STRAW MAN TO STEP UP FOR BROWN?

29-04-2008

Never mind David Cameron - could Jack Straw be the next Prime Minister? The Stirrer’s Westminster sources suggest the Justice Secretary is positioning himself for an assault on Number 10.

The evidence? Well, yesterday Straw became the first minister to apologise for the 10p income tax fiasco on Five Live’s mid-morning phone in.

MPs couldn’t have failed to notice the contrast between his straightforward acknowledgment that a mistake had been made and Gordon Brown’s stubborn insistence that he hadn’t climbed down over the issue – even when he clearly had.

That in itself might not be much, but there have also been signals that Straw is uncomfortable with Brown’s flagship 42 day detention policy for terror suspects, which is likely to become the PM’s next test of backbench loyalty.

Then there are Thursday’s local elections, which if results go to form, are likely to give Labour a bloody nose – no doubt prompting more question marks about the party’s leadership.

If Straw – vastly experienced, widely experienced and well liked - can position himself as more punter-friendly than Brown (and let’s face it, on current form, who isn’t?) expect the whispers to grow ever louder.

Evidence of tensions within the Cabinet surfaced a couple of weeks ago, amid allegations – strenuously denied – of a bust-up between Straw and his ministerial colleague Ed Balls (one of the PM’s favourites, incidentally).

It remains to be seen whether the Blackburn MP has the desire and the backing to mount a serious challenge, but as an experienced hand with the ability to unify the Brownites and the Blairites he can’t be under-estimated.

Parliamentary insiders suggest some Labour MP’s feel that he would give them a better chance or keeping their seats than the current incumbent of Number 10 – and job security is no less important to them than it is to the rest of us.

Straw for PM? Remember, you heard it here first.