The guy who tried to get rid of Gordon Brown? He probably did more damage to the Labour party than good.

w00t!

Yay!

Good riddance.

““I have spent all my working life in or about Westminster. And while this has been a huge privilege, I’ve realised I don’t want to have spent all my life in frontline politics.”

My vote is that we try to have people do the politics bit after they’ve had a life experience or two rather than before.

But maybe I’m just being picky (and yes, this applies to spotty Tories just as much as to anyone else. Dave and Gideon suffer from exactly the same failing.)

The phrase “don’t let the door hit your arse on the way out” springs to mind.

Translation: ‘I don’t to spend x years in opposition if we lose’ (see also John Hutton)

He shan’t be missed (well … maybe by some Tories).

If Labour do lose the next election, surely he could just join the Tories? His nasty streak would surely impress them.

I’ll speak up for Purnell if noone else will.

He has a great grasp of policy, took time to get to know his brief, and I’ve heard nothing but good words from people who worked for him at the DWP, or who just randomly got talking to him at Conference.

What’s more, whatever you think of the coup that never was, he has the courage of his convictions in a way sadly lacking among much of the frontbench these days.

I think he’s a real loss.

Jonn: I’m not sure how Purnell’s ‘a great grasp of policy’ produced the idea of lie detectors for suspected benefit cheats, unless the policy was ‘how to bully the long-term sick and unemployed (again)’.

What’s more, whatever you think of the coup that never was, he has the courage of his convictions in a way sadly lacking among much of the frontbench these days.

…but not enough courage to run against Brown himself; someone else had to do Purnell’s dirty work for him (see also D. Miliband , C. Clarke [passim.], A. Milburn…).

@redpesto – He knew the brief. When people had questions about welfare policy he knew what they were talking about. That’s a lot rarer among ministers than one might hope.

Which is not to say all his policies were good, but at least he was engaged in the issues he was responsible for.

‘the courage of his convictions’ – but what were/are these, exactly? He’s one of the very worst Blairites, in terms of having absolutely zero political convictions. the Purnell/Blears coup had no real support outside of a few other Blairites, and no forward plan aside from making Gordon look bad.

Good riddance to a hack who was big on soundbites, and woefully low on actual ideas. I see he’s gone off along with blears to reconnect with grassroots – this is code for ‘lie low before going to work in the city’.

I suspect it won’t be long till he joins the Conservative party, probably just waiting for a retirement peerage. The worst I could wish the odious little shitweasel is that he would become a victim of the chaotic and foul benefits system he has created, whose sole purpose is no longer to help those in need but to enrich filth like A4E and Serco. Not that this is likely given his creative use of expenses

Agree with @ Tim Worstall

God we need more people who have actually LIVED outside their warped little vacuum-right, left, middle or pink!

He’s to re-train as a Barack Obama-style community organiser!

He will also continue working at Demos, and teaching at a North London comprehensive school.

I suspect he will use all of this to paint himself as a Labour outsider, and do what he can to rebuild Labour into a grassroots organisation again. Then, if he succeeds, he will run for the leadership.

If people on this website are serious about rebuilding the Left, they should be a little less cheerful about people walking away it.

@17

The Left – however defined – has no need for nasty right-wing shits like Purnell.

And if there’s any doubt over the man’s unsuitability as a “Labour” politician, this should clear those muddy waters: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/borrowing/creditcards/3884598/Ministers-abandon-punitive-interest-rates-on-emergency-loans.html

If you can’t be arsed reading the article: He wanted to charge the poor interest of 27% on crisis loans. I’ve had to get one of those myself before when fallen on hard times and you need to be really broke to even be considered.

So yeah, he won’t be missed, and I sincerely hope he ends up on the scrap-heap of “failed Blairite ministers”. Or joins to Tories, clearly his natural home.

@ Jonn

I’ve heard nothing but good words from people who worked for him at the DWP

and both in my job and out and about, I’ve nothing but bad words from people who are on the receiving end of the appalling measures brought in during his tenure at the DWP.Chumminess is not cannot be offset against his draconian measures, disproportionately hitting on, indeed bullying the most marginalised in society.