When wobbling Labour MPs were told that a defeat over the 10p tax rate abolition, raised as a result of Frank Field’s now withdrawn amendment, would be in effect a vote of no-confidence in the Brown administration, the prospect of a Labour leadership contest happening rather earlier than many might have expected, started to look a serious possibility. Jackie Ashley, writing in the Guardian of 21 April, had openly raised this prospect noting that the Brownite spin about a vote of confidence ‘…cannot be a bluff. He has stamped his authority on this so clearly that to lose would finish him.’

In her article, Ashley goes on to report: ‘Labour is doing so badly in the polls that quite a lot of backbenchers, and even ministers, are saying behind their hands: "Good thing too, let's call that bluff and have a change of leader while we can." Some are dropping their hands and saying it openly.’ Although Field and some of the other rebels have been bought off this time on the back of some half-promises from Darling, the underlying causes that have fuelled this crisis over the Brown leadership will not go away.

Later she quotes John McDonnell MP in a television article as saying: "I would like a leadership election now ... We should have the leadership election we never had. Let's ask Gordon Brown, what do you really stand for? Let the Blairites put up their candidate ... Let's have a contest now and clear the air." When asked if he would stand again, the response was a clear ‘Yes’.

We agree – there should be an election for Labour leader now and we would support John standing. The John4leader campaign in 2006/7 attracted considerable support, both in the party and in the ranks of the wider movement. It was enough for Brown to take steps to pressurise Labour MPs into not nominating John in order to keep him off the ballot paper, even though that meant there would be no leadership election.

So not a single person in this country has had the opportunity to vote as to whether Brown should be Prime Minister. Our chance of a vote was stolen by the Brown machine and the cattle-like behaviour of the Labour MPs. Brown was scared of what would happen if he had to stand up to six weeks of real challenge from the Left on the government’s – and his – policies and record.

Oddly enough, having raised the question – along with others it should be noted, both on and off the record – Ashley then goes on to reject the idea saying; ‘it certainly would not produce the leftwing resurgence that McDonnell hopes for. Whoever won would be to the right of Brown and relatively untested and unknown. But to achieve even that mediocre result would certainly involve a fractious, drawn-out public contest. We would see the kind of bloodletting that normally happens after parties lose power, not while they are still in office.’

As things stand, keeping quiet and letting Brown muddle on with his Tory-Lite policies, will simply make things worse. We should also be clear that this has nothing to do with personalities, but is all about policies and programme. A serious and open debate about where Labour is going is long overdue and would be welcomed by many in the Labour and trade union movement who have felt that they have in recent years had no voice and no way to express their concerns.

There is no enthusiasm for the other suggested possible candidates from the Right wing being floated around by various MPs – they are all tainted with the same brush and people know it – whereas John would provide a real alternative and a new hope for those millions who have given up with New Labour, yet fear the return of the Tories. We should demand that a wrong be righted. We were cheated out of a vote over the leadership in 2007; let’s not be denied in 2008.