ANOTHER BADLY KEPT SECRET:

Blair's deal to stitch up leadership for Brown (BRIAN BRADY, 4/10/05, The Scotsman)

TONY Blair has secretly promised Gordon Brown that he will change Labour’s rules for electing a new leader to smooth the Chancellor’s path to Number 10.

Blair’s move is certain to infuriate his most loyal supporters. He has pledged to "actively endorse" Brown’s bid to succeed him, making it virtually impossible for anyone else to challenge the Chancellor.

The agreement - which amounts to capitulation on Blair’s part aimed at gaining Brown’s full support during the general election - has been confirmed by senior government sources and will ‘raise the bar’ for would-be challengers hoping to take on Brown.

Even to stand against him rivals will have to amass the backing of a fifth of backbench Labour MPs - the figure is currently one-eighth.

Brown would easily garner such a level of support, but the rule change will make it all but impossible for ‘Stop Brown’ candidates such as John Reid, Jack Straw and Charles Clarke to stand in the Chancellor’s way. The deal, struck to guarantee Brown’s badly-needed support in returning Labour to power on May 5, comes amid further evidence of the party’s need to turn its fortunes around.

The change seems likely to come sooner rather than later.

Posted by Orrin Judd at April 10, 2005 1:16 PM