Is Caroline Flint missing being window dressing after all?

By David Higgerson on Jul 5, 09 05:10 PM

The problem about taking a stand against the self-made perception that you are window dressing is that, as a result, you find yourself at the back of the shop.

And that's where Caroline Flint finds herself, several weeks after her hissy fit over not getting the promotion she felt she deserved into the main cabinet.

In her world, she seemingly felt she was ready for a bigger job. Gordon Brown disagreed, and in a moment of unusual clear thought, decided to risk the storm of a strong decision and not promote her.

Her reaction, to fire off an ill-thought and ill-planned letter which effectively accused Brown of sexism served to prove that Brown was right not to promote her - she obviously lacks the maturity to have a key post in Government at a time when tough decisions have to be made.

I've already made many of these point before - on this post here - so why bring it up again today?

Well, the woman who hates being window dressing has found the spotlight on herself again after giving an interview to the Yorkshire Post in which she insists she is loyal to Gordon Brown, and wasn't plotting against him.

She goes on to talk about her "direct" letter to the PM was "probably" one of the reasons Brown promised to be more "inclusive" when he met Labour MPs after the resignations of Hazel Blears, Jacqui Smith and Flint shortly before the dreadful election results for Labour.

Unlike Blears, she doesn't now regret her actions, but says: "I hope we can knuckle down to the job in hand now which is focusing on delivering our policies and getting those right and keeping in touch with the electorate."

She also adds: "My job now is to get on with doing the job of being an MP and I'll do whatever I can over the next year to help the Government deliver what it needs to."

Blears trotted out a similar line the other week and it's getting pretty sad to hear former cabinet ministers shouting out "I'm getting on with being a constituency MP" like a disgruntled cleaner at the back of a storeroom shouting "I've got a broom, I'm sweeping." In other words, you are doing your job.

Like Blears, Flint made her choice and now she's paying a price. The price of her silly letter was a loss of credibility and the fact she's no longer playing a key role in running the country - and her contradictory interview with the Yorkshire Post suggests she's not yet realised that, even in the Commons, it's impossible to have your cake and eat it.