I smell sulfur, the cold and mephistophelian odor of Mandelson of trade, business, higher education, oligarchs and the Lords. All of a sudden a story is leaked to the Guardian that Brown has asked five times for a one-to-one meeting with Obama and been "snubbed". It's the five that arouses suspicion. It has a spurious accuracy about it. Who was doing the counting and then leaked it? At the same time Brown is asked questions about his health. He has been blind on one eye since, well since Obama has been black. He has never been interrogated about it by the press before. Now, all of a sudden, supposedly because of the book extract by Sky TV's Adam Boulton (married to ex-Blair aide Anji Hunter), the Prime Minister's 'health' has been put on the public agenda. Journalists have been given the nod that this is a legitimate line to pursue. By whom?
I wrote in June, at the time Brown was saved by Mandelson, picking up from a column by Steve Richards, that there was a plot to heave Brown out of the leadership at the Party Conference while using it to ensure a coronation - if he had not lifted the polls for Labour by then. Well, then is now next week! It looks as if Brown is resisting the deal and the gloves are off.
