I'm not sure if you're referring to something I said, McG, but conference would vote on whether to endorse a leadership challenge, not on a no-confidence motion. I don't think Blair would stick around for such a scenario to be played out. He knows that if the unions pushed Brown forward, Brown would easily get the PLP support needed. Under rule it would have to go to conference, and again Blair would have no reason to hope for enough support from that quarter.

Gareth: are you having an identity crisis, old chum? It's just that I noticed you typed out your name/pseudonym in triplicate on your last post.

Now, see if you can follow this, Gareth. Nearly 4,500,000 people voted in Labour's last leadership election. Labour Party membership at that time (July 1994) was less than 300,000. Can you begin to see just the slightest possibility that not all those who voted were party members?

Sounds like you got yourself a bit confused with that stuff about the Guardian, as the Guardian doesn't publish unsigned op-ed pieces. The rest of what you directed at me seemed more like fevered ravings than coherent argument - consistent with your gratuitous reference to "Jim McClean" in an earlier post. Have another go at it when you've calmed down, and I'll be happy to respond.