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Labour big guns set to turn on Gordon Brown (Patrick Hennessy, 14/10/2007, Sunday Telegraph)

A trio of disgruntled supporters of Tony Blair are preparing a campaign of attacks on Gordon Brown's premiership and his "lack of vision", it can be disclosed.

Charles Clarke, Stephen Byers and Alan Milburn have signalled that they are ready to launch a series of challenges against his policies. [...]

Friends claim the trio, all strong allies of the former prime minister, have been approached by other Labour MPs in the wake of a series of political setbacks for Mr Brown, including his decision to call off a planned general election and his mauling from David Cameron last week in the Commons.

Their public interventions will enrage Mr Brown as they will, in effect, reopen the "TB-GB" battles between supporters of Mr Blair and Mr Brown which scarred the former prime minister's 10 years in office.

The American Right couldn't do much when Reagan and W "betrayed conservatism," but in a parliamentary system the disgruntled on your own side can bring not just the leader down but the party government as well.

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 13, 2007 9:22 PM