All three major parties, are completely sold on the idea of a Federal Europe, and have absolutely no intention of representing the British Public in any shape or form.
As a result, 'The People' are not quite as stupid as the politicians thought, and are now making this clear at the ballot boxes.

Clive Burghard, Lancing, ENGLAND

admire u lots mr. portillo but ur wrong...Miliband is the man to lead Labour as for those who rabbit on about the Lisbon treaty and sovereignty.what planet r they on?

JOHN ROGAN, LONDON,

I support the view of the analyzer.

peter, london,

It seems Labour's true manifesto is a Federal Europe. To this end the rights of democracy are being systematically destroyed, the Lisbon Treaty being a prime example. Both Blair & Brown fell heavily on their 'spinning' swords; Labour has shown utter contempt for the British and our Sovereignty.

Jean Baker, Guildford, England

Labours performance triggered the Glasgow east result and it's their persistance that will bury them. They will be removed because of the Lisbon treachery - the one single thing that they could have got right - and they blew it. The rest I'm affraid is, in balance, irrelevant and too late.

Alan, Houghton-Le-Spring,

Michael Portillo, unlike David Miliband, is and always has been an honourable man. If he says Brown should reach for the long knives, Gordon should certainly think about it...

Paul, Recife, Brazil

If the nation has lost faith in this govenment and even it's own ministers have including the former PM why on earth dosent David Cameron call a motion of no confidence ( nobody should oppose) and a general election a year late this autumn? I do not believe we would accept another unelected leader!

Dave Farmer, Broxbourne, England

When a PM cannot be ousted, that is a sign of a PM who has been careful to surround himself with mediocrities.

jon livesey, Sunnyvale, CA/USA

Could it be that David Milliband should be seen as a 'Cliff Richard' figure in todays politics??

mw, somerset,

MICHAEL PORTILLO..... probably the single greatest loss to British politics and the UK public in recent years.

CRM

Christine Martin, Glasgow, Scotland

"Knifing Brown"? How long have British people been using the word "knifing" in this way? I've heard of giving someone the axe. But "knifing"? We don't use that expression in America. And before you ask, we wouldn't say "shooting Brown" either.

Ross, New York,

The Tories lost it when they became a set of factions instead of a team. Labour goe the same way. Whoever's next will be just as expensive and probably even more useless. Anyone brave enough to promise tax reduction and a written consitution, I'm all ears and open to offers in exchange for my vote.

KR, Stockport,

What Labour needs is a Big Brand - not a miniband of school boys and dinner ladies.

Marty, London,

The fact is that the electorate have seen what this government are; a bunch of liars who are only in it for their own interests. Brown is totally incompetent and Miliband, yet another politician with no experience of working in the real world. New Labour are dead and good riddance.

Paul, West Midlands,

What is the point of Gordon Brown?

Ian OLIVE, Nanteuil, France

"Labour has already begun the squabble about whether being too left-wing or too centrist has brought it down" when in fact sheer incompetence, spectacular waste and lunatic policies have been the real problem.

Marcher Baron, Welsh Marches,

Kill Labour? Please get on with it Mr Milliband and save the UK!

david webb, bournemouth, uk

The purpose in life of Gordon Brown is to demonstrate how good Tony Blair was for this country, even if you may disagre with some of his decisions.

Do accountants make good CEO's ?

No.

By Gordon, sooner you go the better.

Graham, Fleet, UK

Brown should have fired Miliband after his TV news conference - he has left it too late.

His indeciveness has been his downfall -- now he could redeem himself by calling a snap general election.

Miliband has certainly not been a shining light as Foreign Secretary - his grin is nauseating!

Chips Westwood, Sarlat La Caneda, France

Dont blame Miliband, Mr Brown brought this upon himself, 10 years of positioning, not allowing Labour a real choice post Blair, and then he gets the job but doesnt know how to lead... Miliband is Labours only hope... but I dont expect them to go that route until Cameron destroys Brown and his cabal

matt, london,

If any leader of any party wanted to put a vote to the elector regarding leaving the EU He would get my vote which ever party was in power. I would think better of Mr Brown if he would give us all a vote on the EU constitution

Mike W, Templecombe, United Kingdom

An American in despair over the political situation in the USA aked me for my opinion of who was the most capable leader for the UK?
After due consideration i chose another Scot
Alex Salmon
Should we move our executive to Edinburgh making it the capital of the UK? I am Cornish by birth1

Ivor, Merseyside, UK

Is it not amusing that an ex-conservative minister wishes Gordon Brown to stay as Prime Minister? If ever I have heard of a reason to let Mr Brown go, Mr Portillo's pseudo-support of him must be the best. With Brown Labour is finished, without him, Labour MAY be finished.

Marc, Paris, France

LABOUR DON'T GET IT..They are elected to represent the
BRITISH people, but they represent European beaurocrats,
promising us a referendum then reneging and traitorously
signing away our future, yet it is the BRITISH people they
rely on for power not the beaurocrats, PATHETIC.

Jeremy, Somerset, U.K.

Labour have lost touch with reality, promise us a referendum
and then lyingly deny it, massive borrowing and taxes on an
unreformed public sector, massive inflation and tell us no
pay rises for us (plenty for them) they are a joke and yet look
amazed that the people have turned against them.

Frederick, Hampshire, U.K.

I don't think Labour realise how angry people are with them.
Lisbon Treaty, massive taxes, borrowings, inflation, no law
and order, expensive poor state education system, trying to
control peoples lives, the list goes on. Their best response
is a grinning twit trying to become the new leader.

Tom, Northampton, England

Bad analsyis, Mr Portillo. In no way can Thatcher and Brown be favourably compared. The recriminations that followed her demise were sparked by post-decpaitation grieving after a truly successful PM. If Brown were to be evicted soon from No 10, who will care to remember his litany of inadequacies?

Paul Moss, Coventry, UK

Miliband may well have intellect, as you say, but what is going for him stops there. Having watched him closely since he was touted as a future PM I concluded that he is far to light weight. On the world stage he comes over as ineffectual, immature, lacking in stature and a man few take seriously.

D Case, Newquay,

Eric, Southwick, England

Do you see pixies at the bottom of the garden?

judy, Liverpool, England

good grief.......the JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON brigade are in full flow this week.........allthis negative tory motivated moaning and groaning has distinct signs of a bunch of pampered brats with a Bullingdon Club mentality.............Labour can still defeat thetorysat the GE and they knowthat too

Eric, Southwick, England

Portillo 1994 Millibanned 2008 same loyalty to the leader the Tories would not have been defeated in 1997 if portillo had been loyal to party and not put ambition first. Brown should learn from this.
the years in the wilderness for the tories were the fault of disloyalty so Brown should take note

Bruce, Leith,

Knifing Brown will kill Labour lmao
try
Knifing tony has killed Labour

phillip, swansea, wales

A Milibandwagon is defined as the smallest amount of support for a leadership bid visible to the naked eye.

Peter Croft, Cambridge, UK

Isn't that what we all want?

Go on Minibean - stick the knife in.

Minibean may be a big yahoo with the very people he has sucked up to but calling him talented is stretching things a bit.

Maybe in a lecture hall, or an Islington dinner table but running the country....?????.

Pinkie, London, United Kingdom

labour is only a name after 10 yearsof bliarism/ thatcherism, rob the poor to feather the rich is the mantra of both tories and labour, its left the country in a state of beafburgers,bingers,bankruptcy,the pound is worhless ao are the principles of labour and tories.

michael joseph, cahersiveen.adams towns, madness

I think Milliband is very like Portillo. Enuff said.

Scott, Bangkok, Thailand

I can forsee the Liberals having a turn in six years time. People have had enough of labour, but if the Tories win power and fail they also will fall from grace. The electorate is not to be ignored, because if it continues the far right parties will grow!

Darren, Radcliffe, England

Your comments are spot on Michael.

Stephen Holmes, Withington, UK

It seems to me that the whole of the Tory Party is terrified that the Labour Party decides to have a change of leadership.

I don't believe it will happen yet, but I'm sure David Cameron must have had a few sleepless nights.

Bob Price, Sunderland,

Miner , Perth, Australia

Thatcher did not sink the Conservatives; if that were the case how did they survive for another 7 years in office, including winning a general election? No, Major, Portillo, Lilley, Clarke, and assorted others can claim that particular crown, all in the name of the EU.

Morvan, Saulieu, France

I am with you Frederick. The Hague seems appropriate now.

Charles Dowie, Epworth, United Kingdom

Labour's dead anyway - so who cares! They've ruined our country and should be jailed for their incompetence and stupidity.

Frederick , London, UK

Big fan of Portillo but, as Brian says, great hatchet job on Miliband. No particular reason to think a contest now will send Labour into feuding any more than after the next general election.

Portillo's own boldness backfired - but Major, unlike Brown, had support as an elected PM 5 years in office

Axel, Jencks, Canada

Firing Miliband won't do. He's no Heseltine, but amongst the pygmies that now run the Labour party he does have some stature. That being the case, putting him in a position where he has nothing to lose would be a bad move.

Better to offer him something demeaning in the reshuffle instead.

Dave, Livrpool,

The whole of the government needs to be put on trial for gross mismanagement the quicker they are out the better for all

D. Fielder, Halesworth,

Mr Brown has ducked some unpopular but prudent measures. Ultimately that catches up on any leader. To get out of it just needs a real crisis, in which he is forced to tell the British people some uncomfortable truths. Then the political scene will be transformed.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

A good hatchet job on Miliband. However, Portillo misses the obvious point that labour are doomed to a drubbing in the next election if they keep Brown( surely that is what he wants). Perhaps his attack on Miliband is an attempt to keep Brown in Office. Labour need a new leader NOW otherwise finito

Brian, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I like Michael P and on This week I listen avidly. He is the best Leader the conservatives never had, esp since 1997. He is right the labour party thought and the general public hoped blairite policies would go, and have a more centre left policy. Shame on you JGB!!! its your fault. GO and now.

James , Brighton, England

I still think the Tories are partly to blame - if they'd elected MP as leader we might have had a decent opposition..!

JJ, London, UK

Brown is indecisive, so Miliband will survive. It doesn't much matter, Labour is now despised in the country and only miracles might save it.

neil murphy, Cromer,

One P.M. in ten years, Thatcher, saw the Tories wiped as a political party all over the UK,and everywhere north of Watford. She may even now, save Brown's,or Labours bacon after all these years, Because she still frightens me, and I have lived in Australia for odd years.

Miner , Perth, Australia.

Brown has lost the trust of the people and the confidence of the Labour party. Plus I don't think he is PM matrerial Changing leader may or may not make things better but I think the Labour party may be reaching the point where they need to take a chance from certain doom

John Goode, Welwyn Garden City, UK

Why is Brown even hesitating to fire Miliband? His odious performance this week deserved nothing less.

Labour MPs must also know that if they change leader again so soon they will have to call an election. Are they so desperate to get out of power that they are ready to commit suicide?

Paul Owen, Birmingham, UK

It's been musical chairs ever since WW II: Labour governments under Attlee, Wilson, Callaghan, Blair and Brown, alternating with Tory ones under Churchill, Eden, MacMillan, Douglas-Home, Heath, Thatcher and Major. Cameron will get his two or three terms but mark my words .. Labour will be back!

K Philips, London, UK

As perceptive as usual; always a pleasure to read your column, Michael. I really cannot understand the media adulation for Miliband - he speaks the same vacuous nonsense as Blair did - and does he like to preen before the cameras. The boy needs to grow up. Brown should send him to the backbenches

Dr. Ian Burgess, Bristol,

No change=no chance.

Labour are now where the Tories were in 1995. Divided, hateful, scared. Sooner the electorate can put them out of their misery the better (for us, and for them.)

Dr Blue, Rantington, Rantingshire

Michael's criticisms of Miliband are absolutely priceless!

kevin molloy, liverpool,