The press have been briefed that New Labour outriders, Byers and Milburn, are to make major speeches over the next few weeks, to accompany major policy announcements and speeches from the Prime Minister to demonstrate that New Labour still exists.
They clearly just haven't got the message yet even though the rest of the country has. People aren't just not listening to them any more they are just not interested.
The only questions of any interest to most people are when is Blair going and what does the future hold.
Whilst Blair, Byers and Milburn desperately plot how long they can delay the innevitable, we continue to reap the harvest of the failed policies of their New Labour. Another British soldier dies in Afghanistan and the bumper drugs harvest from that country floods the streets of Britain. Iraq continues to degenerate into civil war and the US army is staging another new battle for Bagdad. Health workers are demonstrating against closures and job cuts in their local health services, and it is revealed that BP has been allowed to get away with manipulating the energy markets aginst the interests of consumers to maximise its profits.
The considered view amongst even some of the MPs who have been the most supportive of Blair and New Labour, is that Blair and his courtiers should now just go quietly.
But what are Gordon Brown and his supporters offering? Absolutely nothing. No change. Nothing new.
For Brown Ed Balls has taken on the mantle of Milburn and Byers as Brown's representative on earth, tactically manouevring to hasten Blair's demise but vacant wneh it comes to explaining what the difference would be under Brown as leader.
Next week in Manchester I start a national campaign tour explaining to rank and file party members across the country why there needs to be a challenge for the leadership of the Labour Party and the policy programme upon which we are campaigning.
Come along and get involved in this debate. Let Milburn, Byers, Balls and all the other New Labour outriders continue to engage themselves in a self interested, self serving discussion of their own futures, cut off from the realities facing our communities.
Let us get on with the real debate about how we secure a world free of poverty, war and the grotesque inequalities we witnesss today.
Come along if you can.
