Lord Falconer wants leadership debate
Former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer has hinted that a change in leadership could bring about a change of fortune for the Labour party.
The former minister called for a debate, followed by a unified response from all members of the government, in the face of growing threats to prime minister Gordon Brown’s premiership.
“If we could bring ourselves together we would stand a real chance of making the changes the country needs,” Lord Falconer told the BBC, while also claiming the Conservative party under David Cameron looks “vulnerable”.
“I think we are moving moderately quickly towards the need for a change and that change may be a change in leadership.
“We need unity above all. Can we get unity under the current leadership?
“I am not sure that we can and we need to debate it urgently and I think probably it will need a change in leader.”
Meanwhile, Labour MP John Cruddas has called for the party to unite around Mr Brown in the wake of last week’s turmoil.
The government has been through a turbulent cabinet reshuffle, with ministers and cabinet secretaries resigning while criticising the prime minister, and the party losing its remaining four councils in local elections.
In an article in the Mirror on Sunday, the Dagenham MP – an influential figure on the left of the party – said he was surprised by former communities secretary Hazel Blears’ resignation and said it was “madness” to think the party’s problems would be solved with the leader’s resignation.
He added that the party needed to fix its own problems and regain the public’s trust after the expenses scandal.
Mr Cruddas wrote: “We’re now less than a year away from the election. We have no more chances left. We either pull ourselves together, stake out what we stand for, or we will be gone.
“If we don’t, the next ministers to walk out of the cabinet will find David Cameron and his friends walking in to replace them.”
Yesterday, new culture secretary Ben Bradshaw the party to listen to constituents and unite behind the prime minister.
Labour MP Tony Wright said that while Mr Brown was a “clunky communicator”, he was a “towering figure” in the aftermath of the financial crisis.
He also urged members of the party to stop the infighting and to back the party’s leadership.
