The "Ask No Questions" Prime Minister

Gordon Brown is the Ask No Questions leader of a country fast running out of credulity. He did not -

1. Ask anything meaningful about the dodgy sub-prime loans of the USA that found their way into the world's banking system as repacked bundles of laundered cash, even when that was public knowledge.

2. Ask anything about the amount of toxic loans on the accounts of the bailed out banks before handing them shed loads of taxpayers' money.

3. Ask the Financial Services Authority if everything was being scrutinised properly, even when public anxiety reached fever pitch.

The list goes on, but these are prime examples. It is staggering to think that no adviser tells him anything about what is happening and he fails to ask his advisers about possible problems. It is all about sticking plasters and tea and sympathy. Nick Leeson brought down Barings Bank and we all stood back and wondered. Instead of learning lessons, the financial world carried on as normal (for them) and cranked up the motor on the bubble inflator. So we were going backwards instead of forwards.

Brown is the Ask No Questions leader. All he can say is that nobody saw it coming. Well, that's not true. Many saw it coming, first of these was Ron Paul. Brown once famously burst into Tony Blair's office and ranted about not believing a word Blair said (about resigning as PM). Gordon Brown has become the Prime Minister of whom it can be said - "Nobody believes a word he says".

Charles Clarke sizes up the likely stalking horses

Charles Clarke was one of New Labour's beleaguered Home Secretaries. Letting criminals loose by mistake, getting into a muddle over terrorist's human rights and generally bluffing his way out of trouble. He's been a bit quiet of late, but then he's a bit like a volcano. Get a rumble going and he could erupt. Now he's apparently checking out the runners and riders in the stalking horse stakes. According to The Independent, an informative MP says that "Charles has the names". Names of those who would sign up in order to trigger a ballot for a leadership contest. Of course, Clarke denies all this, but then he would, wouldn't he? The MP kindly added that either Mr Clarke or another MP with "nothing to lose" would stand as a way of gauging opinion in the Labour Party.

As Jon Snow put it to Brown, "Ten years as Iron Chancellor, ten months as a dithering Prime Minister?" All this must be very depressing for him, now being labelled the John Major of New Labour. Major didn't get to see a stalking horse. He just went into the garden of No.10 to tell journalists he was calling a leadership election. John Redwood obliged by being his opponent. Brown may not get the chance to walk amongst the daffodils.

The elections on May 1st will be dire for Labour. The economy won't be much changed by then, either. If the plotters and schemers aim to chuck him out, this summer will be the time to do it. In some ways I hope they don't succeed. All new leaders get a honeymoon. Ditching leaders is not uncommon. Ireland's just done it, in the hope that the new man, "Biffo" Cowen, will bring home the bacon. I would prefer Brown to stay, so we can vote on his government's terrible record with him as Prime Minister as well as Chancellor. A period of sleaze, spin, corruption, money wasted on pet projects and potty policies. Yes we've had it OK, but we've deceived ourselves big time. Brown just fed us the juicy gravy. Now it's run dry!