Gordon Brown's position may soon become untenable

As more and more expenses claims continue to surface in the Daily Telegraph, British politics has never looked worse.

Many governments have been damaged by allegations of sleaze, John Major's for example in the 1990s, but today's scandal cuts deeper than rows over brown envelopes and affairs.

The problem for Gordon Brown right now, is that he has to be seen to be firmly in control of his party, but with each new allegation his influence seems to weaken.

Brown indecisive

Take the example of Hazel Blears, the MP for Salford. Brown called her actions "completely unacceptable" but then appeared to give her his full backing. Pardon the electorate for feeling confused over what he really thinks.

There are now rumours that Blears will be moved on in the next cabinet reshuffle, which would only make Brown's decision making process look even more confused. Many may well ask, if he can't control his own party, can he be expected to keep control of the country?

Of course one should add some balance here, this expenses scandal was not solely a result of Gordon Brown's mismanagement of the system, although one could argue that he (and others) only want to make changes now because the revelations have come out.

Parliament still in the dark ages

It is very easy to blame the Prime Minister for the problems, and ultimately in a self-regulating House of Commons, one could argue that the buck stops with him, but this is far too simplistic.

The fact is that much of what goes on in the Commons is well and truly past its sell-by date, and the expenses furore could just be the shot in the arm that politics in this country needs.

Sadly for Brown though, he has not really been able to seize the initiative, and instead the younger more articulate David Cameron looks to have come out on top. With an election only a year away (or sooner depending on who you talk to) the Labour party is in deep trouble.

Labour left dejected

It looks almost as if Labour have given up the ghost, resigned to their fate of being the opposition party after the next election; but does it really have to be this way? There could just be a twist in the tail.

The most popular theory doing the rounds at the moment is the idea of Alan Johnson the Health Secretary, putting himself forward to be leader. Johnson would be a popular choice, and he could just give Labour a much needed boost in the polls going into an election.

Significantly, Johnson put himself well and truly in the shop window this week, by talking up political reform and suggesting perhaps the use of Proportional Representation.

Johnson wrote in the Times "we need to overhaul the engine, not just clean the upholstery," but does he mean removing Gordon Brown as leader? He of course denies this but for many, a Johnson led Labour party would be a welcome relief from the burden of Gordon.

So now we can sit back and await the next round of expenses revelations. Only this morning there was the news that the Labour MP Frank Cook allegedly claimed for a £5 church donation, a kind gesture indeed, I am sure you will agree.

Brown's political raft may have been set adrift by Labour, and it looks like his party would rather puncture it than throw him a lifeline, but have they got the guts to do it? Only time will tell, but if the Prime Minister does sink, expect to see some political careers go down with him.

(photo courtesy of telegraph.co.uk)

Calls to force out the Speaker may be misguided

Today things really began to hot up in the House of Commons, and this was not because they were afraid to claim for air-conditioning expenses.

18 MPs have so far signed a motion of no confidence in the Speaker Michael Martin, and several of them have openly attacked Mr. Martin. Among them, David Winnick MP said, "your early retirement sir, would help the reputation of the House".

Mr Martin replied that was "not a subject for today", but that was all today was about for many MPs. Significantly, the Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has now added his voice to the ranks of dissenters, calling for 'Gorbals Mick' as Martin is known, to stand down . Martin however, has so far stood firm.

Scapegoat

But is this really fair on the speaker? It is true that Martin has not covered himself in any glory over the past few weeks, and many see him as a roadblock to reform. Indeed, there were calls for his resignation when the Damian Green affair unfolded.

But wait a moment, is there just a hint of the commons looking for a scapegoat here? There is a great deal at stake for a still growing list of MPs that have become embroiled in the sordid expenses revelations, and they will not want to lose their seats.

So by blaming Mr. Martin for standing in the way of reform and allowing the murky culture of expenses claims to develop, are the MPs trying to deflect attention away from their own dirty deeds? It seems like a distinct probability.

Taking responsibility

Surely the MPs can not continue to blame the system for their own failings? Well if they do then it will just not wash with the public, and only make things worse for them. They have to admit their failings and this means taking responsibility for their actions.

An MP claiming for a non-existent mortgage can not really blame their actions on Michael Martin, but at the moment Parliament look hopelessly detached from the real world.

This was perfectly illustrated by the bizarre argument in the House today, over "early day motions" and "substantive motions". If there is anything that is sure to turn the electorate off, it is a squabble over arcane Parliamentary practice.

Parliament out of touch

There is no doubt that the House of Commons needs reforming. It is an institution that clings fiercely to tradition, but perhaps this whole affair really will force some changes through.

Michael Martin has not been a good speaker and neither has he acted professionally in his dealing with the issue of expenses, but will removing him now really make a difference to public confidence in parliament?

I suspect not, and this is where MPs are misguided. By obsessing over Michael Martin's job, they have forgotten about their own job, representing the public.

How many people on the street really care about the speaker of the house of Commons losing his job when they may well have lost their's? The answer is probably very few, and parliament should recognise this.

British politics is dragged through the mud as Cameron takes the lead

First it was Labour's turn, then it was the Conservatives and today it is the Liberal Democrats' turn to have their reputations dragged through the mud.

However, entertaining as it has been to see so many politicians embarrassed, this does no good at all to British politics. At a time when the domestic (and global) economy is at a standstill, it is a pity that Prime Minister's questions today, was spent squabbling over who paid back what and who claimed for this?

The Tories expenses have been arguably the most embarrassing claims yet. Douglas Hogg's moat cleaning has to get the prize for 'most original expense claimed' with Oliver Letwin's claim for a leaking pipe under his tennis court coming a close second.

Cameron takes the initiative

Despite this though, David Cameron has somehow come out of the last few days on top. Yesterday he took the initiative by saying that Tory MPs who refused to pay back "excessive" claims would not be Conservative MPs for much longer. This was a firm stance and perhaps as a result, the government were left scrambling to keep up.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears held up a cheque for £13,332, money she made from dodging capital gains tax (although she did not break any rules), and Gordon Brown claimed to have cross-party support for his new plans to review all expenses claims going back four years.

It was later revealed that this cross-party support was not fully agreed although it was discussed, and that Brown appeared to have been caught on the hop. The Tories have been just as bad as Labour in terms of their abuse of the system, but by failing to act sooner Brown has been left behind.

Lame duck government

Michael Howard, the former Conservative leader, described today's government as a "lame duck" government, while speaking on the BBC's Daily Politics, and in today's Prime Minister's questions this was all too telling. Brown was unable to think on his feet while Cameron was offering up new ideas.

One of his ideas today was not a new one, the idea to cut the number of MPs, but it is one that could capture public opinion. This is the key to the middle ground right now, and the ailing Labour government have shown themselves to be way out of touch.

Of course this happens to most governments on the way out but at a time when the economic situation is so dire, the country needs strong leadership. Brown is a good politician, but crucially he appears to be losing the support of his party, and when that happens, as it did for Margaret Thatcher in 1990, there is only one way to go, and that is towards the exit.

A challenge to Brown?

David Cameron has used the expenses row to put himself in the shop window as a future leader, and Brown has not used it at all. It will be very interesting to see how the summer pans out. Labour MPs will certainly be getting twitchy, but just who would be willing to stand against Gordon Brown?

Alan Johnson could be a good option, and if the economy starts to pick up, there might just be hope for Labour, but Brown is a survivor and will not go down without a fight. Anyone wanting to deal a knock-out blow to Brown had better be prepared for a scrap, and Johnson may well think better of it.

This week will not be looked back on as one of British politics finest hours, but hopefully it will lead to positive changes to the MPs' expenses system. It is just a shame that so much damage was done before things could begin to be mended.

Labour look doomed as more expenses claims are revealed

Things are not looking good for Gordon Brown.

First he posted a bizarre Youtube video about reforming expenses, where his strange "smile" sparked ridicule (even from his own party). Then his plans were watered down in Parliament, and then he lost a vote on Gurkhas rights to live in the UK.

But it did not end there. This morning the Daily Telegraph published further details about Labour MPs' expenses, including embarrassing information about Gordon Brown himself.

According to the paper, the Prime Minister paid his bother Andrew Brown, a senior executive at EDF Energy, £6,577 over 26 months, for cleaning services at his Westminster flat. Not only this but Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary was said to have over-claimed for council tax and mortgage bills.

Bad impression

To date, there are now thirteen members of the cabinet whose expenses claims are under investigation, so not exactly confidence inspiring then? The real problem though, is the impression this gives. The public are unlikely to have confidence in a government that can not even keep their own affairs in order.

It is too cynical to say that all politicians are greedy, thieving and dishonest, because this is simply not true. However, what is true is that the current system of MPs' expenses is now defunct and must now be cast aside and reformed.

However, Brown's Youtube video was not the way to do this. By not consulting his own party, let alone parliament the Prime Minister made himself look distinctly amateur. One has to ask the question, just who is advising dear old Gordon at the moment? Whoever it is, they are not doing a good job.

Ridicule

Vince Cable said it so aptly some time ago, when he said that Brown had "gone from Stalin to Mr. Bean". The days of the Iron Chancellor are now long gone, and Brown's reputation is now in tatters.

The biggest threat then to Brown is ridicule. Under the media spotlight, Brown does not measure up to modern day standards and appearing on Youtube does his image no favours whatsoever. He has always paled in comparison to Tony Blair, but now even more so.

Change of leader?

Another big problem for the Prime Minister is his own party. Many of them will be feeling nervous about losing their seats at the next election, and as a result a change of leader is probably already being discussed.

There have been rumours of Charles Clarke running against Brown in a leadership contest, but a move to change the leader now would make the Labour party look even more disorganised, and crucially even less electable.

The real winners in all of this are the Conservatives. They have not had to serve up any new policies or ideas to profit from this mess, and in PMQs on Wednesday the Tories did not ask any questions at all about policy.

However, the Tories must be careful not to look too cocky. There is little doubt that they are favourites to win the next election, but they can not act like they think they will win. Similarly on expenses, the Conservatives almost certainly have skeletons in the closet, so playing that card would again be ill-advised. The name Derek Conway springs to mind.

The end is nigh

Gordon Brown may yet make a comeback, but with unemployment rising and the economy still flagging, it is hard to see how he can. Even if his government do have some good ideas between now and the election, they may well be overshadowed by trouble at the top.

The next few months will be very interesting. Will Brown remain as leader? My guess would be yes, but only because there is no real alternative. No MP with serious leadership intentions would want to lead under today's circumstances, and not many people would blame them.

Twelve years is a long time for any government to be in power, and the flame of new Labour now looks to have gone out. Sadly for Brown though, he has been left holding the fire extinguisher.

Norwich's relegation is confirmed following tame 4-2 loss at Charlton

Norwich have not been in the third tier of English football since 1960, but no fan of the team could argue that on this season's evidence, they do not deserve it. Norwich have been very poor indeed and relegation in the end looked inevitable.

A lot of people have great affection for Norwich; they have always been a team that played nice passing football, but for a team that were last playing Premiership football in 2005, relegation to League One has come quickly.

The Canaries are not alone though, with the two other relegated teams, Southampton and Charlton, both recent Premiership teams. It is ironic that Charlton were always seen as the example of a stable club, but since their relegation their fall from grace has been spectacular.

Lack of investment

One could argue that Norwich's decline is simple. They have run out of money and as a result have not been able to buy good enough players. Over the last two seasons Norwich have had far too many loan players, and the consistency in selection has simply not been there.

When Norwich claimed the Division One Championship back in 2004, they had the same back four all season, but the defence has barely stayed the same for two games in a row this campaign.

It is true also, that the Canaries have been unlucky with injuries. Dejan Stefanovic looked to be a good player, but picked up a cruciate ligament injury, therfore ending his season. John Kennedy too, looked a class act but once again a knee injury ended his season in a yellow shirt.

Norwich have been unlucky, but often you make your own luck and Norwich have simply not done that. Some fans will blame the board for a lack of investment, but sadly there is no money there to invest.

Delia to blame?

Delia Smith has poured millions into Norwich, along with her husband Michael Wynn-Jones and no one will be more upset about today's relegation than her. It would be unfair to blame Norwich's demise on Delia, but sadly some fans may well do that.

Leicester have shown that relegation can be overcome, and they have won League One easily to achieve promotion at their first attempt. Some fans will assume that Norwich will do the same, but this is far from certain and it will not be easy.

One of the biggest problems for Norwich is the size of their sqaud. They have 23 players under contract, and many of these are either youth team players or out of contract in the summer. So next season's team could well be unrecognisbale from this year's, and where will the new players come from?

Norwich do not have the money that Leicester do, and without these funds it will be exceptionally hard to attract good players to the club, making promotion back to the Championship even harder.

On the other hand, the young players could well be given a chance and this may be no bad thing. Norwich have an excellent Academy system in place, and relegation may just give some of these players their chance to impress.

Roeder's reign

In terms of Glenn Roeder's legacy at Norwich, many will say relegation. Roeder implemented the loan system to its full at Norwich and upset a lot of people, but he did keep the club up last season, and he should be thanked for that.

The problem with Roeder though, was that he did not understand Norwich people. He often appeared arrogant and when he let Darren Huckerby go without letting him say goodbye to the fans, Roeder's fate seemed sealed.

So when Bryan Gunn was installed as manager until the end of the season, he was a popular choice. Relegation will hit Gunn very hard, but it should not do his reputation too much damage, and it is unlikey that the fans will turn against him.

Gunn committed

Gunn has already stated his desire to stay as manager next season, but many fans will be hoping that the club decide to offer the job to someone else. It would be sad to see a Canary legend's reputation tarnished by a poor season in League One.

If Norwich had stayed up then the result would probably have been yet another scrap for survival next season, but that will not make today any easier to take for Norwich's army of extremely loyal fans.

This is a sad day for Norwich and anyone connected to the club, but the Canaries should not be written off. Relegation could signal a fresh start for Norwich, and maybe, just maybe, the club could come back with greater stabilty and rise again to the Premiership once more. Well...anyone can dream.