Comments on: James Purnell resigns. Britain shrugs

By: Marcus

Marcus — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:19:03 +0000

> The way things are looking, after the next election, Purnell could be in his fifties before he gets another sniff at a big job. Can an ambition such as his bear to sit in opposition that long? I hope not.

But… doesn’t that suggest he’ll defect to the Tories in the hope of being rewarded with a Cabinet seat? I fear Purnell may be back in power with a blue rosette in a year’s time. And I mean *fear* – it’s going to give me nightmares.

By: HarpyMarx

HarpyMarx — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:20:20 +0000

From Hutton to Hain to Purnell….and now Yvette Cooper….(flipping marvellous…) Gee, I can’t wait what’s in store re Work and Pensions. Business as usual and continue shafting the poor with the nasty nasty draconian Welfare Reform Bill, more privatisation, chucking further public money at the private sector (‘welfare to work’ schemes) and pushing through the (in)Flexible New Deal…..

And Workfare

Purnell.
Infernal.
Go to hell….

By: ejh

ejh — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:52:11 +0000

There is. She’s my cat.

By: richard hannay

richard hannay — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:15:43 +0000

And Geoff Hoon’s gone! The man with the most punchable fizzog in British politics has naffed orf.

There is a god!

By: Guano

Guano — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:16:27 +0000

I was unaware of the existence of James Purnell until a couple of years ago, when he made a speech in which he said that the invasion of Iraq would have gone better if there had been time to build a bigger coalition. I presumed that an MP who said daft things like this must be a no-hoper back-bencher, so I was puzzled to find out later that Purnell was a Minister and considered to be destined for higher things.

I cannot say that I will miss him if this is the kind of thing that he says in his speeches. Or do you have to say daft things about Iraq to rise in political circles these days?

By: dotdash

dotdash — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:06:52 +0000

Personally, I’m loving it for now. Blears, Smith and Purnell all gone in a matter of days shakes my faith in the utter non-existence of God. If Straw and Woolas go as well, I might even consider voting Labour again in the absence of any practical reason to vote for a party that actually represents my views in any way.

Given that Brits living abroad (like me) outnumber foreigners living in the UK (like my wife may well end up doing in the future) by a substantial margin, the more self-inflicted failure and humiliation heaped on twats like Purnell, the better.

By: redpesto

redpesto — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:41:08 +0000

Blairtastic nostalgia cannot be far away. – it’s already here, if you read John Rentoul or Martin Kettle

By: richard hannay

richard hannay — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:05:50 +0000

Okay, my turn – Purnell is a rightwing, neoliberal, corporate suckup thug who should sod off to the Tory party where he belongs. But in his mind, you see, he’s the hero, the leader in waiting, the Luke Skywalker to Gordo’s Jabba-the-Hut-like soporific presence. I reckon that now there are enough former Blairites who’ve resigned or been grumbling to form a faction calling for the return of the Good Old Days. Just watch – Blairtastic nostalgia cannot be far away.

By: redpesto

redpesto — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:07:40 +0000

a bugger-gripped, Jolie-lipped New Labour drone who looks like he was grown in a laboratory they see burbling away on the news on a slow day. – nah, more like a smug wannabe supervillain (Sark from Alias, Adam Monroe from Heroes)

By: asquith

asquith — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:43:04 +0000

Funny you should say that because he’s never actually been a private-sector employee as far as I can tell. If he’d done the sort of work most of us have to do, he might have acquired some sense.