Peter Kenyon

Labour hits 5.3 million, and Balls attacks Field - nice one

Labour leadership pretender, Ed Balls hit out yesterday at fellow Labour MP Frank Field. Whatever his faults Field (whom I have never met, or spoken to) has led the case for compensation for the estimated 5.3 working people and retirees who have been paying more tax since 5 April 2008 following the proposed abolition of the 10p income tax band.

Having read the transcripts of the Prime Minister's recent remarks on this subject, I'm with Frank. What Balls can not obscure is the evidence that Brown still does not understand the nature of the problem, or the enormity of his mistake. I don't believe that this has been lost on either Frank Field, myself or a significant number of backbench Labour MPs.

Buried in the coverage in today's papers are reports that Chancellor of the Exchequer (CHX) Alistair Darling is going to announce details of the compensation package shortly, the BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson is suggesting as early as today. That will determine the political weather, not Balls' misplaced loyalty. He would be better employed bringing Brown up to speed on this to restore his tattered credibility - vital if Labour is to win the next British General Election. If Balls doesn't know what I'm talking about, he knows me and where to find me. I will enlighten him. (I was going to say 'happily', but that would be trite - what's unfolded is tragic.)

Brown premiership bombshell - fuse ignited

You may have already heard this week's BBC Radio 4 Any Questions programme broadcast last night with Frank Field MP on the panel. I am just catching up. A chill went down my spine in his analysis of the predicament facing Labour MPs. In a nutshell, he is forecasting that unless the Prime Minister comes forward with a simple straightforward compensation package for the 10p tax band abolition, the 2008 Finance Bill provisions to abolish the 10p tax band will be defeated in the House of Commons. Listen for yourself here's the link to Any Questions page for the listen again facility. It starts about 10 minutes into the programme. Is he right?