Geoff Hoon: Is there a more pathetic man in politics?
Some people just don't know when to shut up. Geoff Hoon is one such person.
Back on Wednesday, when he was busy plotting to bring down Gordon Brown, he was keen to stress that this wasn't personal against Gordon Brown, it was about getting everything in the open once and for all.
He insisted it wasn't about toppling Brown, but sorting out the rumours once and for all.
If that was the case, he'd have shut up after his pitiful interview on Newsnight on Wednesday when it had become clear that he simply didn't have any support.
Sadly, that isn't the case, which is why he is out in tomorrow's papers revealing that Gordon Brown vetoed the call for more military equipment in Afghanistan while chancellor.
Whether this is true or not will emerge in the next week or so, I suspect. But given this is coming from the man who had convinced himself there were lots of MPs ready to rebel against Brown, I think we are entitled to treat what he is saying with some doubt.
If it is true, then Brown has some real questions to answer. But so does Hoon. As defence secretary, his main responsibility is to make sure troops are well equipped. If he can't get the money he needs, he's failing to do his job to convince the chancellor, and therefore failing to do his job.
But it's odd that it didn't bother Hoon so much at the time that he felt the need to go public about it, is it? Just as much as George Osborne is playing politics with soldiers, so it appears, is Geoff Hoon. But the difference between Osborne and Hoon is that Osborne has never been in a position to help troops. Hoon has - and he failed. Only now, when it suits his political motives, does he see fit to accuse Brown of not helping troops. It'd be shameful, if the man had the ability to feel shame.
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David Higgerson - David Higgerson has covered local and national politics for much of his career as a journalist. This blog aims to look at Westminister from the outside in, at a time when it appears very few are looking out from the inside.
I remember Gordon's cronies plotting to bring Blair down in similar fashion. Mark Tami MP for Flintshire was one who resigned.
Lame Liebour on the way out.
You don't mention Dr Kelly, David, but allowing one of his staff to be hung out to dry by the Campbell machine was surely Hoon's most shameful episode. Turning up at the British Grand Prix the day after Kelly's death only served to emphasise his complete lack of judgement. In answer to your question: No.
Lets see Hoon and Hewitt come out with a coup it fails, a meeting is called by the fat man to discuss whats happening, and Mandy comes out all smiles. Brown goes to Fabian meeting to discuss new labour and my friend Blair, and you lot say the coup failed, you might write about politics try following it.
You're probably right, but the point of my post was to examine their public statements. They didn't set out, in public, to change policy, it was to change the leader. So in that sense, the coup did fail. And the reason I write about politics is because I do follow it. Thanks for taking the time to comment
Agreed. But I'm sure in his head he has someone else blamed for David Kelly - probably Gilligan.