Me and my big mouth

I am more than a little surprised to find myself apparently at the centre of a plot to oust Gordon Brown. There was I thinking my biggest worry was whether cooked turkey lasts more than 72 hours or if West Brom would go in to the New Year in a promotion place, when I read of my status as backroom conspirator.

All this appears to be based on a couple of paragraphs in a post I wrote last August (the rest of which was about whether it was wise for Chris Grayling to compare crime and policing in England to the streets of Baltimore in 'The Wire').  In these paragraphs I considered whether a way for Labour to reconcile its loyalty to its leader with its need for someone more voter friendly might be for Gordon Brown to remain Prime Minister until the General Election while Labour elected a new leader to fight that election. The was an option which was pursued in 2003/4 by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and would probably have succeeded for his People's Party had it not been for his Government's disastrous initial response to the Madrid train bombing.

As regular readers know, I have in recent times tried to avoid anything on my blog which could be construed as political strategising. I guess what I find strange - or perhaps I am just being naive - is that the months-old opinions of someone who has not been involved in front line politics for over three years, and who has little contact with Labour's high command, can be used as the basis for 'a plot against the Prime Minister'. 

Maybe I should be flattered, but actually I feel a bit embarrassed and anxious. It's almost enough to put me off my cold turkey and stuffing sandwiches.