in the Government or, in the words of Sir Alan…..’You’re fired’.

Let’s hope David Cameron turns the heat up on this one.

28% of the vote for Clegg’s Lib Dems and little to show for it!

The Labour Party were slaughtered at the local elections.  Pure and simple, they have been wiped from the face of local Government across the country.  Brown fears a general election…he is a man that runs from a vote…be it for the leadership of the Party, be it the Lisbon Treaty and of course a general election.  If he remains leader don’t expect one until 2010…as he clings to power until the last possible milisecond!

But he is a vindictive man.  He privately knows that Labour will be annihilated at a general election and it could take years before they are in a fit state to govern again.  Maybe 10 years plus. 

Hence do not be surprised to hear Brown propose a new electoral system based on PR.  At the local elections the Conservatives polled 38% of the popular vote, with the Lib Dems on 28% and Labour 23%. 

But how did this vote translate into councillors and control of councils under first past the post?

As we know, results are now in from the 34 Councils that went to the polls.  The Conservatives have 1476 councillors, as opposed to the Lib Dems 473 and Labour collapsing to just 176 councillors.  But more importantly, the Conservatives now have won control of 30 Councils, while the Lib Dems only managed 1, (and they lost control of Devon & Somerset to the Conservatives!).  Labour lost all their control over 4 councils.  Worst for Labour was seeing Lancashire collapse, where Labour lost 25 seats, 18 of those to the Conservatives.  Lancashire is pure red country.

Hence Gordon will look at the results and PR may make sense to help minimise the crushing defeat he would receive at the hands of the electorate and the Conservative Party.  He would secure far more Labour MP’s under PR than he will manage under first past the post in the 2010 election.

Brown may even seek to calm his backbenchers fears of losing their seat this week by announcing a PR system, which would save many of them losing their seats.  This may even be a tactic he uses to save his leadership!

Of course, Nick Clegg wants PR more than anything.  Clegg will be gutted that first past the post has again deprived the Lib Dems.  This was a poor night for the Lib Dems, given the unpopularity of Labour, they would have hoped to have a better showing than they did.  Their share of the vote was up but they cannot convert this to winning seats/councillors.  Nick Clegg is an impressive politician at times.  He has landed some heavy blows on Gordon Brown at PMQ’s and his leadership over the Gurkha’s was very impressive.  He must have been expecting a good performance for the Liberal Democrats in the local elections and I am sure is disapointted and will blame the electoral system for being unfair.

Let’s watch over the coming days and see if Brown is a convert to PR.

TBB is back.  Sorry for my absence all.  Unlike a lot of bloggers out there I actually get out and seek to help the Party as best I can.  I have been busy this past week canvassing and absolutely loving meeting and listening to our electorate.  Blogging will continue daily again now.  Thanks for all the great emails of support.

Wow what a week.  Gordon Brown, without any doubt, is the Conservative Party’s biggest electoral asset.  Tories the UK over want him to stay put and carry on as disastrously as he has been doing.  But what is fascinating is watching the Labour Party bottle their best chance of preventing an electoral catastrophe. 

Labour has been stating that the local elections and tomorrow’s European election results are not a ringing endorsement of the Conservative Party.  I think they again misread public mood.  When out canvassing across the SE I know that much of the electorate want to give the three big parties a bloody nose over expenses.  Labour has been all but obliterated from local government.  That must send a chilling realisation through the hearts and minds of Labour MP’s that come a general election their jobs and seats are not safe.  Panic will set in as they meet all their comrades, formerly loyal Labour councillors, now bitter and without office and local status.

The Conservatives had a good night.  But what is very much true is that the Conservatives also faced a protest vote, not to the same extreme as Labour.  Come the general election, many on the doorsteps I met, were protesting now but would be wholeheartedly supporting the Conservatives.  Hence Labour should not underestimate Conservative support across the nation who either stayed at home at the local & Euro elections or voted for one of the fringe parties….can I call them ‘lunatic parties’?

The Conservative Party is well known for its brutality in changing leaders.  This week we have seen the limp wristed and cowardly way senior Labour politicians tip toe round.  So who deserves respect this week and who doesn’t?

Caroline Flint is more than just window dressing, (though she is mighty attractive), but this week we saw her naive naked ambition shine through and she damaged her credibility.  Her pre-recorded eulogy to Gordon brown, was politics at its worse, sickening to hear a grown woman, naively supporting her leader for one reason…a plum Cabinet job the next day.  When Gordon did not give her that job, all the toys were thrown out of the pram.  With a stomp of her stiletto, she penned an acid resignation letter.  If Caroline had not recorded such a sycophantic love-in interview she would have been a heroine of the week.  Instead, she comes across as a desperately ambitious lady who did not get her way and so turned on her leader.  Shame.  I don’t think we have seen the last of Caroline.  Will she give a resignation speech in the Commons this week…..?

James Purnell.  A quiet man of the Cabinet.  A Blair man through and through.  His resignation as polls closed Thursday night was a bolt from the blue and the first person from the Cabinet who had the courage of his convictions to call for Brown to go.  That was a bold move and one that we should all respect.  I do hope that Purnell decides to stage a resignation speech next week as that would seal the mark of a conviction politician.  Purnell would win Politician of the week for me last week.  Let’s also be honest, Purnell’s resignation saved both Miliband and Darling from the sack / demotion.  When Purnell resigned he limited the reshuffle to a few minor moves.  Purnell was the man who put the handcuffs on brown and Brown will hate him forever.  I am sure Tony Blair would have raised a chuckle and smile over his man.  Let’s not forget Blair was at the sharp end of the Brown, Balls, McBride briefing machine for years.  Blair loves Labour but he would certainly shed no tears for Gordon.

David Miliband.  Oh David, what a lack of bottle you have.  Like last year, here was your chance again to stand up and be counted.  But Purnell’s resignation meant that Miliband could say ‘its the Foreign Office or I resign’, hence leaving Brown no option.  Perhaps Miliband’s ambition is reigned in because he wants no part of a massive Labour loss at the general election.  He will bide his time until the time is right.  Many will not forget your weakness David.  Your time has passed.

Perhaps in time Purnell’s resignation will be seen as the moment Gordon Brown was saved.  Had Purnell waited, his effect would have been more devastating.  Perhaps he regrets that.  Without his resignation, Balls would now be Chancellor, as Brown would have  moved Darling, (and Darling would have resigned).  Maybe Brown would have also moved Miliband.  But then, if Brown had lost a Darling or a Miliband or both, Purnell’s resignation then would have been nuclear.  But it did not happen….a miscalculation in hindsight?  Don’t forget Brown had been briefing for weeks that he was planning a radical reshuffle.  The reshuffle yesterday was not what Brown wanted or planned.  It was one to save his bacon.

Alastair Darling.  He is a dark horse.  Again, saved by Purnell.  But he is very conscious that Brown wanted to get rid of him.  Brown lied yesterday.  TBB has a close friend, a journalist, who has been briefed closely by No10 ‘sources’, that Ed Balls was to be the next Chancellor.  All the journalists at the PM’s Press Conference knew this, but brown lied to them.  Disgraceful.  TBB predicted Ed as the next Chancellor some time back.  But Gordon could not move Alastair as Alastair would have resigned and he could not afford a Chancellor going.   Now Alastair, do you really want to remain in a role that you know was not meant for you.  I would not be surprised to see Alastair resign next week.  There is nothing worse that being in a job when you know you are second choice and have been so badly briefed against as Darling has been.  Is Alastair there for the perks and status of Chancellor or does he believe he is the best man for the job with the PM’s support?  That will play with his conscience.

Harriet Harman is the other dark horse.  She keeps saying her time has come.  Now she must be mightily pissed off this weekend.  Mandelson, is all but in name the Deputy PM.  Mandelson has far more say over things than she does. Harriet was elected to the role of Deputy but Peter plays the tune.  She will feel her political grip slipping and will feel bitter.  Hence, do not be surprised to see Harriet Harman resign over the next few days.  And she could have the balls to say that she will stand against the PM and be the person that people crystallise around.  She must be mightily tempted this weekend to steal a march on her opponents.

The moment that someone announces they wish to stand against the PM, credible of course, will be the moment that they all come out of the wood work.  Expect, if Harriet announces her candidacy post her devastating resignation, to then hear Mr Smarmy Alan Johnson, say, ‘in the good of the Party, I will stand to provide the Party with a real choice’.  We can also expect Miliband to throw his hat in but time would have passed by them for him to gain momentum.

Gordon learnt last week the effects of briefing in advance.  It was obvious that Hazel Blears and Jacqui Smith were off in the reshuffle.  No.10 had briefed this in advance for some time.  Why on earth wait to be sacked?  All of us would jump rather than be pushed.  I am sure Brown has learnt that lesson…never leak your reshuffle plans in advance.  Will hazel this week strike a further blow.  Again, she has the right to a resignation statement.  She of all people, has little to lose now.  She is badly stained over expenses, little career options left as her constituents will most likely punish her at the next election, hence why not seal your place in history with a ‘Geoffrey Howe’ resignation speech, laying naked the secrets of life at No.10.

So what next?  The European election results will be catastrophic for Labour.  Conservatives will do well but again voters will have provided a bloody nose as they protest with the minor parties.  Expect UKIP to have a good night.  This will pour the pressure on Gordon even more, ready for Monday.  His lower rank ministerial shuffle will be key for setting the tone of the day for his PLP meeting in the evening.  If junior ministers have some balls and resign, then the PM heads into the PLP meeting drowning and will be pummelled in that meeting.  If another Cabinet Minister, like Harriet Harman or if Miliband or Darling get some spine and resign Monday, then it will be all over for Brown.  No way back.

Brown can survive.  But speak to most Labour supporters, they realise he is an electoral liability.  Imagine him fighting an election campaign, pulling those weird grin faces and speaking in a monotone boring voice at the hustings….dire.  But senior leadership contenders either lack the backbone to challenge or do not want to lead the Party to a massive electoral defeat and potentially be replaced as leader after that.  For us Conservatives, we want Gordon to stay….let’s hope and prey he does, because he is our biggest electoral asset.

This week history can be made…whose names will be then ones remembered in history as the ones to bring down the shortest serving unelected Prime Minister?

Come on Harriet……..’it’s your time’!

Well ‘trougher Hogg’ has decided to call it a day.

What is concerning is not the end of his Parliamentary career but what will happen to his moat?

Hence TBB is going to help and find Douglas a ‘cheaper’ moat cleaner, as he wont have the money to pay for his regular moat cleaner after losing his plentiful expenses.

Please let TBB know if you wish to apply…..I will pass on all applicants to ‘Trougher Hogg’.

Job Title:       Moat Cleaner

Location:       Former Tory Grandee’s ‘Castle’

Salary:             Much less than previous as owner had access to unlimited expenses.  Happy to provide House of Commons bottle of whiskey or chocolates.

Job Description:   To dredge the moat, keep stocked with fresh leaping salmon and ensure that water is pure Evian.

Other responsibilities:    Keep Tory grandee well liquored with finest whiskey and to ensure that drawbridge remains up at all times to prevent the media getting in and post man delivering tax bills.

Start date:       May 2010.

References:       No need.  Gentleman’s nod good enough.

As many of you know writing a blog is hard and yet is bloody rewarding.

Hence why I want to thank Sten, who has a blog site Chronicles from the Empire.  http://tinyurl.com/obq3au

He has added a 2 blogs to his new blog roll.  TBB is one.  Sten says of TBB: 

‘First of all, TrueBlueBlood. A relatively new Conservative weblog, started at the end of April. The owner is a very sharp and excellent writer’.

Thanks for the compliment Sten.  Means a great deal.

‘Election….no way …. I am not losing power yet……gotta another year of me yet’  (Dr Evil laugh follows)