Clare Short left isolated as Brown joins her critics

Guardian ^ | 02/28/04 | Nicholas Watt,

[Pikamax]

Short left isolated as Brown joins her critics

Nicholas Watt, political correspondent Saturday February 28, 2004 The Guardian

Clare Short was cast adrift yesterday when her one-time patron Gordon Brown joined forces with virtually all sides of the Labour movement to denounce the former cabinet minister for jeopardising Labour's re-election chances. As Tony Blair accused Ms Short of forging an "auld alliance" with the Tories to force him out of office, prominent supporters of the chancellor formally declared her persona non grata. "Clare Short is totally finished as far as we are concerned," one Brownite said.

It marked the last rites on Ms Short's political career after she intensified her highly personal campaign against the Mr Blair by accusing Britain of eavesdropping on the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, in the run-up to the Iraq war.

The prime minister gave vent to years of frustration yesterday when he accused Ms Short of giving succour to the Tories by making such a damaging accusation.

The home secretary, David Blunkett, all but labelled the allegation false when he said that he had never heard of such claims despite having a higher security clearance.

"The Tories are a bigger threat when they get a little help from our friends," Mr Blair told the Scottish Labour conference in Inverness.

The audience applauded him at length when he spoke of an "auld alliance" between disgruntled leftwingers and the Tories: "The alliance between some of our own folk who are happier in opposition and the Tory party who are desperate to get out of it."

There was even support from surprising quarters. Derek Simpson, the leftwing general secretary of the Amicus trade union and a leading member of the "awkward squad", expressed astonishment at Ms Short's remarks.

He said: "I can't understand why and what it has added to the discussion except to create anger about a subject that is, at the moment, probably the least relevant. We really need to ensure that a Labour government is kept in power."

His attack was echoed by a series of ministers past and present. George Foulkes, Ms Short's deputy in the department of international development for four years, broke his silence about his former boss and said: "It is her who must answer some questions. If her allegations are true, did she object to the alleged bugging when she was in the Cabinet? If not, why not? If the practice continued, as she alleges, how could she reconcile her conscience by remaining in government?"

Even Robin Cook, the former foreign secretary who resigned from the Cabinet in protest at the Iraq war, distanced himself from Ms Short. He wrote in the Independent that he would be "surprised" if Britain had bugged Mr Annan.

Ms Short is likely to be disappointed by the loss of support from the chancellor. One Brownite made clear the camp's contempt for her by saying: "She is stuffed because why didn't she resign at the time if this is true?"

She did win support from the campaign group of Labour MPs, whose members are to table a Commons motion about Ms Short's allegations.

[txzman]

So this is something we did not already know reading that Ms. Short was the author of the claim?