Just when one lot stops tearing each others' eyes out, the other lot starts. With Michael Howard set to be crowned later today as Tory leader, the protracted and increasingly venomous row between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown has erupted with even greater ferocity. Brown, being painted as wholly consumed by rage that Blair has not stepped down in favour of himself, has blasted Blair's asinine defence of the EU constitution out of the water. Blair, for his part, has refused to give Brown a place on the party's National Executive Committee and thus excluded him from the general election planning.

Conventional wisdom has it that no government can survive such a falling out between a Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer. But on a personal level, this is a relationship like none other in politics. These are blood brothers, whose thinking and fortunes have been closely intertwined ever since they worked out together the modernising agenda that transformed the Labour party. In a characteristically insightful piece today, the Telegraph's Rachel Sylvester provides a telling indication of this most agonised of dysfunctional government relationships:

'I am told that Mr Blair has telephoned Mr Brown at least five times in the past week to ask for advice over how to deal with Mr Howard. The Chancellor was cagey in his replies."He's worried that if he gives too much help to Tony then Tony will think he's weak and kill him," one Brownite said. "But Tony doesn't want to get too close to Gordon either because he thinks if he's too beholden to him then Gordon will kill him. It's a stupid game they're in." '

So each of them is gripping the other's throat as their heads both submerge below the waves. But what leaps out at me is Blair's weakness. He doesn't know how to deal with Howard. He is nervous of him. And he still relies on Gordon, the stronger intellect, to help him. The Prime Minister is now exposed, lonely and supremely vulnerable.

Posted by melanie at November 6, 2003