Gordon Brown 'stepping down as Labour leader'

[Turborama]

Source: BBC

Mr Brown, prime minister since 2007, said he wanted a successor to be in place by the time of the party's conference in September.

Mr Brown announced his intention to quit in a statement in Downing St in which he also said his party was to start formal talks with the Lib Dems.

=snip=

He said he had no desire to stay in his position longer than was needed to form a stable government, and that he would ask the Labour Party to set in form the process of a leadership contest.

He said it could be in the interests of the country to form a "progressive" government - possibly in coalition with the Lib Dems - the UK's third largest party.



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/8672859.stm

---

Live coverage on BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/election2010/liveevent/

1720Mr Brown's decision to resign was designed to "unlock" a possible coalition deal between Labour and the Lib Dems, says the BBC's political editor Nick Robinson.

1715: Just a bit more on what Mr Brown said. He announced that Nick Clegg had just told him he wanted to begin formal talks with Labour. The PM said he thought it was "in the interests of the whole country to form a progressive coalition government". He said it had been his intention from the outset to "ensure that a strong, stable and principled government is formed".

1709: Mr Brown says he has "no desire to stay in my position longer than is needed to ensure that the path to economic growth is secured" and the route is paved for political reform. He says he will ask his party to launch a leadership contest and will play no part in it - expecting a new leader to be in place around the time of the Labour conference in September.

1704: Gordon Brown says Nick Clegg wants to begin formal discussions with the Labour Party and plans are now being made to allow that to happen. He also says he will step down as Labour leader by September and will ask the Labour party to set in motion a leadership contest to replace him.




From The Guardian's live blog...

5.06pm: Here are the main points.

• Gordon Brown is going to resign. He wants to stand down as Labour leader before the next Labour conference in the autumn. But he intends to remain as prime minister until then (if he can).

• Nick Clegg has formally opened talks with Labour. Brown said that Clegg rang him recently (presumably after the Lib Dem meeting) to say he would like to have formal talks with a Labour team.

• Brown is proposing a "progressive" government, comprising Labour, the Lib Dems, and presumably the SNP, Plaid Cymru, the SDLP and the Alliance. Electoral reform would be a priority.

5.04pm: Brown says he will "facilitate" the discussions with the Lib Dems.

5.03pm: Brown says he has "no desire" to stay in his position longer than is needed. He would be willing to stay in office until the a new government is formed. But the election was a judgment on him. He is going to ask Labour to organise a leadership election, so that a new leader can be in place by the time of the conference. He will play no part in that contest.

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/10/general-election-2010-live-blog

[onehandle]

1. Block the Tories any way you can. nt

[Rosa Luxemburg]

16. I agree!

[whereaminow]

21. Um, if I remember correctly

It was the Labour party that put British troops into Iraq. The Tories might be a nasty bunch, but those who acquiesce (appease) the way Labour did is just as bad.

[Wednesdays]

26. And the Tories will pull the troops out, pronto!

Just watch...

[Turborama]

32. Britain's troops left Iraq just over a year ago

Britain Closes Chapter in Iraq

Combat Mission Formally Ends A Month Early

Washington Post Foreign Service
Friday, May 1, 2009

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/30/AR2009043000851.html

[mwooldri]

27. True, Labour did put UK troops into Iraq and Afghanistan...

... but the Conservatives voted with them and supported it. The Liberal Democrats did not, and there were a good number of Labour people who did not toe the party line and voted with the Lib Dems. Hence Labour and Lib Dems are a better fit than Lib Dems and Conservatives.

[JDPriestly]

43. Yes, Brown and Britain are paying for Tony Blair's moment in the sun.

I'm sure Tony Blair is enjoying his fortune and not one bit sorry. Shame on them all.

[Oregone]

2. Good stuff. Itll be awesome if Clegg gets his electoral reform through

[brooklynite]

3. Brown to quit as Labour Leader

Source: Guardian

from the General election 2010 – live blog:

5.06pm: Here are the main points.

• Gordon Brown is going to resign. He wants to stand down as Labour leader before the next Labour conference in the autumn. But he intends to remain as prime minister until then (if he can).

• Nick Clegg has formally opened talks with Labour. Brown said that Clegg rang him recently (presumably after the Lib Dem meeting) to say he would like to have formal talks with a Labour team.

• Brown is proposing a "progressive" government, comprising Labour, the Lib Dems, and presumably the SNP, Plaid Cymru, the SDLP and the Alliance. Electoral reform would be a priority.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/

---

Worth it only if the Lib-Dems think a Government patched together with Parties that fundamentally don't want to be part of the UK Government (as opposed to autonomous or independent) can hold together long enough for Electoral Reform to be implemented.

[w4rma]

4. That is a lot of very good news. (nt)

[SteppingRazor]

5. While parties like Plaid have an end goal of independence...

they've got to realize that the proportional representation rules desired by the Lib Dems can only help their situation in the short term.

Hopefully for the UK, they can pass PR. I'm a big fan of multiparty systems. I think first-past-the-post is one of the few drawbacks to our own electoral system.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. British Elections: Why Glenda Jackson Should Replace Gordon Brown

1. Have a positive message. Glenda Jackson is somewhere to the left of Gordon Brown in policy terms and has more a reputation as a "progressive." But this isn't about her politics. It's about her style. And what she was able to transmit over the course of the hour was just how passionate she is about the ideals for which her party stands: equality of opportunity and social justice. She spoke eloquently about how her party's commitment to these ideals enabled someone of her socio-economic status (she is the daughter of a bricklayer) to achieve things that would have been unimaginable 60 years ago. It was a positive, uplifting message, one filled with hope. David Cameron and Nick Clegg have also been very positive during this election, each positioning himself as the candidate of change. Brown, in contrast, and especially during last Thursday's debate, has been relentlessly negative. His message has been more one of instilling fear in what a potential Conservative government might do to middle-class families than what he believes in.

2. Be proud of your country. Jackson also managed to convey a deep-seated pride in her country. Britain is currently mired in a sea of debt. This ought to be a huge albatross around the neck of any candidate running on the government's economic record. But somehow she was able to transform the country's debt into a ray of hope by talking about the resilience and resolve of the British people historically to overcome debt burdens through creativity and hard work. When she said "our greatest natural resource is our people," I was practically waving a Union Jack -- and I'm not even British. I've never heard Brown speak patriotically about his country. It's not that I doubt his patriotism, but it just isn't part of his repertoire. It should be.

3. Project self-confidence born of experience. To be fair to Brown, he's tried hard to do this. He is constantly reminding his opponents -- and voters alike -- that he's the only candidate who's managed a major financial crisis. But his manner, once again, makes him sound angry and defensive when he's defending his record, rather than proud and self-confident. In contrast, Jackson referred to her experience in government constantly when suggesting why she was best positioned to serve this constituency. When responding to a question about how to keep teenagers out of gangs, for example, she talked about peer-based programs in a district that already has a proven track record of success. She sounded knowledgeable and self-assured, and as if she really knew her district and its distinctive make-up and concerns.

4. Speak in simple language. Brown continues to run his campaign in policy-speak, while his competitors have mastered the age of the sound bite. Jackson, in contrast, speaks in simple, colorful, descriptive language. Granted, it helps to be a actress when it comes to delivery. But it works. When a student asked a question about what each candidate would do to save the environment, she listed a few big ticket items. Then she said: "But the most important thing is to believe that we can do something. The biggest energy wasters are us. What we have to take on board is that we as individuals can make a choice. This crisis is real and severe and we can do something about it and save the world." And suddenly, it really did seem that easy. Which is exactly what a candidate needs to do.


http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/02/british-elections-why-glenda-jackson-should-replace-gordon-brow/

[defendandprotect]

37. Love Glenda Jackson . . . glad to hear she's still in government . . .

[whereaminow]

44. Regardless of the content, it's always about the delivery and style

And I want to repeat her message to a person here I've been chatting with for a bit:

"But the most important thing is to believe that we can do something. The biggest energy wasters are us. What we have to take on board is that we as individuals can make a choice...

And I will add, accept responsibility for the choices you make.

The power is ours. Use it or lose it. Give that turd a little extra push :hurts: Purge the devil out of your body!

[dipsydoodle]

7. Helps explain

why Brown and Mandleson crept out the backdoor this afternoon. That was Number 10's back door : not Mandelson's.

[T_i_B]

8. He was a medicre PM at best

When he came in in 2007 Labour needed a breath of fresh air and he was not it. Under him the Labour party continued to drift without much sense of direction.

He's not had an easy time of it as PM what with the economy tanking. Plus he's not the most telegenic politician in the world to put it mildly and that didn't help.

Given that another election is likely in 6 months as Labour and the Tories search for an overall majority Labour does not have much time to sort itself out.

[Jester Messiah]

10. The assassin never keeps the throne for long. [nt]

[dipsydoodle]

12. Labour needed a breath of fresh air

and got a fart in still air instead.

Election is likely in 6 months ? It was mentioned yesterday that the best result Cameron could possibly get would be a Lib Lab coalition given it would most likely tank in a few months and with a fresh election the Cons would romp home.

[harmonicon]

35. that's only if they don't pass electoral reforms...

if they do before the next election, what will happen is anyone's guess.

[Lars77]

41. Labour needs to find its roots

In the current economic climate i believe Labour are paying the price for moving too much to the right. There's not a huge difference between the Tories and New Labour in terms of economic policy.

They can get right back in office next election if they start talking like they actually give a damn about people.


..and a prime minister that does not look like he is going to vomit after every sentence would be good.

[LeftishBrit]

61. At least he wasn't a Tory like Blair.

[tomm2thumbs]

9. off to the greatest page! /nt

[davidwparker]

11. Glad to see Brown go. I like that Nick Clegg guy. Go to the left, UK, go to the

left.

[LeftishBrit]

50. There is no guarantee that Clegg would be to the left of Brown, and he certainly wouldn't if he

were in coalition with Cameron.

The new Labour leader will probably not be much to the left of Brown (not at all if it's David Miliband as is quite likely).

Brown was not an outstanding PM, but he wasn't Blair, and gave us three years of a sort of Labour government after 28 years of the Tories under Thatcher, Major *and Blair*. Let us hope that the Tories can be kept out now!

[davidwparker]

59. Well, it looks like Cameron is the new PM. So, do you know what fell

through between the Labour-Liberal Dem coalition?

[LeftishBrit]

62. Not entirely clear yet, but it seems that it was mainly Labour that didn't want it.

[PassingFair]

13. Brits: This is GREAT NEWS, yes?

I like the term "Progressive"!

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. That the Lib Dems are now going for formal talks with Labour is good news in many ways, yes

I don't think there's a Labour politician likely to be elected as leader who is streets ahead of Brown - Alan Johnson would be a bit better, and doesn't have so much baggage as Brown, but I don't see a revolution in the way Labour is led - but I'd rather see a Labour+Lib Dem+Celtic Nationalists coalition than a Tory minority government.

Clegg is going to give a statement any moment. This may indicate the Tories just wouldn't budge on electoral reform, and Clegg either didn't want to compromise on that himself, or decided his party wouldn't support any compromise.

[mwooldri]

34. An awful lot of Lib Dems would cancel their membership...

... if Clegg agreed to a formal coalition with the Tories.

Unlike here, you have to actually join the party and apply for membership (though it's not too hard to get) - and pay your dues.

Clegg is stuck between a rock and a hard place - no matter where he turns. Brown resigning does make it a whole lot easier for the Lib Dems to form a coalition with Labour... but it really does need SNP, Plaid, Alliance, SDLP and Green support for the government to work. A coalition this large is unprecedented in Westminster politics... only other time there has been a cross-party government AFAIK was WWII when a "National Government" was formed, with people from all parties, but that was just right for that time.

[Zix]

24. Mayyyyybe.

The English Tories are going to be really furious this time...

[Q3JR4]

38. "Worth it only if....the UK Government...can hold together long

enough for Electoral Reform to be implemented."

That or you go with the party that is only going to talk about the possibility.

At some point you have to draw a line and I'm glad I'm not part of the discussion.

It would be a hard thing because there are pluses and minuses any way you want to look at it.

Q3JR4.

[Nye Bevan]

14. I hope Ed Balls becomes leader.

Nothing to do with his policies. I just like saying the name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_balls

[Rosa Luxemburg]

17. Yes Prime Minister Balls

[Fozzledick]

22. Of course Queen Elizabeth is still the titular head of state.

[LeftishBrit]

60. Sadly he would only be Leader of the Opposition for the moment...

But at least Labour could say 'Balls!' to David Cameron every day.

(Oh I do hope that twit Dave doesn't last too long - or still worse get dumped by his party in favour of an even more right-wing Tory!)

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. Education Secretary was a good position for him too

A Conservative secretary, Kenneth Baker, introduced a system of In-Service Training days, commonly known as 'Baker Days', when the pupils don't have to come to school while the teacher training is going on. Hence, the children can say "we're not going to school today, it's a Baker Day". They're longing to be able to say "no school today - it's a Balls Day!" or similar.

[No Elephants]

29. Can't wait for the newspaper headlines.

Assuming we still have newspapers, of course.

[femrap]

19. buh bye. nt

[Turborama]

20. Nick Clegg has just made a statement about this...

From The Guardian's live blog:

6.22pm: This is important. Nick Clegg has just been on Sky welcoming Brown's announcement. And he has given what seems to me to be a very clear signal that he would prefer to strike a deal with Labour.


"Gordon Brown has made an important announcement today. It must have been a very difficult thing for him to say personally but I think he has taken it in the national interest and I think his announcement could be be an important element in the smooth transition towards a stable government that people deserve, without of course prejudice and without predicting what the outcome of the talks will be between ourselves and the Labour party."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/10/general-election-2010-live-blog

[Boudica the Lyoness]

23. Good news

There's more of a chance Nick Clegg will side with labour now. I don't think he liked Gordon Brown much. Don't be fooled by the party's name, 'Liberal Democrat'. It doesn't mean what it does here in the US. In the US I'd consider myself a Liberal Democrat but in the UK I'm Labour all the way.

[Mark Baker]

42. What, right wing and authoritarian?

Labour are very authoritarian. Look at the 4000 new criminal offences they've introduced, the proliferation of CCTV, the attempt to allow 90 day detention without charge... Now, a lot of people in the Labour party are unhappy about all this, and some people suspect that even the senior politicians who are pushing this through are doing so to appease the tabloid press rather than because they really want, but none the less, on their record in government, they are really very illiberal.

In terms of right and left, the picture is more complicated. They've introduced the minimum wage and tax credits (which are over-complicated, but result in shifting a significant amount of money to the poor, particularly to poor children). And they've poured lots of money in to health and education systems. Much of it wasted on bureaucracy because of their obsession with targets and league tables but none the less the improvement in the services is enormous. On the other hand, they've privatised everything they could lay their hands on, encouraged the growth of the financial services industry and generally done whatever big business wants.

The Lib Dems are probably fairly similar economically - probably less likely to privatise stuff but less likely to spend on the very poorest too - but are, as their name suggests, far far more liberal.

[Zix]

25. I feel sorry for him.

:(

[PassingFair]

51. I do too...having to pick up all that Poodle Poop.

I feel a little sorry for him myself.



:cry:

[LiberalFighter]

28. I am so glad we don't have their form of government.

[No Elephants]

30. Yes. Our plutonomy is indeed far superior.

[DireStrike]

39. You broke my sarcasm detector

Either your sarcasm was so powerful that it overloaded, or the negative sarcasm created by posting such a statement - and seriously intending it - created a sarcasm void that caused an implosion in the Wit chamber.

[Q3JR4]

40. I like their form of government.

In fact when I grow up I hope to live at a place that has a form of their form of government.

Q3JR4.

[depakid]

56. If America had the Westminster system, it might actually get something done

and take effective steps toward solving the nation's problems in a timely manner.

[Solly Mack]

31. k/r

[craigmatic]

33. It's sad to see him go

[defendandprotect]

36. A sign Labour understands they need to move to the left ????

[depakid]

45. Had to happen- it'll be interesting to see who steps up to keep the Tories out

[brooklynite]

46. Gordon Brown plays last card – proffering his resignation (as PM)

Source: The Guardian

The British political landscape was transformed last night as an unbridled bidding war for power led to Gordon Brown proffering his resignation as prime minister in a dramatic attempt to secure Labour a power-sharing government with the Liberal Democrats.

Brown's surprise announcement on the steps of No 10 prompted an extraordinary Tory counter-offer to the Lib Dems: a referendum on the alternative vote electoral system, and a coalition government with seats for Nick Clegg's party in the cabinet.

The proposed Tory coalition deal would last at least two parliamentary sessions.

The hurried Tory offer, previously seen as completely beyond the ideological pale for the party, was swallowed by shell-shocked Tory MPs.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/10/gordon-brown-labour-leadership-resignation

---

Hmm, a tempting Tory offery, matched by a measure of uncertainty about who can speak for the Labour Party. What will Clegg do?

[Gman]

47. Not at all different than teabaggers offering a power sharing agreement with progressives

too weird to work.

[Q3JR4]

48. Hehe.

I was wondering if Mr. Brown was going to step down.

Just makes the whole thing more interesting.

Q3JR4.

[Turborama]

49. Pure hyperbole and propaganda from Wliiam Hague.

Pure hyperbole and propaganda. They know the Lib Dems aren't after AV, they want STV.

This shows the Tories' latest tactic, bully the Lib Dems and make them seem intolerably stubborn on an "insignificant" issue if they don't submit to their terms.

William Hague's statement on offering a referendum on AV

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD54WHwTyjs

Transcript: http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/8964/william_hagues_statement_on_offering_a_referendum_on_av.html

They've also said to us, the Liberal Democrats have said to the Conservative party, that they are only only prepared to enter into a coalition agreement with a party that will change our electoral system to the Alternative Vote method of voting.

Now, David Cameron and the shadow Cabinet and the Conservative MPs have decided that although our concentration in all of these negations has been on the financial situation, on reducing the deficit, on the improvment of education, on all the issues facing our great country, that in the interests of trying to create a stable, secure government we will go the extra mile and we will offer to the Liberal Democrats in a coalition government the holding of a referendum on the Alternative Vote system so that the people of this country can decide what the best electoral system is for the future

The choice - and it really is a choice now, it is urgent that the country has a new and stable government - the choice before the Liberal Democrats - with whom we have worked closely with over the past few days - is whether to go in with the Labour party in a government that would not be stable or secure. We would have a second unelected prime minister in a row, something that we believe would be unacceptable to a great majority of people in this country number of people, to impose a voting reform without any consultation, something we believe would be profoundly undemocratic.

Or they can choose to continue their talks with us, choose to join a coalition with us in a government that would be a stable and secure, something highly desirable in our current situation.
They would have an elected prime minister in David Cameron, the leader who obtained by far the greatest number of votes and seats in the general election last week and which will say that any reform of our voting system must be subject to a referendum of the people of this country.

That is the choice they must make and we will continue to help them to make that choice.

We are absolutely convinced we should not have another unelected prime minister, we should not change our voting system without a referendum, and whatever happens, whatever the liberal democrats decide, that is ground on which we will stand on.

[Love Bug]

52. My inner 12-year-old giggles at the words "hung parliament"

[muriel_volestrangler]

53. Labour-Lib Dem talks ended without agreement; Tory-Lib Dem talks still continuing

BREAKING NEWS Number 10 recognises that talks with the Lib Dems have not and will not reach any positive conclusion, and they are now discussing the method of declaring that their side of the negotiation is over, BBC Radio 5 Live's political correspondent Jon Pienaar says.

1602: The BBC's Jon Pienaar says talks between the Lib Dems and the Tories are now at the final "dotting the Is and crossing the Ts" stage. To use the metaphor of poker, Labour have folded and thrown in their cards.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/liveevent/

[Turborama]

54. Confusing signals coming from the Lib Dems.

From that Beeb link and what they're saying on TV...

Confusing signals coming from the Lib Dems. A frontbench Lib Dem source has told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg that a deal between his party and the Tories will be announced later today. But, in response to the question, "Have the talks collapsed with Labour?" another Lib Dem insider has told our correspondent Mike Sergeant: "No. Our expectation is that talks will continue."

Confusing, indeed. :shrug:

[muriel_volestrangler]

55. It seems to have been Labour as much, or even more, who called it off

There has been a stream of Labour MPs or ex-MPs today saying they'd rather be in opposition than in a coalition in these circumstances.

[Turborama]

58. Indeed

Since the start of all this David Blunkett has been vociferous about his dislike of the idea of a coalition and Kate Hoey has been saying just recently that Labour should just magnanimously accept defeat.

There's also a lot of anger about the fact 3 unelected Labour representatives (Alastair Campbell, Peter Mandelson, Lord Adonis) were leading the negotiations with the Lib Dems.

In fact, the whole of Labour's negotiation process sounds like a total shambles. The totally arrogant way they went about it makes it look like they were just going through the motions and actually wanted to fail.

[muriel_volestrangler]

57. Evening Standard: Brown to quit as PM, Cameron to be new PM

Gordon Brown is set to resign tonight and allow David Cameron to be Britain's new Prime Minister.

The Labour leader's final desperate attempt to cling on to power with a Lib-Lab deal crumbled amid a rebellion on his own side and policy disagreements with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

This afternoon he retreated to No 10 to discuss his situation with senior ministers, friends and wife Sarah.
...
However, Labour MPs and ministers reacted with anger to the attempted deal, saying they would prefer to be in opposition than in government with the Lib-Dems.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23832558-david-cameron-its-decision-time-for-lib-dems.do

[deminks]

63. Gordon Brown resigns as UK prime minister

Source: BBC

Gordon Brown has announced he is resigning as UK prime minister.

Mr Brown has officially tendered his resignation to the Queen at Buckingham Palace, and recommended Conservative leader David Cameron succeed him.

Speaking alongside his wife Sarah outside No 10 Downing Street, he said the job had been "a privilege" and wished his successor well.

Mr Brown is also stepping down as Labour leader and as an MP with immediate effect.

His decision comes as the Tories and Liberal Democrats are poised to agree a deal to form a government.

Mr Brown said he had taken the decision to resign after concluding he would not be able to form a government after days of talks between the parties.



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/8675913.stm

[Prophet 451]

64. David "Tory-Boy" Cameron is fucking Prime Minister. We're all fucking doomed. n/t

[onehandle]

65. Thatcherism returns. nt

[Prophet 451]

66. Don't remind me n/t

[h9socialist]

67. Robin Williams once observed that Margaret Thatcher . . .

. . . always talked like someone was "holding a small turd under he nose." Looks like the turd has finally been asked to form a government himself.

[Prometheus Bound]

68. Begone, warmonging scum!