Timing a big announcement, what a Gordon Brown resignation might look like
The timing of big announcements is crucial.
The other day when Gordon Brown was being ripped to shreds for misspelling the surname of a grieving mother in a handwritten note I started to wonder whether his eyesight might genuinely be used as a reason for him to stand down, and if it were when would he go.
Timing will be crucial. As James Purnell knows now, make an announcement at the wrong time of day and it will backfire. The former secretary of state chose to announce his resignation when the polls closed for the European elections at 10pm. But by midnight the story had been virtually closed down and it became clear no-one else would follow.
Had he done it the following day, in working hours, the PM's friends (Peter Mandelson) would not have been able to orchestrate a response in the same way and things might have panned out differently.
Of course if Brown decides to go, the date rather than the precise time will be what is important.
So if he were to decide to stand down and use his eyesight as the reason December 29 would be a good date. It is during the week between Christmas and New Year when there is little else happening.
It would allow the Labour party to dominate the news agenda, and also mean the party could have a short leadership contest followed by a General Election in the spring. It would probably give the party a bounce in the polls.
Dale Street Associates
David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
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