Backbenchers circulate a letter calling for Gordon Brown to resign

Charles,
That is a month of Sundays I presume!!

Jim, Blears is lucky she wasn't out the door the same day that she signed that cheque - and even luckier that the boys in blue hasn't paid her a visit.

Cathryn I thought it quite amusing that Blears wants to get back to the "grass routes" toassure people that "their" aspirations" are hers - thoughh I doubt many people would even want the hassle of naming three homes as their "main" home.

Hopefully, at the next election the Queen of Salford will get her crown knocked off!

So true it hurts. I couldn't agree more with these sentiments. Brown has brought this disaster down on himself and the Labour Party. He has become a one man political destruction machine that may well leave Labour out of power for decades. That's not a good thing for the British People or for democracy in the UK.

Charles, Charles, Charles! You should know better! When staff start doing distructive things, when you get key people suddenly throwing tantrums and walking out the door, when plans go awry and the whole enterprise seems to be going from one crisis to another, who is to blame? Is it the workers, or is it poor management. You know the answer to that - it's almost always poor management.

Being PM is the biggest man management job in the country. The key requirement for PM is not to be knowledgeable about taxes or economy, about world affairs or defense or anything like that. The PM can call on thousands of experts in each field who can come up with ideas and recommendations and suggestions. The key role of the PM is to manaage those people - it's the biggest man management job in the country.

And that's why Brown has spectacularly failed, and why he's in such difficulties. He may be a good technical finance specialist, he may be very intelligent and determined, but his man management skills, his ability to make people feel valued and motivated, are non-existant. He's got to be PM by being obstinate, ruthless, machiavellian and scheming. Those qualities do not make a decent PM.

So don't blame Blears for her lack of loyalty. A leader has no automatic right to loyalty - it has to be earned and kept alive by mutual respect, by a shared commitment to a common goal. Brown's only goal is to be PM - it's the power that motivates him, nothing else. That's not an objective that can be shared by anyone else who cares for the people of this country - personal power for it's own sake is not an attribute of Labour and it's supporters.

The situation has been far worse that Major's last days in government for a while, but I agree, after today it would seem there really isn't much of an option. If the Labour Party is to survive as a political force, it must either force GB out which is going to be difficult or a GE should be called asap to give the people their say on what happens next.

Do you not think this is all a little strange though Guy? I mean lets say it was Cameron in the driving seat right now and we'd had 12 years of Conservative rule. Would you imagine Conservative ministers to resign right before polling day? And if they did, wouldn't you presume it was a timed attack on the leader? Or alternatively is it rats jumping from a sinking ship, desperately hoping there will be some driftwood in the water to survive on until the storm blows over?

Simple lesson to learn for all managers

If you treat your staff badly, with no loyalty and try to use them at their disadvantage to further your own ends you will get an unhappy workforce and staff will eventually bite back

All this does is show Gordon Brown has little or no man management skills and as a result really should not be in charge of the cabinet i.e. PM

In private business the reality of his failings would have prevented him getting high office. The Labour party seems immune to that reality.

Where's the stalking horse? Where is the white knight to rescue the party? I get the feeling that no-one is stepping forward because they are waiting for the election before taking over a reconstruction effort.

There must be someone in a marginal seat facing wipeout that can muster the courage to be a stalking horse. They've got nothing to lose, they'll be out of politics in a year anyway. How about Ed Balls for the ultimate in irony. Anyone have any ideas?

This is what happens when you brief against people in your own party. GB put Blears in a position where she had nothing to lose. Granted, following the expenses revelations she should have resigned/been sacked already but for GB to act in such a machievellian way shows how spineless he is.

He callously manipulated public opinion by not backing her compared to other ministers and then briefed against her over Jaqui Smith's resignation so as to make her position untenable. He should have been straight with her and the public. Of course he couldn't do that because he would then have to fire Hoon, Darling, Purnell etc.. You can't keep treating people that badly and not expect retaliation.

If I was a Labour minister I would be cursing GB for burying the Labour party and my career. He has been an unmitigated disaster for the party and deserves what he gets. The average man in the street would do a lot worse given the chance.

Why? How? The one thing that can save the Government is a quick recovery from the recession. Unfortunately GB has shot himself in the foot by saying its a global recession and passing responsibility onto the global economy. He can't take credit for the first 10 years, disown the recession and then take credit for the recovery - it simply wont wash.

In a month polls won't include UKIP as they disappear after the Euro elections so it may be possible to poll +10 points but it would be illusory, and in any case most UKIP votes will come from the Tories.

Honestly I think that unless Labour become more left wing they will finish third in the general election. They won't win on this ticket but at least they'll sure up the base and avoid complete annihilation. Doing this will concede defeat to the Tories but will at least ensure Labour stay a credible party.

If they do come third in the election the political landscape will have to be redrawn in this country. Lib-Lab coalition in opposition anyone?

You should watch Downfall Charles, your find it interesting. Pushing imaginary armies round a map the way you and the Prime Mentalist push imaginary votes around a electoral map.

I agree completely Cathryn - the only bits of papers circulating round MPs the day before the election are canvassing sheets and GOTV data. I am so angry about this

"What is the most valuable thing in the world?"

"A dead cat's head!"

POLLY TOYNBEE telling us to vote liberal?????????? I'm sure that's one of the signs of the apocalypse...

I used to be quite supportive of Hazel Blears, but no longer. The people who are stabbing labour in the back now are the ones who are only happy in opposition, and want Labour to revert to pre Kinnock ideas and policies.
PAthetic. Some other MP's resignations are the ones who are unable to commit to a fight. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going, when the going gets rough the tough get going." The weak run away.

I'll put my neck on the line and say Labour will poll +10 points in a month.

The electorate aren't interested in a lurch to the left or right. Cameron is, at best, a distress purchase and the usual suspects are the ones most responsible for undermining their own party's fortunes.

Anyone who was so badly disciplined or who went around doing stuff like that in business, let alone pulling the prima donna act or leaking to the media would be fired through the nearest window.

May I suggest that every blabbermouth Labour MP who adds their name to that list get over themselves, shut up, and step down at the next election to make way for people with a sense of purpose and teamwork?

Indeed, seems to back up what I've heard. Brown is finished and without his backbenches; that's it.

What about after?

I reckon Brown is so far gone he won't even resign after Labour come third in the general election.

Which is a dream come true for my lot. How lucky we are.

This Labour government is dead in the water:

* Record low opinion polls with a wipeout likely tomorrow

* A much derided leader and PM held in contempt by much of the country

* A cabinet in open revolt (when was the last time 4 cabinet memebers resigned right before an election)

* The Guardian calling for the PM to go and someone like Toynbee recommending a vote for the Liberals

* The parliamentary Labour Party supposedly circulating a letter calling for the PM to go

and....

* Websites like LaborList also openly in revolt.

I recently compared this current state of affairs to 1996-97 in gieing days of the Major government. I was wrong, it is far far worse now.

I would ask all those diehard Labourites who can still bring themselves to post on this site in support of Brown, what woul you be saying now if this was happening to Cameron? You know you would regard the government as over and finished as a political force. You know you'd be howling for an election. So why not show a shred of ethical intent, be honest and say what needs to be done... a general election asap

Barry Sherman just called out the PM on BBC News.

I didn't think half the cabinet would resign before we go to the polls tomorrow, but it has happened.

People in government seem to have picked their moment to ensure maximum damage to GB, designed to punish him for his indecision and poor leadership. The worse the results tomorrow, the more likely it is that GB will have to go. I hesitate to say, could it get any worse in the next 24 hours?

Gutless Brown - gutless party - perfect match.

No back bone in the Labour Party

Brown will lead until the General Election

As long as they don't have the guts to circulate a physical letter it's nothing more than disgruntled MP's or perhaps journalists seeking out support.

I can't see anybody serious joining such a list before close of polls tomorrow.

Rather speculative this Alex. Worth saying so I'd have thought. Tell us about Hazey's hair.