MPs blame Labour memoirists for party’s woes

A group of Labour MPs are already lining up John Prescott, Lord Levy and Cherie Blair and their memoirs to blame for defeat in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election next week. Geoff 'Buff' Hoon, the chief whip, has ordered ministers to flood the seat this weekend, not realising that seeing Brown's Cabinet on the doorstep could prove counter-productive.

Privately, Labour has all but written off its chances of winning the seat, saying the 7,000 majority was largely down to the late Gwyneth Dunwoody's personal vote, but they are fighting now to limit the damage.

As predicted, Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, is rushing out a compensation package this afternoon in the Commons for the 5.3m on low incomes whose tax has risen because of Gordon Brown's abolition of the 10p lower tax band. But if that fails to stop the voters swinging to David Cameron in Crewe and Nantwich, there is always Prezza to blame.

Seven Labour MPs led by Gordon Prentice have signed a Commons motion attacking Prescott and "other senior and influential figures within the Labour Government or close to it, now retired from the front line" for flogging their memoirs.

They recall the words of Professor Peter Hennessey to a select committee warning that the publication of the Alastair Campbell diaries would be "the opening salvo of the most ghastly mobilisation of the most wonderful exchange of competitive memoiring". And they have called for all the authors’ earnings to be given to Labour Party funds or a charity.

Other Labour MPs who signed with Gordon Prentice are Paul Flynn, Kelvin Hopkins and Brian Iddon. They are - oddly, given the damage the memoirs have done to Labour - joined by Tory MP Peter Bottomley.

FIRST POSTED MAY 13, 2008