New Statesman

Last week I got one of those calls from out of the blue. It was from the New Statesman-never had that before!

They wanted to know who I thought should be the next Leader of the Labour Party-I thought I had missed something at first then I realised it was just another of those fishing expeditions designed to keep a non-story about the leadership going.

There is always a decision to make with these things.If you get involved you risk prolonging the story, if you dont get involved then the Labour view doesn't get put. In the end I gave them the following qoute,which hasgone down well with most members.

"The next leader of the Labour Party should be Gordon Brown-there is no vacancy. Without Gordon Brown we would be facing the same sort of economic meltdown they have seen in Iceland or Ireland. We are facing a Tory party more right-wing at every level than it was under Margaret Thatcher. This isn't the time for these dinner party debates;its time for Labour supporters to be campaigning hard for a Labour victory. I am just on my way out to deliver some leaflets-anyone is welcome to join us"