Gordon Brown is now seriously damaging his colleagues

There have been a number of occasions recently when I have heard cabinet ministers on TV and/or radio making complete idiots of themselves.

The reason seems to me largely because of Gordon Brown's incompetence or ridiculous political posturing. Here is an example:

On Radio 4's "Any Questions" this week there was a question about the Iraq Enquiry and Tessa Jowell tied herself up in knots. When questioned about why the government couldn't have taken the decision to hold it in public she insisted that it is not the place of a Minister to decide this and it must be for the inquiry head. However Jonathan Dimbleby pointed out to her that Gordon Brown had indeed decided on Monday that the inquiry had to be held in secret for "national security" reasons making a mockery of her statement that ministers cannot decide. The audience were unimpressed with jeers and even an attempt to start a slow hand clap. Jowell looked ridiculous and all because the truth is that Gordon Brown blundered by making the inquiry secret at a time when secrecy is a massively hot political topic. It should have been obvious to anyone advising Brown and Brown himself that a secret inquiry would never wash. It is political ineptitude of the highest order that this was allowed to be presented as the solution.

There are other examples too. Liam Byrne and Andy Burnham have both come across as blithering imbeciles in recent days as they have tried to argue that spending cuts are not spending cuts and refusing to answer straight questions. The reason for this is because Gordon Brown wants to be able to claim that the Tories will cut 10% whilst Labour will increase spending. The truth to anyone who spends more than 30 seconds with the figures is that Labour will have to cut heavily as well. In fact the 10% is from Labour's own figures! And yet Byrne and Burnham have been forced to go on air to argue that black is white and end up just looking silly.

And on and on it will go as Brown continues to blunder and try to map out non-existant dividing lines. Liam Byrne, Andy Burnham and many other cabinet ministers will be hoping to have long futures as politicians. But what I can see happening over the next year is what happened to almost all of John Major's cabinet. The stench of decay that pervades this administration will cling to all who are in it, especially the ones brave enough to go onto the media and argue Brown's distorted nonsense. The public will associate them too strongly with this rotten government and it will be impossible for them to dissociate themselves from it.

Brown will have no significant political future after the next election but by his actions he is now condemning the next generation of Labour politicians to many, many years in the wilderness as he taints them all with his poisonous politics.

It actually makes me wonder if James Purnell is smarter than the lot of them put together.

Gordon Brown - This charade must end

Well this has been a whirlwind 10 hours since James Purnell announced his resignation and called on the Prime Minister to go. I doubt Mr Brown got much if any sleep and apparently the reshuffle has been brought forward to today although there are few details as of yet.

There are also little vignettes coming out like Barry Sheerman on Radio 4 just now saying that Number 10 and Yvette Cooper spent time yesterday ringing around his local party colleagues trying to get them to pure pressure on him.

My unsurprising view is what is the point? Gordon Brown will be out in a matter of days. A senior cabinet minister and bright young prospect for the future of the party has resigned and openly called for the Prime Minister to go along with several other ministers in the last few days who have been more coded (but also clearly want him to go). It looks like the local and European election results will be worse than they have ever been for a government. Gordon Brown said 18 months ago that he needed time to show us his vision for the country but the cupboard is bare. He is like the little man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz.

We are now into the territory of how much damage does he want to inflict on his own party. If he goes now, he can help limit the damage. If he tries to stay on and fight he could leave the party in an even worse state than the Tories were after 1997.

However, there are people around Brown who can now move and make the decision for him. People like David Miliband, Jack Straw, Alistair Darling etc. are all politically experienced enough to know that the jig is up. They should go to him now and insist he steps down.

It is not encouraging to hear that Miliband has backed Brown. I guess he is worried that if he moves against him the prize will never be his but a banana last year put paid to this anyway. The cabinet needs to follow Purnell's lead and end this charade.

Brown needs to be put out of his misery and country can breathe a sigh of relief.

+++ James Purnell Resigns +++

Breaking on the BBC News right now. James Purnell has resigned to force a leadership challenge although he is not standing himself.

My £10 bets with Charlotte Gore and Kalvis Jansons that Brown will be gone before the end of June are looking better and better...