Gordon’s formidable opponent

If you haven’t seen it already, do watch Joan Ryan’s pitch-perfect call for a leadership election. She frames the issue, quite brilliantly, as one of party democracy. It will be very hard for the Brownites to depict her as a troublemaker or an egotist or to effectively rebut her argument. She is the one who sounds like she has the best interests of the Labour party at heart.

Certainly, Brown is in a weaker position for not having been elected party leader in a proper contest. As Matt has argued, Brown’s uncontested elevation means that he lacks the bond with either the party or the country that a leader needs to get him through tough times.