Call to make Peter Mandelson Labour leader ahead of election

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Call to make Peter Mandelson Labour party leader ahead of election

Making Peter Mandelson leader is Labour's only hope of winning the next election, the party's top business adviser said yesterday.

Dr Peter Slowe, chair of the Labour Finance and Industry Group, said MPs should oust Gordon Brown and replace him with the Business Secretary.

Dr Slowe said: "Mandelson is the only one with clout, intellect and charisma in the Labour ranks who could realistically take on the Tories and win at a general election."

The law is being changed so that Lords can resign their title and stand as MPs. The Business Secretary recently refused to rule this out. But Dr Slowe, a Labour donor and member for 40 years, said: "If Peter Mandelson were to be leader I think he has a great sense of how to communicate with the people, which is the problem at the moment.

"He is a very good communicator, the best since Tony Blair in the past 10 years. The party has great potential, great ideas and what it needs now is great communication."

His remarks came as Labour MP Alan Simpson warned fellow leftwingers were ready to ditch Mr Brown. He said the PM had until the New Year to improve his performance. Many MPs believe ousting him before the general election, due next spring, is the only way to stop David Cameron sweeping into power.

A repeat of Labour's Norwich North by-election disaster last week would see the Tories win by 215 seats.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson is favourite as a compromise candidate should Mr Brown, who survived an attempted coup by right-wing Blairites last month, be ousted.

Lord Mandelson backed Mr Brown again yesterday, but warned he would face more criticism.

He said: "I don't have a question about his leadership and nor do the bulk of members of the Labour Party. But I said before that there will be a handful of people who will want to continue to express their criticism."

HARMAN IN CHARGE

Harriet Harman yesterday stepped in to mind the shop while Gordon Brown takes a summer break.

Ms Harman and colleagues are taking turns covering for Mr Brown while he spends a month away from Westminster. But Downing Street insisted Labour's deputy leader was not running the country. Mr Brown's official spokesman said: "The Prime Minister is in charge."

Peter Mandelson is expected to run the show when Mr Brown takes a proper holiday in two weeks. Alistair Darling and Jack Straw will also take turns.

[ar26]

If he became Prime Minister I'm emigrating.
Is he even an MP please tell me he's not or I'll have nightmares tonight !!!!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

If he became Prime Minister I'm emigrating.
Is he even an MP please tell me he's not or I'll have nightmares tonight !!!!

No he is not an MP - this may be the only sticking point about him being PM, though they will probably change the rules so he can be.

[Pinky 1]

No, he's not an elected M.P.
He's a "Jack of all trades, Master of none"
He's happy when he's meddling in things he know's nothing about, look at the fiasco with privatisation of Royal Mail
We've already got a Prime Minister we didn't ask for ....do we really want another one ?
If he wants the top job he should get himself elected first, not come through the back door ......

[janitor]

I think you will find they have just changed the law so he can resign from the lords and stand as a MP, not just him of course it's people with life peerages.

[sevenandseven]

Dr Slowe said: "Mandelson is the only one with clout, intellect and charisma in the Labour ranks who could realistically take on the Tories and win at a general election."

I suggest Dr Slowe takes a look at " The Prince of Darkness's " CV on the Wikipedia site before making such statements because if what he believes is true it would explain why the Labour Party is so out of touch with its supporters - and ex-supporters - and is destined to hand the next election to the Tories on a plate.

[prowler]

I think Dr Slowe is in need of some medication himself as he is surely deluded. Mandelson is even more hated than Brown, and that takes some doing. The man has no intellect, he's a slimey creep. If they make him leader of the Liebor Party, they will be wiped out at the next election. Personally, I can't wait.

[NWpostie]

Peter mandelson will not help Labour win the election, neither will Alan Johnson if he insist one being ahappy about uncontrolled Immigration and "sleeping well at night" that view is at odds with the majority of the Public, he is doing a "Micheal Foot" who also made Labour unelectable by adopting unrealistic policies that the Public does not want.

I think Tories will get in and not entirely due to their own effort either, when they have a party who is going to implode and hand the election on a plate to them.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The only way that I can see Labour keeping power at the next election is by changing the voting system. They wont go the whole hog and go for Proportional Representation but there is talk they may be moving towards "Preference Voting".

Preference voting is where you don't just place an X next to your choice but a 1. Then a 2 for your next choice all the way down till you either run out of candidates or don't want to vote for those that are left.

Then when the votes are counted the person elected must have 50% of all the votes. If no candidate has 50% then the candidate with the lowest number of votes is withdrawn and all the votes for them are passed onto to the voters 2nd preference. This keeps going on till someone has 5-% of the votes.

Although not a perfect system it is slightly more representative than first past the post system we have now. Its main drawback is that a "hung parliament" is a bit more likely than at present but not as likely as PR.

[NWpostie]

NO, I don't think it should be changed, first past the Post enabled stable Governments, without having to do deals with other parties in order to form a Government, the current system IS democratic, a stable goverment whether its the party of your choice or not, of course you would be happy if it was YOUR party with a strong Government, while denying the Party you don't like becoming a Minority Government, we can't have it both ways, the Party selected is the ELECTED government and it creates a climate to enable legislation to get through parliament without having to horse trade with minor parties and with all the instability we get, we do not want to become another Italy, Ireland is nearly as bad.

[ldsposti]

This has got to be a joke how could we elect a corrupt pm i wonder what position he would give :lfo and :cfo in his cabinet

[DGP1]

This has got to be a joke how could we elect a corrupt pm i wonder what position he would give :lfo and :cfo in his cabinet

Bringing up the rear

[dudleylicious]

Thats a BUM rap

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The standard of puns here is hitting bottom - its a bit of a bums rush.

[DGP1]

If someone would mention fire then I could use my best joke......................................................There seems to be an awful lot of arson about