Semi final knockout inside Number 10
When Gordon's travelling circus is out of town, it always entertaining to watch just how much more talkative and disloyal the politeratti become. One nugget has surfaced this morning about life inside Downing Street.
People in Westminster have been talking for a while now about tensions between the two top guys at the top of Number 10 - Stephen Carter, the former advertising man who heads political strategy, and Jeremy Heywood, Number 10's ex-Morgan Stanley Permanent Secretary. Only last week the FT mentioned Heywood sometimes despairs at Carter's "management speak".
On Friday morning, it escalated. There were sore heads all round after the expenses debacle - where was Gordon at the time of the vote? what were those meetings? - and all 200 staff gathered in Downing Street, where they were addressed by Mr Heywood.
According to one witness, he began by saying: "I had hoped Stephen Carter could be here this morning, but he has got tickets to the semi finals at Wimbledon." It was taken as a sign of open warfare...
did we eithereither of those chaps?if not, what are they up to?
Posted by: peter c | 7 Jul 2008 12:25:00
did we elect either of those chaps? if not what are they up to?
Posted by: peter c | 7 Jul 2008 12:27:03
did we elect either of those chaps? if not what are they up to?
Posted by: peter c | 7 Jul 2008 12:27:29
I would have thought that the majority of the population are past caring about what happens in the bedroom of New Labour.
WE JUST WANT THEM .....OUT!
Posted by: Silent Hunter | 7 Jul 2008 13:55:35
If Carter heads Political Strategy for Gordon Brown, he's either:
useless
or
Ignored.
Or both.
Posted by: Madasafish | 7 Jul 2008 14:49:30
Obviously Carter got his priorities right - he has to start somewhere to schmooze his way back into the private sector.
Posted by: oldtimer | 7 Jul 2008 14:53:58
The problem with politics, on either side of the pond, is simply this: anybody with a pulse, and a good number of others, are fully aware that government will change parties as soon as can be managed. The problem is that the (present) opposition doesn't need to do much of anything affirmative to make that happen (and the American Democrats are doing everything they can to snatch defeat from the nearly-closed jaws of victory). Once in power, however, both the Dems and the Tories are too likely to forget that they're there because people voted against their competition, NOT because a great majority of people suddenly found their policies more palatable. In both cases, I fear, they'll earn their money the old-fashioned way: by printing it rather than earning it.
Posted by: Jeff | 7 Jul 2008 15:48:37
"I had hoped Stephen Carter could be here this morning, but he has got tickets to the semi finals at Wimbledon."
Anywhere in Whitehall, that remark would mean open war. Gordon must now decide - knock their heads together and/or fire one of them. Throwing two moblie phones at them simultaneously does not constitute knocking their heads together.
Posted by: Diversity | 7 Jul 2008 16:45:31
One old timer to another OLDTIMER; as you say:- In both cases, I as yourself do fear, they'll earn their money the old-fashioned way: by printing it rather than earning it....How very true! But in the meantime What on earth do we need all these MP's for as most of the Law making and Ruling is now done by faceless, unelected, unacountable "Eurocrates" is it not??? I say get Rid of two thirds of them besure!!
Posted by: Jamaica | 7 Jul 2008 17:59:23
What a surprise... we are still run by a bunch of unelected paid tossers who sit around in number 10 deciding how the country runs. Democratic accountability eh? Oh hang on, the PM wasn't elected either... time to stop voting en masse. A new system please.
Posted by: Andy | 7 Jul 2008 20:34:12