Still in charge...for now

Gordon Brown seems to have survived last evening's crucial meeting with his fellow Labour MPs through a reported display of uncharacteristic humbleness in which he promised an attempt to rectify past mistakes. There are still large numbers of his clan who do not believe that he can lead them to a victory in the next election, but for now, at least, they are holding their protests.

But Mr. Brown may not yet be out of trouble, as Conservatives are continuing to call for an election. An upcoming vote in a few weeks will offer some interesting insight when we see if any of the Labour back-benchers might join the Conservatives in simply wishing it all to be decided.

Meanwhile a completely new Cabinet meets this morning, tested and proven only to the extent of their loyalty to the PM. They profess to be ready to get down to business, but inexperienced in their new positions, it will remain to be seen how effective they can be early on in dealing with the country's continuing problems.