Politics right now is unbelievably macho. Every conversation I’ve had today about the Labour leadership has involved phrases like ‘kill or be killed’, ‘kneecap him’, ‘destroy him’ etc. As this seeps into the coverage, it is going to be distinctly unappealing to voters.
Now, consider that Gordon Brown is only going to be removed from office once much blood has been spilled and that David Miliband will almost certainly face a challenger and you see a real opportunity for Harriet Harman. She can emerge onto the scene after an ugly struggle and offer a less testosterone-fueled politics. Her non-denial of her leadership ambitions on Woman’s Hour shows that she is perfectly happy to play the gender card in the way that Hillary Clinton did:
“The men in the House of Commons press lobby . . . keep saying, ‘Are you preparing a leadership bid?’ and I keep saying, ‘No’. But I think it’s one of those occasions where they won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. And when a woman says ‘no’, she means ‘no’.”
If Brown is forced out, Miliband has made quite clear he will stand. But there are huge chunks of the Labour Party who will vote for anyone other than Miliband. If Brown goes, they will be looking for a candidate and that candidate—given the flaws of the most frequently suggested candidate—might just be Harman.
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