New Labour, Old Failings

With less than twenty-four hours left before nominations close, it looks almost certain that Gordon Brown will be elected party leader unopposed. For Labour this is one more missed opportunity: no debate over the direction the party is headed in, no chance for the unions, left-wingers or grassroots members to have their views heard, and no accountability, until the next election at least, for the Chancellor's role in the growing inequality of New Labour's Britain.

It's debatable whether Middle England will win the next election for Gordon Brown, but the collapse of Labour's traditional support could well lose it for him. The 50% drop in membership since 1997 is symptomatic of a deep and, for Brown, worrying malaise. A coronation can only make matters worse.