The chances of a Brown comeback

Some good reading material in today’s Economist. Bagehot charts the recent attacks and apologies that have coursed through Labour, concentrating on the case of Frank Field. Here’s the concluding paragraph:

“But for Labour to revive, and maybe for Mr Brown to survive, it will take more than a semblance of unity and the odd crowd-pleaser. It will (among other things) require the prime minister to change: his style, his demeanour, the way he treats his ministers—the very things Mr Field apologised for criticising. In fact, beneath the hostility, and perhaps partly explaining it, the two men are oddly similar. Both are hard-working, religious ascetics who care about the poor. Both are (or were) more respected than liked. Both have been thought of as stubborn and prickly. Mr Field managed to swallow his pride; Mr Brown needs to renounce his altogether. Sometimes, saying sorry is not enough.”