The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Purnell's decision to quit is a blow for Labour

The party has lost one of its most innovative thinkers.

By George Eaton Published 19 February 2010 12:50

James Purnell's surprise announcement that he will be leaving parliament at the election is a big blow to Labour. First, the party has lost one of its brightest and most innovative thinkers. Purnell is one of the few MPs who has genuinely sought to rethink the relationship between the state and the market in the wake of the economic crisis, and his recent essay for the Guardian provided one of the most thoughtful and articulate discussions of the limits of the Third Way.

Second, the media will present his resignation as another vote of no confidence in Gordon Brown's leadership. Earlier this week, Purnell told LabourList that he believed Gordon Brown could still win the election, but his decision to stand down suggests that he didn't fancy the long, hard slog of opposition.

Purnell's critics have already suggested that the timing of his announcement, the day before Brown unveils Labour's main election themes, was designed to inflict maximum damage on the Prime Minister.

But what seems more likely is that Purnell concluded that his growing intellectual curiosity was incompatible with his status as a Labour MP -- that, as Kant once put it: "The possession of power unavoidably spoils the free use of reason."

His plans beyond his current post at Demos are unclear, but it is likely that Labour's loss will be the think-tank world's gain.

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Tags: James Purnell

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11 comments

Fri, 2010-02-19 20:14 — iainmorse

Can I predict that he is positioning himself to stand as a prospective Mayor of London- if you doubt this check his declared plans 'after Parliament',

Fri, 2010-02-19 20:18 — Syzygy (not verified)

Graeme, Lauren310,Dave and Merle - I agree with you.. would anyone be surprised by him having a road to Damascus moment and coming back as a Tory? which is where he should have been in the first place.

Fri, 2010-02-19 17:40 — merle (not verified)

good riddance. he was not an asset to labour he was an easily-led bliarite lightweight. his attempt at to unseat brown made him look very pathetic, suggestible and weak. he was just a lucky and ungrateful non-entity to get to a ministerial position.

Fri, 2010-02-19 14:40 — Graeme Lyall (not verified)

George, you are very wrong in saying Purnell is an asset to Labour. He is not. He is a lightweight, promoted too far, and has pushed incredibly stupid and damaging policies on welfare. Good riddance!

Fri, 2010-02-19 14:58 — jane1

A sad reflection of the party who cannot retain someone of James Purnell's abilities. He was an excellent Minister and his thinking on Welfare Reform was very much in touch with the country. He resigned his position because he did not want to work with nor had any confidence in the leader. A man of integrity. His writings since then have been challenging and welcomed by those of us who seek to live in an ever changing world.

What a disaster.....

Fri, 2010-02-19 16:04 — Gareth (not verified)

he didn't fancy the long, hard slog of opposition

Quite true, we know politics is about gaining and holding power, but far too many former Ministers (who were elected in 1997) haven't got the guts for opposition. They've lost the car, the salary and now face having to be in 'opposition' which they regard as beneath them. "Old Labour were in Opposition, not New Labour"

Fri, 2010-02-19 16:09 — Hazel (not verified)

I agree with Gareth

Fri, 2010-02-19 16:16 — lauren310

"But what seems more likely is that Purnell concluded that his growing intellectual curiosity was incompatible with his status as a Labour MP."

Don't make me laugh. More likely factors in his decision making include: having no friends in the party, the fall-out from disgraceful disloyalty, the possibility of a CLP revolt or the fact no one wants to hear anymore from the right-wing agenda of which he was a key player.

The private sector can keep him...

Fri, 2010-02-19 16:37 — Dave (not verified)

NS continues to big him up as some sort of philosopher king. He's not. More likely, in this commentator's opinion, that he just Kant be bothered!

Sat, 2010-02-20 04:35 — Martin (not verified)

"the fall-out from disgraceful disloyalty"

Didn't do Brown any harm, did it?

I don't really understand the bile Purnell attracts. He's a narcissist, a careerist, only in it for the money/media attention/ministerial car.

He gave up the money and the car a year ago. He hasn't had any sort of media profile since. Now he's leaving parliament altogether - and these loonies are still attacking him as ruthless and self-serving.

He gave up on his leader a year ago. Now he's giving up on his party. And he's right, isn't he?

Purnell told the truth about Brown but Labour was too weak and dysfunctional to accept reality.

Sun, 2010-02-21 21:56 — LabanTall

Purnell, like Frank Field 11 years before him, attempted to do something about the UK welfare disaster and was vilified for his pains by the Student Grant tendency.

The only thing that WAS distasteful was the use of private companies to get people back to work. Such companies will go for the low-hanging fruit, browbeating the diffident but fragile back to (perhaps temporary) work while leaving the 'bludgers' as being too much hard work.