Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Is Hilary Benn Struggling to Make the Cut?

It's a political truism that nice guys often come last. Could it really be that Hilary Benn can't muster the 44 votes needed to progress to the final stage of Labour's Deputy Leadership contest? Labour MP Chris Bryant certainly thinks so. He was overheard in Portcullis House talking in a very loud voice telling a female Labour MP that Hilary Benn won't make it but Jon Cruddas will.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jon who?
Does it matter. It's going to end up Blears or HH anyway.

Theo Spark said...

Please tell me the name Cruddas is a joke.
A) Who is he?
B) He is really not going to like me!!!

Anonymous said...

Chris B needs to shut up. Such an attention seeker. He's got zero cred in the Labour party - so expect more from him until his candle burns or is blown out.

The Hitch said...

I can think of no finer endorsement than to be written off by Chris "baggy undies" Bryant.
So its a tenner on Mr Benn.
I still think gordon will end up in the loony bin before he gest the keys to number 10

Anonymous said...

Agree with the Hitch on this

Auntie Flo'

Anonymous said...

Nope, Flo and the Hitch are wasting their money on Mr Benn. He's a shoe-in for Home Secretary in the Reclusive One's Cabinet.

Anonymous said...

Cruddas comes across as a genuinely decent bloke, and has a good reputation as a constituency MP.

I expect that means he'll get nowhere in today's Labour Party.

Paul E. said...

Not sure how valuable this story is. Chris Bryant only has a loud voice. He doesn't do 'confidential'.

Anonymous said...

Benn is a nice guy, and isn't really the answer to any question.

Johnson (popular, good commnicator, affable) or Cruddas (new, anti-establishment, decent) to win.

Hazel to make the cut but come last Hain to make it by the skin of his teeth but come in third.

Chris Paul said...

Agree with anon 8:32. The walls have ears and CB is stage whispering at walls with gay abandon. There are enough votes in the PLP to see all six, in fact there's room for another. If this is to be the divertissement for the media - in the absence of a real contest - then managers will make sure that most of them get their numbers.

I am surprised they aren't trying harder to get a middle ground stalking donkey up for Gordon to beat off majestically. There's still time.

Oxf tof is the word btw

Anonymous said...

Blair will anounce his departure timetable tomorrow (Wednesday), Thursday is for his goodbyes & Friday for 'im with the personality flaws' launch.

Deputy Leadership of the Labour party is not much of a job to aspire to so there really can't be any doubt that the whole thing has been managed centrally in order to create the appearance of democracy and spin attention away from the coronation of GB, a man not wanted as PM by the nation and who we were never supposed to have imposed on us since Bliar promised to serve a "full term" as PM at the last election.

Just the usual NuLab lies, spin and arrogant contempt for the people of Britain then.

The Military Wing Of The BBC said...

Did anyone else see Nick Robinson on the 10 o'clock?

WTF?

Either he was taking the piss one last time by claiming that Tone was totally responsible for the peace process, and would Ascend to Heaven this Thursday and Ascension day would henceforth be a week early,

or he really meant it.

I have a really odd feeling he meant it - in which case the 1st thing Blair does this Friday is book in to have Nick Robinson surgically removed from his Posterior.

Graeme Archer said...

Everything Chris Bryan says is such pants. Just pray that he never gets issued a government driver. Now that would be grounds for counselling.

PS Lot of time for Jon Cruddas. But being tribal, have fingers crossed that it's gonna be HAIN!

dizzy said...

Personally Iain I think you're barking in the wind

;)

Anonymous said...

On the subject of"struggling to make the cut" and given the pregnant silence on Letwin's speech I wonder how many people have read the Heffer col in todays DT?
Has Letwin now redefined the meaning of "political flatulence"?

Anonymous said...

So this is the place where Hilary has fans?

Perhaps its just me who thinks he's a bit of a prat. Has he met girls yet?

Anonymous said...

Blears is polling on 9%, and Benn is polling on 38%.

I think you are all insane.

Anonymous said...

Well, if you feel like a good laugh (or cry) take a look at John Prescott's official website:

www.dpm.gov.uk

Erm... so what does he do again?

Summer watch is especially exciting.

Anonymous said...

Graeme, you're barking........Hain is the slimiest two-faced politico in Westminster today.

He would even welsh on the Welsh!

Jon Worth said...

BTW, Harriet Harman has 40 MPs listed already on her website. So it looks OK for her to be in the running.