Clarke: Brown succession is not a done deal
Thursday, 29 March 2007
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Charles Clarke has accused Gordon Brown of trying to bounce Labour into anointing him as Prime Minister and shut down debate over the party's future policies.
In a strong attack on the Chancellor, Mr Clarke insisted there was no "broad consensus" across the party about the leadership succession. "The leadership is not a done deal to be sorted out within our party and then delivered to a grateful nation in a gleaming package. A genuine and open political contest may well be necessary," he said.
The former home secretary has called on David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, to stand against Mr Brown. Mr Clarke is seen as a possible "stop Brown" candidate if, as expected, Mr Miliband refuses to enter the race.
Speaking to the Royal Television Society in London last night, Mr Clarke said that Mr Brown and the six candidates who have already declared for Labour's deputy leadership had undermined Tony Blair's authority by jumping the gun before the two jobs had become vacant.
He reserved his strongest criticism for Mr Brown, who moved at the weekend to cement his position as the overwhelming frontrunner to succeed Mr Blair by announcing that his campaign would be led by the Commons Leader, Jack Straw, and disclosing the names of several ministers who are backing him.
Mr Clarke criticised those "who have publicly appointed their campaign managers and who prefer backroom conspiracy and plots to open discussion of the policy challenges we face".
He went on: "These actions weaken the party in any case. But they also undermine and weaken the authority of the Prime Minister when authority is important, as we see in relation to Iran today. These matters have to be dealt with and solved by a strong prime minister, with the support of the whole country. They cannot be addressed by a leader-in-waiting, and political divisions in the ruling party certainly do not help."
He rejected proposals floated by Mr Brown for an "independent" NHS Board and a written constitution as attempts to "hive off controversial and difficult decisions".
He added: "We need to talk straight to people, engaging the concerns and questions that they have, rather than appearing to evade and dissimulate. We have to be absolutely clear that the decisions we take in parliament or government are principally motivated by the merits of the case and not by the search for media plaudits, party applause or personal advantage."
The former cabinet minister argued that Labour needed to give up "spin", re-invent itself and could not merely offer "more of the same" if it is to win a fourth term in office.
He admitted: "For all its great achievements, 'New Labour' has now become associated, fairly or unfairly, with a nexus of media-handling, perceived corruption, lack of openness and self-absorption which the public find distasteful - understandably so on the basis of what they are told [by the media].
He added: "Labour needs to show the people of this country that we have learnt the lessons of the last 13 years of 'New Labour' and that we are changing authentically, genuinely, really.The successor to 'New Labour' cannot be a return to 'Old Labour' as some so patently want and would so obviously lead to electoral defeat. But nor can it simply be a continuation, or even intensification, of 'New Labour' as some have argued."
