THE TELEGRAPH: Gordon Brown has been accused of a “sordid” attempt to keep Labour in power after offering his resignation in return for a coalition with the Liberal Democrats.
On a day of high political drama, Mr Brown seized on David Cameron’s failure to secure a pact with Nick Clegg by opening formal talks to agree a so-called “coalition of losers”.
In a surprise announcement, the Prime Minister offered to oversee talks between the two parties before stepping down by the time of the Labour conference in September, when a new leader would be chosen by party members.
If accepted, the proposal would mean Mr Brown remaining in Downing Street for another five months and voters being presented with a second unelected prime minister in a row.
The leadership campaign, which is likely to be contested by David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, his brother Ed, the Climate Change Secretary, and Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, and others, will only begin after any talks are concluded.
Last night senior Conservatives accused the Lib Dem leader of “treachery” after it emerged that Mr Clegg had changed the basis of a deal with Mr Cameron just minutes before Mr Brown made his statement.
John Reid, the former Labour Home Secretary, warned that a Labour-Lib Dem coalition would result in “mutually assured destruction” for both parties. >>> Andrew Porter, Political Editor | Monday, May 10, 2010
