British Labour Party ambition renounced

Press, 4 January 1988, Page 3

British Labour Party ambition renounced

The New Zealand-born Mr Bryan Gould has ruled himself out of the British Labour Party deputy leadership contest, to be decided this year. The party’s trade and industry spokesman, Mr Gould, is considered by many British commentators to be a likely future leader of the party. But he said yesterday that he would not stand against the deputy leader, Mr Roy Hattersley, this year, “or in the foreseeable future.”

Mr Hattersley is being challenged for his post by the party’s Left-wing energy spokesman, Mr John Prescott. Mr Prescott had been under pressure from the party leader, Mr Neil Kinnock, not to provoke a potentially devisive challenge for the deputy leadership. But he confirmed over

the week-end that he would defy the party leadership, and declare his candidacy for the post later this month. Political commentators predicted that the challenge would plunge the British Labour Party into 10 months of turmoil and in-fighting, culminating in a vote at the party’s annual conference in Blackpool, in October. It appeared that close supporters of Mr Kinnock, such as Mr Gould and the party’s shadow chancellor, Mr John Smith, were helping to isolate Mr Prescott by rallying to support Mr Hattersley. Mr Gould said his position had always been that he would not provoke a contest for the deputy leadership. He has been seen as a likely candidate for the deputy leadership because of his management of the

Labour Party’s last election campaign. Although the party lost by more than 100 seats to Mrs Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party, Mr Gould has been credited with running a bettermanaged campaign.

Mr Gould said he still hoped Mr Prescott would think again about challenging for the job.

“I can see no circumstances in which I am going to be standing for the deputy leadership this year or in the foreseeable future,” he said.

“I think we are very well served by our present deputy leader.” Mr Smith, a Q.C., tipped for higher office too within the party, also firmly backed Mr Hattersley.

“I firmly support the present deputy leader and I believe any election would be totally unneces-

sary,” he said. Mr Kinnock’s Aides say that Mr Prescott, who represents the Hull East constituency, is angry about being given the lowly rated job as energy spokesman, even though he was runner-up to Mr Gould in the shadow cabinet election last year.

The contest will be decided by the Labour Party’s eelectoral college, which gives 30 per cent of the votes to the constituency parties, 30 per cent to Labour M.P.s and 40 per cent to unions affiliated to the party. Much of the blame for the party’s poor performance in last year’s General Election has been laid at the feet of Mr Hattersley, but commentators predict he will have a narrow victory over Mr Prescott in a two-man contest.