The Scots in our Government will not go until England is bankrupt. The damage and nepotism that oozed out of the Clan rooms was far too concentrated and far too long.
Ruination of England is inevitable the damage is both current and the seeds will be germinating for decades. Their deliberately destructive immigration policy will ensure that.
They will judge that a success.

Fred, Worcs, England

David Miliband young? He's older than David Cameron or Nick Clegg for goodness sake!

If Brown goes, Miliband will win the leadership bid.

James, Manchester, UK

Cromwell, 1653: "You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!"

Julian, Warwick,

If he would bow to the inevitable and quit before the year is out, I'd win £300. Considering he has already given £900 of my money to Northern Rock, it's the least that he could do.

Confiteor, Aberdeen,

What is all this nonsense about 'charm'.

'Style' matters, I agree, but what we are witnessing is the culmination of 10 years of poor decision-making.These are every bit as much Blair's failure as Brown's and history will judge them as such.

charlie crole, london,

At last - the worms are turning! The media (at least some) has come to it's senses.

Gordon Brown will go down not only as a disatser as PM but as Chancellor. The only 'brave' decision he ever took was to stick to the Tory spending plans from 97 to 99. Blame them!! Ever since, the economy has been built on ever increasing house prices, ever increasing credit commitments, ever increasing consumer spending (on that debt) and ever increasing government debt and PFI.

The credit explosion that is unfolding right now will ensure that Labour never returns to power for a generation at least.

Good riddance!

Rob, Isle of Wight,

Even with the aid of Lara Croft it is difficult to see how Gordon Brown could change the media opinion but so far there is no solid basis for this antipathy. Unless something untoward arises that forces an election I think Gordon Brown can afford to ignore Press opinion. Why don t you put forward the revolutionary policy changes you think your preferred leader should make, in some detail so that we can be reasonably convinced that they aren t just pie in the sky, and give reasons why Gordon Brown can t or wouldn t implement these himself?

Henry Percy, London, UK

I see the likes of Mr Leyland from Liverpool and Mr Whitney of Chelmsford are STILL blaming Mrs Thatcher for all the ills experienced by the countyr!!!! Is it also her fault that we didn't qualify for Euro 2008!?!??!

By your reckoning, not a single politician since 1989 has done anthing, never mind anything wrong!!!!

Get real gentlemen. The "New Labour Project", (much like the "European Project" on a wider scale), has single handedly ruined this country in little over 10 years.

Unless there is a general election soon, there is going to be a huge revolt against these self-interested morons. The only concern realy is who takes the place of the current dead-wood? Frankly I despair at the alternatives. It almost makes one want to take up politics, grab these little self-serving pathetic losers by the scruff of their necks, and beat some common sense into them.

Nigel Meek, Braintree, England

Labour governments always run out of money.

This one has taken longer than most to run out of money, and so it has had longer to damage the country.

Whether or not Brown is in charge, the end-result will be the same: catastrophe.

Ultimately the fault lies with the electorate for being conned THREE times into electing this bunch of useless buffoons.

Jon Leigh, Southern, France

Tony Blair was not a good prime minister but a great one. His term of office came at a time of major word upheaval and was not an easy one. He has moved on to an even more difficult job, some would say, when the majority would have moved on to a directorship and after dinner speeches. The same cannot be said of our past chancellor. Any fool can create a boom with low interest rates. Pt. from tynemouth said it all very well.
I suggest that pa broon and family wont make it through the winter and that the"bairn" could make a better job of running the show. Jack Straw left to his own devises with no bullying could be a possible replacement. Whoever gets in, we need debate and changes made even if that means an out of europe in order to do so. There are grim times ahead. Bring it on I say.

kenny livitt, hove,

the imorality of the iraq war is the cancer that is metasting in different ways throughout this govt. It is the huge spending on this that means corner-cutting in all other areas is necessary. The decision was Blair's but these were the 'yes-men' so the guilt and contamination is shared.

simonS, Bolton,

Matthew Parris raises the intriguing question of Brown's successor. There was never any question as to who'd succeed Blair but try imagining who'll succeed Brown and all you hear is the scratching of heads. Certainly not David Miliband, who has all the presence, allure and personality of a speak-your-weight machine. In fact, the present cabinet is a pretty mediocre bunch, all told. So I'd be inclined to go not for youth but experience.

Step forward Jack Straw ... at least he seems to have survived years of Labour government without making a hash of any of his departments. Even though he isn't Deputy PM, I see no reason why he couldn't handle the top job at some future point.

K Philips, London, UK

Brilliant

Henry, London,

The plain truth is that after this debacle Brown is unlikely ever to win an election, perhaps he dithered and missed th eboat in sptember

Mark, newcastle,

When you had sofa government you knew where things would be when you lost them

John Ledbury, Kings Lynn, England

I think the summation that Brown is finished is right but not for the reasons stated. The biggest issue is going to fall through from the credit crunch. He has based his whole being on financial stability and improving wealth. Very many millions of (labour I assume) voters who exist in cheaper housing types (under £150k or ex-council for instance) especially in the North of engalnd are going to be hardest (probably brutally) by the credit crunch as sub-prime lenders and indeed high street lenders tighten criteria. Repossessions and arrears are going to rise. In short huge swathes of Labours heartland will be hit very very hard and will feel poorer under Brown, for them mortgage rates will be the highest in their lifetime, property prices will collapse in some labour heartlands. They will sit there and say "this isn't our fault (they would be right), shouldn't the goverment have protected us from this". Lets hope it doesn't spill over into the whole country.

anthony Harrisson, London,

Brown appears totally unable to delegate. Why, for example did he dash back from holiday to chair Cobra at the time of the foot and mouth escape, was not Mr Benn fully capable of doing that?
I fear that we are governed by a man who is becoming a figure of fun - poor Britain!

Sandy Cattanach, Lymington, Hants

Superb Mr Parriss but why should the nation wait?

Michael, Lincoln, UK

As Private Fraser states - "Your all doomed!" A few more scandals such as the Inland Revenue's Child Credits fiasco could surely make life for Pa Broone much harder. A few Parliamentry 'Votes of No Confidence' could bring NU Labour down, assuming the 'faithful' are not 'whipped in' to save the day! 2008 could be a difficult 12 months for Labour, assuming there are no more 'Banana Skins' to slip on.

B Clark, Chelmsford, UK

Who was it that said Brown was psychologically flawed? The poor man will have a nervous breakdown when he has finished vetting every speech and statement made by his ministerial colleagues and "people of all the talents".
Georgette, London.

Georgette Behar, London, England

As usual, perceptive and intelligent (we have come to expect nothing else from him). Parris is head and shoulders above most other political commentators who, perhaps because of their left-liberal assumptions, seem to be asleep on the job. He is spot-on about Brown and is right when he says something quite nasty is going to happen. Well done.

IAN GIRVAN, DUNKERTON, SOMERSET

Yes Mcbroon is doomed.So is Great Britain .I care rather more about the latter. Which ever parliamentary pillock is in charge will be determined to give all our powers and sovereignty to EUtopia. Mcbroon is a painful irrelevance.Unfortunately the electorate are still programmed to twentieth century politics and are unable to see the euro train crash approaching.

adams, blackheath, london

'Be careful what you wish for' - Bottler the prime example.
Brown was never a Prime Minister in the making, his personality, a man made for privacy, for the dark. His overwhelming arrogance repellent. his sole vision the door of No. 10. His appointments reveal his lack of perception, of any understanding. Run through his appointments - of the wrong person for the job. Start with the diplomatic disaster that is Malloch-Brown and work your way through this mess

Brian, nottingham,

If there is a downturn in the world economy (likely) Britain is not well placed to cope because of the policy of the current Prime Minister when he was Chancellor.

For 10 years he was responsible for running our economy and did it by ratcheting up Government borrowing and encouraging consumers to run up huge debts to fund a lifestyle choice. One of the consequences of this policy (together with the unstated policy of allowing millions of immigrants to settle in the south east) has led to overvalued property. There is bound to be a downturn in the property market, and yes, it will be the fault of Gordon Brown.

Labour should have had the bottle to elect a new leader - one who was reasonably untainted by the previous leadership - and who could with some justification hold his hands up and say 'weren't me Guv.' By shoeing-in the Minister most culpable for the coming economic woes, they have made that an implausible and impossible 'sell' - no matter how good the spin.

Donna Walker, Effingham, Surrey

Well said that man (Ken Leyland, Liverpool). Thatcher created New 'cesspit' Britain and no gravy train politician will want to change it now. I plan to stop voting and start saving for my ticket out of this godforsaken country.

Terry Whitney, Chelmsford, England

How can Golden Wonder put a so-called "Carbon Footprint" that reads exactly the same, whether it sold in Lands End or John O'Groats?

Surely each packet sold throughout the UK cannot, by definition have the same print? Or does GW fly them through thin air...

D Voysey, Crediton, England

The put-upon people of this country have an opportunity to make known their views on the present government and all its works, even without a general election.
Very soon the tax returns will be due at HMRC. For myself, I intend to provide mine contained on two cdroms, and will send the packet by TNT.
If a substantial number were willing to participate in this and do likewise we may make our collective point in a manner which will be difficult for Mr Brown to ignore.

Tim, Bristol,

I understand it is very difficult indeed to eject a Labour leader.
He would have to step down - in an act of crittical self awareness and humility.

Snigger...

Ha ,ha ha.

HA, HA, HA, HA HA.......

Sally , York, Yorks.

How often do we need to repeat that the PM is meant to be a CEO with a Board to assist him or otherwise. However, the shareholders are the people of this country, and shareholders have the final say. Matthew is totally correct in his analysis that leadership is felt/perceived and Brown has no CEO leadership qualities. Any leadership consultant/guru will confirm this. Whether there is an internal coup (unlikely in Labour) or outright resistance from the shareholders, we need a change of leader. Leaders attract a following and management/shareholders sense this; non leaders attract resistance and consequent non performance.

Go Gordon, GO.

Gordon, Surrey, UK

Let us be honest - the man is a shambles. Suddenly, after 10 years, the British public have woken from a spell cast by New labour. If you continue to tax and tax and nothing changes except ofr the worse, pull on your helmet! Oh - they sold them all!

Richard, Plymouth,

I have said many times that even before his nomination as Prime Minister, Gordon Brown has an expression of a dinosaur looking up to see his approaching meteorite !

Things can only get better for Brown ?

There is a discernible mood of change in the country - for the first time people are discussing politics and events.There is also anxiety and not a little anger. Friends who are Labour supporters appear more anxious than most. Purely anecdotal , maybe.

The economic grey clouds are gathering and slowly people are considering their mortgages, debts, household bills, council tax,pensions and last but not least their Christmas expenditure. How often I am being told "we are cutting back this year - can't afford to splash out " ? Nervousness is creeping in.

Meanwhile the cause of some of these ills sits in number 10 - how many believe he will be the cure for the hangover to come ?

That meteorite left one heck of big crater when it landed !

David, Swindon, Wiltshire

No one should be surprised when a die-hard Tory, as Parris most certainly is, prophecies doom and gloom for a Labour Government. Blaming the Government for everything is a brilliant bit of spin, because for "Government" read "the Prime Minister". Tthe media started this when Blair was in the chair and it was bound to continue after he left. So some unfortunate getting inappropriate treatment at any level of this country's administration will be reported as being a victim of the Government's failure to manage properly, and the mud sticks to the PM. When Lady Thatcher was in charge, in the fullest sense of that word, the media used to blame "Whitehall", remember that? The result was that Civil Servants were blamed for everything. These days a civil servant can ignore regulations, be careless even, and the cry goes up "sack the Prime Minister".

dennis mahoney, camborne, uk

Bring back old Tony.
We miss you.

Robert Postuma, Montreal, Canada

Brown cannot defy the trend that will end up in his demise.
Two things - first, the media needs to be a bit quicker and cleverer in seeing through Brown's welter of words - recall that his last budget was welcomed until someone did the sums and saw that the give and take was a net take. The '5p smoke and mirrors' was not seen as quickly as it should have been.
Second - HIPS is the stealth tax that is not being seen at the moment. It can be directly laid at his and Balls door, and is the ticking time-bomb that shows up the lack of quality of thought of this collection of control police.
Keep up the pressure Matthew.

Chris, Reading, Berks

You shouldn't blame Gordon Brown. For so many years Tony Blair ran the government single handed and sat on a public and political pressure cooker that was finally close to exploding. Now he's gone and the pressure has been released. There is no-one in New Labour who could have kept the lid in place.

Mike Poulsen, Reading, Berkshire

Well put Mathew - These latest polls prove the majority only care and cast their opinions when government policies potentially affect them personally. Illegal wars, stealth taxes, pensions, flooding, foot & mouth, unsatisfactory schooling, hospitals, civil liberties, terrorism, tuition fees the list goes on and on, these issues individually don’t have an immediate effect on the vast majorities personal lives, so they prefer to just leave these politicians to carry on ruining the country unaccountable. It’s taken this latest fiasco at HMRC to gel the public together in condemnation of New Labour. This proves that we have become an insular society and care mostly only about how policies affect us personally. New Labours divide and rule policies have proven to work so far, maybe the public will retain the current momentum and ensure they are brought to book for their mismanagement of the country. Watch out for the spinning about to come forth from Brown & Co, don’t fall for it, you’ve got them on the run, make them do what you the electorate want, its your time now. Don’t fall asleep again with apathy; concern yourselves with the concerns of your fellow countrymen. Some in the Labour party if they still have the desire for retaining power will ask comrade Brown to stand aside, if not hopefully the electorate will dump him forever.

Michael, Sheffield,

Excuse me, Mr Parris, but I remeber pointing out in an email comment to this paper (which I am not certain was aired) just after the non-election debacle that events would conspire to remove Brown from office by the end of 2008. As things are, this looks increasingly likely. Brown's government is like a lens through which 10 years of New Labour's failings (many of them his own) are being brought into sharp public focus. No amount of reshuffling and 'initiatives' will stop this happening. With the apparent lack of a credible successor, a forced election in 2008 seems the only possible way out of the current highly unstable situation.

Janine Jessop, Spalding, England

A triumph of wishful thinking over commonsense. It'll take more than this to expunge the memory of the Thatcher unemployment and bankruptcy booms - in which, I seem to remember, you played a minor role.

Ken Leyland, Liverpool, U.K.

MP's article (with which I wholeheartedly agree) is a supreme example of the "Peter Principle" that "in a hierarchically structured administration, people tend to be promoted up to their "level of incompetence". The principle is based on the observation that in such an organization new employees typically start in the lower ranks, but when they prove to be competent in the task to which they are assigned, they get promoted to a higher rank. This process of climbing up the hierarchical ladder can go on indefinitely, until the employee reaches a position where he or she is no longer competent. At that moment the process typically stops, since the established rules of bureacracies make it is very difficult to "demote" someone to a lower rank, even if that person would be much better fitted and more happy in that lower position. The net result is that most of the higher levels of a bureaucracy will be filled by incompetent people". For more see http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/PETERPR.html

tony twemlow, Hoylake, UK

HEAVY PUNCH BAG

Isn't it awful to be left with the scraggy ends? Anybody with any sense would never have let John Reid go. But like any bad manager, Gordo can not see talent simply because he doesn't have any.

Don't think I'm a Labour supporter - God forbid - but it is important to see talent and ability in your opposition.

So will Big Gordon go or bore us all for another couple of seasons? I think people are sick of his rule already and he will find it impossible to govern effectively at some point in the future.

Will it be an attack on Iran, which finally un-shackles the spineless back bench drones on the Labour benches.

They might be looking to engineer a way of stabbing him in the corridors before the next election - they want a job for life, not just to seasons after all.

As Northern Rock shareholders know: an asset can become a liability in the blink of an eye.

Joe, Boders, Scotland

Mr Brown's doomed indeed, he should have stuck to being a Chancellor, he was safe there. Tony took all the blame and no one batted an eyelid where he was concerned. As usual, politicians tend to get ambitious and he wanted the bigger office. The bigger the office, the bigger the job. And now its time to assume responsibility for the mess his government has created.

Jessica, Coventry, UK

Rather obvious now why Blair did not want to hand over, is it not? He realised that his successor was far from being a safe pair of hands. Perhaps similar thoughts are on the agenda in Buckingham Palace

Mike, London,

Thanks Gordon. Thanks for leaving me with 10K of debt for wishing to educate myself. That's £100 pound per months straight out of my pay. Thanks for all but abolishing final salary pensions, leaving me with no adequate provision for retirement. Thanks for fiddling inflation figures - my salary seems to worth less as every year passes. Thanks for making me compete against unlimited immigration. Thanks for increased taxation and 11% national insurance so you can bloat the wasteful public sector ever more, whilst I in the private sector i.e. those that make the country work, suffer. Thanks for artificially low interest rates and ensuring that trying to save is futile. Thanks for the extortionate cost of housing and council tax. Thanks for putting me at the mercy of BTL landlords who turf me out of my home every six months. Thanks Gordon.

PT, Tynemouth, UK

We must not be too hard on the Prime Minister. The fall out we have endured from say, Northern Rock, shoddy animal research facilities, inadequate flood defences, overflowing prisons or emasculated, poorly equipped armed forces is the natural consequence of the democratic process. To have prevented disasters such as these would have required foresight, good governance and priorities set for the long term good of UK. Politics today is all about puff and swagger and playing well to the cameras, thinking only as far ahead as the next newsaper headline.

No doubt when it is the turn of Wormwood Scrubs to burst its banks, Brown will once more show how firm and resolute he can be: assuaging public horror at the ensuing crime wave, and making grand announcements about funding increases and task forces. When people start getting kicked out of their homes a triumphant Brown will once more trumpet "billions" of our money into this or that scheme to keep the house bubble inflated and his job.

Peter Harvey, Malvern, Worcestershire

Please do not make jokes about Jack Straw becoming prime minister. I can think of only one worse disaster, and that is Gordon Brown remaining as PM.

Harry Fredericks, bromley, United Kingdom

It's really quite simple. Gordon Brown is suffering the same fate as Oscar Wilde's portrait of Dorian Gray. For ten years Dorian Gray himself (Tony Blair) indulged in all sorts of outrageous behaviour, replete with sins of commission and omission, yet scarcely any blame clung to his Teflon-coated shoulders. Now Blair is gone, and in his place we have an all-too-human PM - a prosaic, charmless, literal-minded fellow utterly incapable of deflecting criticism with a light laugh and an irrelevant jibe. With the disappearance of the Blair reality-distortion field, everyone is waking up to face the actual consequences of ten years of gross misrule. And who is standing squarely at Ground Zero? Muggins Brown, that's who. The second half of the Granita sucker-punch is being delivered - precisely when Brown thinks he has succeeded in entering into his inheritance, he finds it is a stinking mess.

Tom Welsh, Basingstoke,

Having taken away Mr Matches who is now playing - 'give me that villa', we see GB left undefended and exposed to what he personally has done to the UK over a decade. But like David Smith of the Times who hides in shadows never admitting he can get it totally wrong his luncheon partners also hide away hoping that Mr Debt, Mr Sub-Prime and Mr Deficit won't leap off the shelf to expose them further. Mind you - not being part of the masses it will hardly affect their own comfort level. There is much to be said for accountability at all levels and for all actions.

Paul, London, Canada

Brown we know cannot be trusted Remembr all those stealth taxes some coming in in April next.

He announced in advance that he was a seller of our Gold stocks. The price went down, he sold and the price rose way beyond expectations. That cost a few billion.

He raided our penson funds. He sold Quentic for 75% off..

You can trust Gord to get it wrong.

Charles, Lady Lake, Florida USA

Of course it would all start happening. Most of our problems stem from the crafty Chancellor of the past 10 years. Brown is getting what he deserves and remember he is the one to blame. Why was my pension so reduced? Brown.

roger heather, upminster, england

Labour should have trusted Blair instead of hallucinating over Iraq.
I bet they're sorry now.

Dave, Southampton, UK

What we need is an election to clear the air. Perhaps the Times' brilliant cartoonist Peter Brookes has got it right. 'Gordon of Cartoon' will have to be shot in the back. Now where are those 'mad Mahdi' Blairites when we need them?

Adrian Gilbert, Tonbridge,

here's ag ood joke : what about Jack Straw? Any bets?

Philip Hall, Wirral,

quite simply because gordon ruined all the other possible contenders on his way up there is nobody to replace him so making labour unelectable for a generation.He has done to his own party what he wanted to do to the tories.
Gordon will have his place in history as the worst PM ever and his sole achievement will be banning plastic bags.

mitch, Wolverhampton, England

None of the service chiefs would have accepted Gordon Brown as an officer because he lacks the qualities essential for inspiring and leading people. How then could they be expected to take this awkward, defensive, humourless man as their boss? The rest of the cabinet are not much better, though Milliband might make Second Lieutenant when he's a bit older.

Barry Smith, Colomby, France

Great article a per usual Mathew.

Re the ICM Poll, I think it should be treated with the greatest caution - it is hugely out of kilter with other very recent polls which have the Tories at 41% and the Lib/Dems way below 20% - including one yesterday. I remain convinced that the Tories have a very good chance of toppling Labour and form at the vey least a moinoity Administration.

Peter Buss, Canterbury, Kent

Nothing a bit of SPIN wont sort out.

Quick spin those plates before they fall. It worked the for last 10 years, why change a winning formula.

Sericson, Bewley, UK

"stumbles, few of which are actually the fault of the ministers in charge"

Maybe not the fault of current Ministers, but most stumbles lead back to structures and spending allocations decided upon by Gordon Brown during his ten years as chancellor - the tripartite structure surrounding the BoE, the merger that created HMRC, the money (not) allocated for flood defences, for prisons, for defence, for Pirbright refurbishment, etc.

It is very clear now that continually claiming to be improving education and the NHS by throwing money at them has achieved very little apart from bigger salaries for many and new buildings. We might accept some of that expenditure if the other areas now falling down had not been squeezed to pay for it.

MarkS, Leeds,

Excellent article. Brown is a charmless arrogant man, the sooner he goes the better, but only so long as Miliband doesn't succeed him. He is even more charmless and arrogant which is quite a feat. Neither are qualities the public appreciates.

paul, bristol,

A major point in Brown's favour , at present , is that the Tory Party are not reaping the benefits of his misfortunes.

Today's ICM poll shows that , although the Tories still maintain a 6% lead, support for them is now down to 37% with Lib/Dems, being the principal beneficiaries from both parties, on 21%.

Whilst there is still this strong anti-Tory majority amongst the electorate the feeling may persist within the Labour party that this ground can be recovered.

This does however raise a question of leadership; but not for the Labour party.
As the Tories are not benefiting from Brown's woeful current situation, and despite their announcing 'policies' seemingly on a daily basis, are the Tories, under the leadership of Cameron, actually capable of winning an election ?

David Dee, Canterbury,

As Brown is so utterly convinced in his own infallibility, he, like another failed ex-Chancellor in another country, will always ignore his generals' and experts' advice, as he is far more concerned with retaining his job than he is for the good of the country, which is why there was no election. It is far more important to him not to be the shortest-ever Prime Minister in history than anything else, so he will cling on as long as he can.

The man is a disaster, and his attitude can be likened to Captain Scott, purely in one respect and in one respect only: "We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker of course and the end cannot be far".

Unlike Captain Scott, let's look forward to that end.

Maurice Ferrara, Slip End, Bedfordshire, England