PREMATURE DEFENESTRATION:

Chancellor's timebomb tactics blow up (FRASER NELSON, 1/10/05, The Scotsman)

Entitled Brown’s Britain, the book would serve as a time-bomb planted under 10 Downing Street - intended to finish Mr Blair off after the election. To Mr Brown’s horror, it has exploded early.

There is no mistaking that Brown’s Britain - as yet unpublished - is a tool of political assassination. It is lethal not through its facts, which have already been leaked, but in the coherent and credible picture it paints of how Mr Brown was betrayed by a scheming and untrustworthy Mr Blair.

It gives a detailed timetable of how Mr Blair decided to resign because of the blow the Iraq war had dealt to his reputation. So, with the Chancellor and John Prescott, the PM worked out a detailed exit strategy.

Then he changed his mind after realising that the Conservatives were so hopeless that he’d win the election anyway - so he’d stay, and groom Alan Milburn to replace him.

Crucially, neither Mr Brown nor Mr Blair denied these claims yesterday. The Chancellor knows he’s been caught - all he can do is pretend it’s just trivial nonsense.

Once, this would have worked. But Mr Brown and his allies have been briefing heavily against Mr Blair and there is much more poison to drip out. More importantly, a larger number of MPs are convinced their careers would be finished under Mr Brown - and are keen to see him sacked as Chancellor.

Joe Biden could lead Labout to victory over the Tories at this point.

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 10, 2005 1:46 PM