While I only feel somewhat inclined to "defend" Gordon Brown, because keeping him is good for the Tories, I must point out that:
1. Margaret Curran (Lab) lost because there was another "Curran" above her on the ballot paper.
2. Labour is not socialist. Wendy Alexander's unfortunate bad timing.
3. The by-election only happened because the sitting MP was paying constituency office money TO HIMSELF to rent his own office as part of his own house. Public funds, meet my personal bank account. He resigned to pre-empt this coming out thus resigning for a normal medical reason instead of a disgraceful one. Sleaze is at the root of another political disaster here, not just Labour's pariah status.
but.....
"We're a no nation party - can't win in Scotland, can't win in England, can't win in Wales," said one cabinet minister to the Telegraph.
and absolutely this:
In policy area after policy area, "scorched earth" will be in full effect. Yes, Brown has plunged us into economic crisis. But I am convinced George Osborne is the man to deal with it. We can't take another two years of Labour. It's time for change. Get ready for a General Election. The country needs one.
Labour will deliberately fuck everything up even more. Teenagers carrying knives? Gordo would hand out machine guns to give the Tories a crime problem to worry about. Maybe then the Tories can be convinced to legalise all drugs and end the gang warfare that they bring. But for Gordon, he has always stuck to: PARTY BEFORE COUNTRY, ME BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE.
