+++ Unremarkable newsflash of the week +++

Russian President, sorry Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin signals that he is to run for re-election as President.

The BBC's Bridget Kendell has the full story.

Politics from a different sport

One Brown is sorting the numbers while the other is seemingly fiddling them.

Other rumours have it that anti-depressants are free-flowing across Whitehall, causing effects such as muscle seizures, rapidly mood alterations and a habit for awful photo opportunities... Now I wonder who that could be...

But, for the purposes of this post, I wish to turn attentions to something far more scandalous than the bubbling antics of Team Brown. Rather, 'crash-gate'.

Allow me to explain a little for those not up to speed of this latest 'gate' gate. Primarily it involves an accusation of foul play, cheating, endangering life and greed oh and a formula one car and driver.

Nelson Piquet Jr., formerly of Renault F1, has accused his former team of cheating; ordering him to crash during the 2008 Singapore grand-prix causing a deployment of the safety car. This deployment allowed his former world champ. team-mate Fernando Alonso an advantage, being pitted moments before the accident.

Tonight, as things stand, an ugly exchange of words have emerged. The Piquets (Dad and Son) maintain that Jr. was acting under team orders whilst Renault, for their part, deny the claim and have launched legal action. The FiA is due to told a trial on Monday 21st Sept to apportion blame.

Perhaps what recent stories of cheating, both in F1 and Rugby League, best demonstrate is a determined ability to win by what-ever means. It's a political quality all to apparent at the moment, particularly if the words of the former Farming Minister Jayne Kennedy are to be taken as a whole.

One thing is 'for sure' though (a phrase you'll hear an amazing amount of in F1), the ensuing fireworks from F1 shall provide slightly more attractive viewing than the current wranglings over budget responsibilities...

Thatcher and the wall

With news today of simmering Anglo-German rivalry over the future of GM's assets in Europe, The Times has an interesting perspective on one of the most potent divisions in post-war Europe - the Berlin Wall.

Roger Boyes notes how Mrs Thatcher expressed, in no uncertain terms, her fears of a unified Germany - seemingly much to the annoyance of German Chancellor Mr Kohl.

One particular view of one of the most symbolic mass movements of the 20th century demonstrates the challenges faced after that fateful day in 1989...

“East Germany was not an accretion of strength but, rather, 12 enormous Liverpools, handed over to West Germany in a tatty cardboard box, with a great red ribbon round it, marked ‘From Russia with Love".

What a difference a day (or month) doesn't make.

I haven't slept well for about a month now, and that won't be the only confession in this post.

I would like, here and now, to officially announce that I am a wimp. I am scared to death of many things. In fact, such is my horror at certain animals and 'experiences' that I suspect I shall always be a wimp. So, you ask, how much of a wimp are you?

Well, allow me to give you an example. Yesterday (having walked home from the nearest village) I came across a dog. It was in a garden but I secretly suspected that at any minute the beast could easily jump the wall and rip my throat out. Such was my nerves I tried several things.

Firstly, I tried to walk towards the dog: hoping it would back off. It didn't. So, then I tried walking on the other side of the country lane. I quickly realised this lane was far too narrow to afford me adequate time to run to safety if the dog decided to take a running jump. In the end, I waited half an hour - stood at the top of the lane - until the owner called the dog in for its tea.

That is a feeling I suspect a certain Mr Brown may now be feeling.

At no time in his premiership (even during the aborted EU elections coup) has the prospect of Brown being replaced seemed so real and so dangerous. And it seems others know of Brown's fears as well now.

Monday 12th October is the date, reportedly, penciled in for a re-run for Team Brown Out. The worry in Downing St. though (so near an election) is that it won't just be the usual suspects, Team Brown Out, so to speak, now but this time the wider parliamentary party.

Why? Well, there are a number of factors pointing towards this latest set of plots being potentially the most dangerous.

Firstly, unlike Thatcher, the point at which Labour could have installed a new leader and had a good run-up to a general election (with a fresh feel and honeymoon period) is well and truly shot. Brown saw pains to that when he bottled out of calling a general election after he gained office.

Instead, Brown is now an electoral liability. The Guardian and ICM polls of recent months and weeks have hardly made for 'improved' reading in Downing St and crucially with failed plotters.

For Labour to install a new leader some months ago would have, undoutedly, required an almost immediate general election. This I suspect was then Brown's saving song. Now though, with an election impending, this could be his undoing. With an election due anyway, why not swop for someone claw back some of the electoral loss and (hopefully) provide a strong basis for future direction? (I speak, of course, of Labour being the opposition, rather than the governing party in such a prediction).

One telling extract from Kettle's analysis highlights the current predicament for Brown:

"Yet even this minister, no rebel, acknowledges that the mood could still change. Another Brown loyalist says the prime minister's position depends on the public, which, when you think about it, is hardly a ringing endorsement. A third loyalist says that if he thought Brown was dragging the party down, he would tell him he must do the decent thing and quit. One Labour official whom I texted yesterday for his current assessment of "the Gordon question" replied simply: "Aaaaaaarrrrgggghhhh!""

It remains to be seen yet whether those key players from the June reshuffle (and those not so key) will have anything like the gusto to swing the axe this time around, but watch this space....

That was the week that was.

Following on from the previous video I thought I'd do another roughly based on the same idea.

I'd love to know you thoughts - textualrelationsblog@live.co.uk (or the comments section, not that I'm desperate for comments or anything...)

Anyway, I'll be off next week so enjoy and I'll update the blog as soon as I can.

Holiday snaps...

Have just returned from Cornwall with the family. That's Mum and Dad not junior and junior, you understand.

I will crack off a blog post some time before tomorrow with any luck. Am (sort of) unpacking at the moment whilst also preparing for a christening this morning. Busy times.

Anyway, after the christening I'll be trying to get hold of the former farming minister Jane Kennedy for a feature I've been planning for the autumn (partly dissertation work, can't lie) and then throwing some kit together and heading for West Wales. Champion.

After that, I'm back for a few days and then heading back to the valleys for a bit of a family reunion. So, apologies now if it all seems a little quiet on the Western front. So to speak.

Who says holidays are relaxing!?!

Hope you're all well.

And on a vaguely political note, doesn't Mandy seem to be rather enjoying this acting-PM gig?

Cue the jokes.

The kids are off. MPs are off. Gordon is on holiday and Harriet's 'minding the shop'. Mandy's on the roam and Cameron's being a twat, on twitter of course. (Radio 4's The Now Show has an awesome take on twitter-gate, highly recommended!)

Yeap, it's silly season alright.

But before turning to the take on Mandy's surge for power or Harriet Harperson's latest ramblings, I'd like to point towards one of Skipper's excellent posts. Briefly paraphrasing, Oxford's Professor Vernon Bogdanor puts forward the view that, since 1997, Britain has undergone whole-sale constitutional reform effectively turning Britain into a quasi federal state. Personally, I can see a great deal of merit in this argument, something which seems an increasingly important factor ahead of the impending general election.

Anyway, well worth a read and something I'd recommend.

From the serious to the stupid now. Harriet Harman's seized the opportunity of setting up her tent in Downing St. this week. Gordon has popped off and we seemingly face a problem: who's now in charge. Analysing British Politics has a good take on these events. In essence though it seems a question of one thing: who'll lead Labour after Gordon has gone?

We've also seen more ministers take their own line this week. The Ministry of Defence has again faced charges of 'undercutting' service personnel and being driven by the wrong ambitions. This time by one of its own ministers, Eric Joyce. He coined current thinking as 'profoundly unfair', relating to the decision to appeal against compensation awards for injured personnel.

I see no reason why ministers can't take such a line, critiquing policy which obviously proves widely unpopular. Indeed, the decision to keep Joyce should be welcomed in an age of keeping ministers 'on message'. Of course recognizing the need for party unity (and thus ensuring the smooth running of government) I do share a great deal of empathy with ministers effectively forced to defend policies they themselves clearly object to.

And finally, staying with silly season, anyone remember those calls that the days of big bonuses should end? Someone ought to try telling this lot. Oh, wait...

Sorry for the rather short update. WiFi connection is a bit of a problem and am currently surrounded by boxes and bags. Hope you're all having a good summer so far.