The Guardian calls for Gordon Brown to go:
Labour has a year left before an election; its current leader would waste it. It is time to cut him loose.
While the FT calls for Darling to stay:
Mr Darling has failed on one notable score; the lack of credible plans for returning the UK to fiscal balance. The leading candidate to replace him is Ed Balls, the current schools secretary and a former leader writer at the Financial Times. He is a well-qualified economist; he served as chief economic adviser when Mr Brown was chancellor. But Mr Balls is not the man to set the deficit straight.
The current plans to repair the fiscal position are feeble because, despite Mr Darling’s efforts, Mr Brown is leaving himself with room to outspend the Conservatives. Come the election, the prime minister intends to contrast “Tory cuts” with “Labour investment”.
The Treasury needs more power to fight off these divisive impulses. But appointing Mr Balls, one of Mr Brown’s familiars, would leave it with less. Mr Balls’ experience may, one day, stand him in good stead to be chancellor. But right now, his background simply implicates him in causing the crisis. Indeed, the current chancellor now has unique experience in cleaning up after Mr Balls’ mistakes. Mr Darling should stay where he is.
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey