Eddie Barnes - The splits that don't matter

How good is the financial crisis for Gordon Brown? Imagine a parallel universe, where the FSTE was still heading towards 6000 points. The Prime Minister would be in the mire . Two clear cabinet rifts are there for all to see today - over today's announcement to build a third runway at Heathrow and the moves to part-privatise the Royal Mail. Health Secretary Alan Johnston is clearly opposed to the latter, while large chunks of the parliamentary party are opposed to both. But the splits are unlikely to lead to any suggestion that the government is in chaos, as it would in normal times, because the far bigger story about the possible end of Western capitalism trumps them all. And imagine what we grubby hacks would have made of David Miliband's provocative speech to be given today, (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jan/15/miliband-war-terror) denouncing the 'war on terror', were we still in 'leadership crisis' mode....

Cabinet Ministers who were considering resigning in August are now of the view that they must get their shoulders to the wheel "in these difficult times". Quite how long the disquiet within Labour ranks about Brown's leadership will remain subdued is up for debate however - Euro elections in June anyone?