Touchy-feely Brown a flop

It was less of a rallying call, more of a plea for sympathy, according to those who heard last night's speech by Gordon Brown to the Parliamentary Labour Party, first flagged here last week.

Brown urged MPs to go out and tell the troublesome voters that the Government 'is on your side'. This new touchy-feely approach from the Iron Chancellor was clearly dreamed up by his new political guru, Stephen Carter, and it went down like a lead balloon with some of his MPs who were left muttering "Try saying that on the doorsteps of the thousands on low pay - natural Labour voters - who will see their tax go UP from this month while those earning over £18,000 will see it go down" - or words to that effect.

The tax change is the result of Brown's last Budget in which he cut the general rate of income tax from 22p in the pound to 20p but scrapped the lower 10p rate.

Brown also called in a group of regional newspaper journalists for a fireside chat at Downing Street to tell them the good news: the economy is not as bad as people say; inflation is low and will continue to be low.

Meanwhile, there has been a loss of nerve over Harriet Harman fronting for Brown at Prime Minister's Questions while he is away in Bucharest tomorrow for the Nato summit. On Monday, Brown's men were saying it was normal for the Leader of the House to deputise for Brown at the despatch box. But it is now believed that William Hague has been put up by the Tories, not Theresa May, Harman's shadow, and there are suggestions that Jack Straw will front for Brown. We will see.

THE MOLE: PLP MEETING

FIRST POSTED APRIL 1, 2008