The Blairite former Home Secretary Charles Clarke has today made another intervention in which he calls on his Labour colleagues to have the nerve to ditch Gordon Brown before the general election.
He writes that "most senior Labour leaders have had little faith in Gordon Brown’s leadership for a considerable time" and suggests that a snap 21-day leadership election is "quite possible".
He also reports regretfully that the "Damian MacBride style of politics is not dead" inside Downing Street.
Iain Dale has posted the full text of his article, but here is his conclusion:
"In Parliament and elsewhere an overwhelming majority of Labour opinion believes that in this position Labour’s chances would be significantly improved if Gordon Brown were to stand down. Over Christmas there have been signs that this strength of opinion is understood in the Cabinet. The New Year will be the time to ensure that the overwhelming feeling which does exist is turned into the action which brings about the necessary change. The price of failure is just too high."
"Doing nothing now may seem the easiest option. But Labour should learn from the Tories, who have had many whole decades in power: political parties need the killer instinct to hold on to office. David Cameron’s Conservatives are relying on Labour failing to learn that lesson. From the beginning of 2010 we need a renewed Labour Party which can offer the people of Britain a genuine and positive choice at the ballot box."
9.30pm Update: Thanks to Gareth Quinn in the comments below for highlighting this priceless tweet from John Prescott:
"I helped deliver 30,000 leaflets in Hull over Xmas as Charles Clarke prepared his mistletoe & whine. He really is the ghost of Xmas p****d"
Jonathan Isaby