The best days of the Mole
The First Post’s Westminster insider reports regularly on the fortunes of Gordon Brown and his Labour team as the Tories make a comeback:
THE DAY THE BUGGING SCANDAL OBSCURED A TORY CRISIS...
As Sadiq Khan overshadowed Derek Conway and the opinion polls 
Posted: February 5 2008
THE DAY THE HOME OFFICE BEGAN A MOLE HUNT...
As Jacqui Smith's latest policy initiative was leaked to the Tories
Posted: February 1 2008
THE DAY CAMERON WITHDREW THE WHIP FROM CONWAY...
And mud-slinging in the House of Commons reached epidemic proportions
Posted: January 29 2008
THE DAY HAIN HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO RESIGN...
And Brown was left kicking himself for not listening to his friends
Posted: January 24 2008
THE DAY LABOUR MPS PLANNED TO DEFY BROWN OVER THE EU TREATY...
As left and right prepared a pincer movement against the Bill
Posted: January 22 2008
THE DAY ANOTHER GOVERNMENT INFORMATION BLUNDER BROKE...
And Jack Straw was told it smacks of 'scandalous incompetence' in Whitehall.
Posted: January 21 2008
THE DAY THE HAIN FIASCO EXPOSED OVER-THE-TOP ELECTION SPENDING...
And figures showed the PM raised £215,000 for his non-leadership campaign
Posted: January 17 2008
THE DAY MPS GAVE GORDON BROWN AN EAR-BASHING OVER PAY...
As the PM prepared to protect their jealously guarded pensions
Posted: January 10 2008
THE DAY MPS RETURNED TO WORK AFTER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK...
And Brown's aides braced themselves for criminal charges over Abrahams
Posted: January 4 2008
THE DAY BROWN TOOK ON THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL MELTDOWN...
And made Chancellor Alistair Darling look like a spare wheel
Posted: December 20 2007
THE DAY GORDON BROWN CALLED HIS FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE OF 2007...
And prepared to remind us all of the fear of terrorism
Posted: December 18 2007
THE DAY THE MISSING DATA DISC REPORT ACQUITTED BROWN...
But a New Year Parliamentary report may prove more explosive
Posted: December 14 2007
THE DAY GORDON BROWN LET HIS FRUSTRATION SHOW...
And a New Year reshuffle looked to be on the cards
Posted: December 12 2007
THE DAY JACQUI SMITH TRIED TO COMPROMISE ON DETENTION WITHOUT CHARGE...
But still ran into strong opposition from Labour rebels
Posted: December 6 2007
THE DAY BROWN PROPOSED A £50,000 CAP ON DONATIONS...
And risked Labour's connection with the unions
Posted: December 4 2007
THE DAY THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION CALLED IN THE POLICE...
And Gordon Brown tried to refocus attention on foreign affairs
Posted: November 30 2007
THE DAY GORDON BROWN CLEANED OUT THE STABLES...
And left Harriet Harman swinging in the wind of the Abrahams donations scandal
Posted: November 27 2007
THE DAY LABOUR'S GENERAL SECRETARY RESIGNED...
And the full extent of the Abrahams donations scandal became apparent
Posted: November 27 2007
THE DAY BROWN FLEW TO KAMPALA TO ESCAPE THE DREADED 'L' WORD...
As the fallout from Northern Rock and missing 25m tax records continued
Posted: November 22 2007
THE DAY THE WHEELS SERIOUSLY CAME OFF THE BROWN WAGON...
As his Chancellor had to face the Commons twice in two days
Posted: November 20 2007
THE DAY BROWN GOT PISSED OFF (AGAIN) WITH THE HOME OFFICE...
As they leaked details of the Government compromise of detention without trial
Posted: November 16 2007
THE DAY GORDON KEPT HIS DISTANCE FROM THE HOME SECRETARY...
But Jacqui Smith is safe for now
Posted: November 14 2007
THE DAY THE TORIES TOOK AIM AT CHANCELLOR ALISTAIR DARLING...
As the first PMQ since the Queens Speech debate loomed
Posted: November 9 2007
THE DAY BROWN MET BUSH AS PRIME MINISTER FOR THE FIRST TIME...
And kept his distance from the American leader
Posted: July 31 2007
THE DAY BROWN ANNOUNCED A REVIEW OF 24-HOUR DRINKING...
And dropped David Cameron in it
Posted: July 24 2007
THE DAY POLICE DROPPED THE CASH-FOR-HONOURS INQUIRY...
And Labour won the Ealing by-election
Posted: July 20 2007
THE DAY POLLS SHOWED A BIG BROWN BOUNCE...
But there won't be an early general election
Posted: July 16 2007
THE DAY BROWN DUMPED SUPER-CASINOS...
And put all his chips on the Daily Mail
Posted: July 12 2007
THE DAY BROWN ANNOUNCED HIS STEADY-AS-SHE-GOES CABINET...
And promoted a surprising mix of youth, talent and Blairites
Posted: June 28 2007
THE DAY BROWN FIRED THE STARTING GUN FOR THE NEXT ELECTION...
By overhauling the cabinet and by bringing forward the date for two key by-elections
Posted: June 28 2007
THE DAY A TORY DEFECTED TO LABOUR...
And showed how Gordon Brown intends to wrong-foot David Cameron at every turn
Posted: June 26 2007
THE DAY LABOUR STOOD UNITED ONCE MORE...
As Gordon Brown inherited a party shaped in his own image
Posted: June 25 2007
THE DAY THAT GORDON MADE THE LIB DEMS AN OFFER...
Posted: June 21 2007
THE DAY THAT GORDON BROWN'S CABINET BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE...
Blairite or Brownite, why no one will say 'no' to the new Prime Minister
Posted: June 21 2007
THE DAY THAT EVERYTHING CHANGED, WITH THE DEATH OF ONE MP...
Labour MP Piara Khabra's death means a test for Gordon Brown and all the party leaders
Posted: June 20 2007
THE DAY TONY BLAIR DROPPED DAVID CAMERON IN IT...
Why the Tories are desperate for Dave to get rid of his 'Blair's heir' tag
Posted: June 18 2007
THE DAY HARRIET HARMAN BECAME THE MOST POWERFUL WOMAN IN CABINET...
Whether she wins the Deputy leadership or not, she's the voice of Middle England
Posted: June 14 2007
THE DAY BLAIR KNEW HE NEEDN'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT CASH FOR HONOURS...
And with a new PM in due in Downing Street, the matter will soon be forgotten
Posted: June 11 2007
THE DAY BROWN BEGAN TO
LOVE ALL THINGS LOCAL...
Which was a strange move for one of the grandest centralisers of the age
Posted: June 7 2007
THE DAY THE WHEELS STARTED TO COME OFF THE CAMERON BANDWAGON...
Posted: June 4 2007
THE DAY THAT JACK STRAW'S INFLUENCE BECAME CLEAR...
The real Deputy PM is likely to be the MP for Blackburn, whether officially or otherwise
Posted: May 25 2007
THE DAY THAT GORDON REALISED HE NEEDED THE LIB DEMS TO DO WELL...
Because many of Ming's lost voters were deserting him for Cameron
Posted: May 21 2007
THE DAY GORDON BROWN WRAPPED UP THE NOMINATION...
Amid accusations that it was just another stitch-up
Posted: May 18 2007
THE LEADERSHIP DEBATE AND A CHALLENGE FROM THE LEFT...
But what Gordon really needs is a Blairite to run against him
Posted: May 14 2007
THE DAY GORDON LAUNCHED HIS LEADERSHIP BID...
And set out a vision of a Britain that would be more decent than Blair's, if dull
Posted: May 11 2007
THE DAY THAT TONY BLAIR FINALLY ANNOUNCED HIS RESIGNATION...
And managed an apology - of sorts - for the whole Iraq business
Posted: May 10 2007
HOW TONY TRIED TO NEUTER GORDON AFTER THE 2005 ELECTION...
And how the plan to divide the Treasury fell through
Posted: May 9 2007
THE DAY THE BLAIRITE EXODUS BEGAN...
And the Brown era appeared to be just around the corner
Posted: May 7 2007
THE DAY UNITY BROKE OUT IN THE LABOUR PARTY...
And how Gordon Brown might finally be able to rely on Tony Blair's endorsement
Posted: April 30 2007
THE DAY BLAIR REALISED HE'LL HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHERE HE TRAVELS...
And that his future may not be as eminent as he no doubts hopes it will be
Posted: April 27 2007
THE DAY BROWN KNEW REID WAS HIS ONLY PLAUSIBLE CHALLENGER...
And none too plausible a one at that
Posted: April 23 2007
THE DAY JUDGMENT LOOMED ON CASH FOR HONOURS...
And Labour got ready to use it as an excuse for the looming local elections debacle
Posted: April 20 2007
THE DAY TONY BLAIR'S DEPARTURE DATE WAS REVEALED
And the programme for the PM's last days in power was laid out
Posted: April 20 2007
THE DAY DAVID MILIBAND JUST SAID 'NO'
Miliband made the best decision of his short political career
Posted: April 18 2007
THE DAY CHARLES CLARKE HAD A DREAM
Is there really a 'Stop Brown' campaign or is Charles Clarke dreaming?
Posted: April 16 2007
THE END OF A DIFFICULT WEEK FOR GORDON BROWN...
And when he realised that he needed an Alastair Campbell
Posted: April 6 2007
THE DAY THE PENSIONS ROW BECAME A DEFINING MOMENT FOR BROWN...
And he realised that he needed to defuse it before it became too explosive
Posted: April 3 2007
THE DAY THAT STORM CLOUDS MOVED DOWN FROM SCOTLAND...
As it appeared the Nationalists would win power there
Posted: April 2 2007
THE DAY PETER MANDELSON PUSHED FOR MILIBAND...
But realised that he'd be gone from Europe under Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Posted: March 26 2007
THE DAY THAT GORDON BROWN CUT 2P OFF INCOME TAX...
And the Tories couldn't find a way to attack his Budget
Posted: March 22 2007
THE DAY GORDON BROWN WAS COMPARED TO JOSEPH STALIN...
And the 'drink question' reared its ugly
head
Posted: March 20 2007
THE DAY GORDON PREPARED FOR HIS LAST BUDGET...
And knew that from here on in, it was all down to him
Posted: March 19 2007
THE DAY THE OLYMPIC COSTS ROSE FOURFOLD...
And Tessa Jowell proved herself complacent at best, and incompetent at worst
Posted: March 16 2007
THE DAY BLAIR'S AUTHORITY TOOK YET ANOTHER HIT...
As he was attacked on Trident and Ulster
Posted: March 15 2007
THE DAY JACK STRAW WAS TALKED UP AS LEADERSHIP MATERIAL...
And six very good reasons why the Labour Party would never have him
Posted: March 14 2007
THE DAY THAT CASH-FOR-HONOURS GOT CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER...
As the tales of Ruth Turner's emails became ever-more torturous
Posted: March 13 2007
THE DAY APPETITE FOR REFORM BECAME UNSTOPPABLE...
And the creation of a team of Parliamentary 'Untouchables' seemed likely
Posted: March 12 2007
THE DAY CAMPBELL SAID HIS DIARIES WOULD BE PUBLISHED THIS YEAR...
And Gordon breathed a sigh of relief
Posted: March 9 2007
THE DAY THE CASH FOR HONOURS PRESSURE INCREASED ON BLAIR...
And Lord Levy wondered whether he'd be the next old pal to be dropped
Posted: March 6 2007
THE DAY TONY REALISED HE MIGHT NOT LEAVE A LEGACY...
And went all out to define his ism
Posted: March 5 2007
THE DAY BROWN BREATHED NEW LIFE INTO THE CLASS WAR...
And saw that the Bullingdon Club photo was the perfect stick to beat Cameron with
Posted: March 3 2007
THE DAY THE BLAIRITES TRIED TO SEIZE THE AGENDA...
But claimed they weren't trying to flush out an 'Anyone but Gordon' candidate
Posted: February 28 2007
THE DAY MICHAEL MEACHER RAN FOR THE LEADERSHIP...
And the Chancellor's allies realised that a serious Blairite challenge could occur
Posted: February 23 2007
THE DAY TONY PULLED THE TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ...
And received scant thanks from the nation or his party
Posted: February 22 2007
THE DAY GORDON REALISED EUROPE COULD STILL DIVIDE THE TORIES...
And saw that June 2009 would cause maximum pain to David Cameron
Posted: February 19 2007
THE DAY ALAN JOHNSON EMERGED AS BROWN'S LIKELY DEPUTY...
While Peter Hain made headlines in vain
Posted: February 16 2007
THE DAY RUMOURS OF BLAIR'S BACKING FOR THE US V IRAN FLEW...
But what would happen if Bush attacked Tehran on Brown's watch?
Posted: February 12 2007
THE DAY THE CPS DROPPED CHARGES AGAINST DES SMITH IN THE CASH-FOR-HONOURS INQUIRY...
While an opinion poll showed the public believed Gordon Brown must have known something
Posted: February 7 2007
THE DAY JACK STRAW LOOKED LIKELY TO BE GORDON'S SURPRISE SUCCESSOR...
While Alistair Darling's chances of becoming Chancellor looked suddenly slimmer
Posted: February 5 2007
THE DAY SUSPICIONS OF A COVER-UP MADE BLAIR'S ROLE UNTENABLE...
As Lord Levy was re-arrested and the Opposition raised the spectre of Watergate
Posted: January 31 2007
THE DAY TONY LOOKED TO ULSTER FOR HIS LEGACY...
While John Reid admitted the Home Office would get worse before it got better
Posted: January 29 2007
THE DAY CAMERON NAILED TONY AT PRIME MINISTERS QUESTIONS...
By asking him about Home Office finance
Posted: January 26 2007
THE DAY THE POLICE REBUFFED BLAIR ALLIES' BULLYING...
And it looked like John Yates could soon deliver the coup de grace
Posted: January 22 2007
THE DAY TONY'S GATEKEEPER GOT ARRESTED AT DAWN BY POLICE...
And the Met sent a clear message to Tony and his pals
Posted: January 19 2007
THE DAY GORDON BROWN GOT DOWN WITH THE BIG BROTHER KIDS...
Posted: January 19 2007
THE DAY THE PARTY DESPAIRED OF HAVING TWO PMS...
With electoral disaster looming
Posted: January 15 2007
THE DAY NO 10 PLAYED CATCH-UP...
As Gordon seized the high ground on the hanging of Saddam
Posted: January 8 2006
THE DAY GORDON BROWN GOT A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE...
As Blairites lined up to offer him 'advice'
Posted: January 4 2006
THE DAY GORDON BROWN REALISED HE NEEDS A FEMALE DEPUTY...
But the only candidate is Harriet Harman
Posted: January 1 2006
THE DAY OPPOSITION LEADERS GOT IT WRONG ABOUT LABOUR...
In thinking that Brown would call an election next year
Posted: December 21 2006
THE DAY BRIEFING AGAINST BROWN
RE-FIRED THE DOWNING STREET FEUD...
And the Brown camp tried to distance the Chancellor from the Honours row
Posted: December 18 2006
THE DAY THE PM WAS QUESTIONED BY SCOTLAND YARD...
And emails, relevant to the cash-for-honours affair, were deleted by Downing Street staff
Posted: December 14 2006
THE DAY BLAIR TRIED TO SEVER LABOUR'S UNION TIES FOR GOOD...
And Straw and Blear disown themselves from Blair's proposal to limit party donations
Posted: December 13 2006
THE DAY NO 10'S SPIN MACHINE WENT INTO OVERDRIVE...
And a flurry of news-breaking suggested the PM had seen the police
Posted: December 11 2006
THE DAY ANN CLWYD WAS FORCED OUT...
And Blair's grip on power was demonstrably in terminal decline
Posted: December 7 2006
THE DAY THE POLLS STARTED LOOKING BETTER FOR BROWN...
But playing the 'experience' card didn't save George Bush
Posted: December 4 2006
THE DAY LORD SAINSBURY CALLED TIME ON HIS MINISTERIAL CAREER...
So that he could continue his role as Labour's Santa Claus
Posted: November 27 2006
THE DAY THE PM ACCEPTED GORDON BROWN'S CORONATION...
And the chancellor lost the expat vote
Posted: November 20 2006
THE DAY THE IRON CHANCELLOR MELTED...
And he started throwing cash around like confetti
Posted: November 6 2006
THE DAY DES BROWNE GOT HIS LINES WRONG...
And dropped Gordon Brown in it
Posted: October 23 2006
THE DAY THE SUN TRASHED TONY BLAIR'S GREEN PLANS...
And Gordon Brown signed Al Gore
Posted: October 20 2006
THE DAY JACK STRAW UPSET GORDON BROWN...
Posted: October 23 2006
THE DAY THE TORIES BLEW THEIR CREDIBILITY...
Posted: October 20 2006
THE DAY BLUNKETT WAS MACHINEGUNNED...
And took the heat off John Reid
Posted: October 17 2006
THE DAY BROWN KNEW HE'D BE LEADER
And had to face the real enemy
Posted: October 9 2006
THE DAY DAVID CAMERON GAVE A NEW LABOUR SPEECH...
Posted: October 4 2006
THE WEEK THE LABOUR PARTY WENT TO MANCHESTER
Monday: Labour on best behaviour
Tuesday: Cherie puts the boot in
Wednesday: Blair says his long goodbye
Thursday: Gordon's bid is threatened
Posted: September 25-28 2006
THE DAY ALAN JOHNSON'S IMAGE LOST SOME SHINE...
And memories turned to Jo Moore
Posted: September 20 2006
THE DAY BLAIR DISCOVERED CABINET GOVERNMENT...
And Gordon's victory became inevitable
Posted: September 18 2006
THE DAY TONY ADDRESSED THE UNIONS FOR THE LAST TIME...
And left them wondering about the future
Posted: September 10 2006
THE DAY BROWN TURNED ON THE CHARM...
And further alienated the Blairites
Posted: September 10 2006
THE WEEK THAT LABOUR WENT INTO MELTDOWN AND TONY OFFICIALLY BECAME A LAME DUCK
Monday: Blairites try to save Tony
Tuesday: The leaked legacy memo
Wednesday: Blair's a lame duck - it's official
Thursday: "Within a year" not soon enough
Friday: Cash-for-peerages scandal, again
Posted: September 4-8 2006
THE DAY BLAIR TOLD THE TIMES HE WOULDN'T GIVE A LEAVING DATE...
And angered the party once again
Posted: September 1 2006
THE DAY STEPHEN BYERS TOOK ON GORDON BROWN...
Posted: August 22 2006
THE DAY THE GOVERNMENT MINIONS REVOLTED...
And Blair lost touch with reality
Posted: August 10 2006
