John Prescott says he “read with sadness” the Harriet Harman interview in today’s Sunday Times.
The former deputy prime minister criticised Harman’s plea for there to always be one female in Labour’s top two posts. Her interview threatened to re-open debate about the party leadership, he wrote.
“Why take away from the party the right to choose its leaders on the basis of ability?” argued Prescott. Quite so.
The argument against positive discrimination has always been that it raises questions over how individuals got their job – and whether it was on merit alone. (Edwina Currie has just told Sky that “Harriet is completely wrong“.)
“Stop complaining and get campaigning” is Prescott’s advice to HH. He also has a stinging rebuke for her over the “disasterous (sic) June election campaign you were supposed to be running.” Ouch.
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey