Brown needs an exit strategy

How much longer can Gordon Brown cling to power? For more than the past twelve months, the embattled British prime minister has proven to be inept at holding the reins of power.

His ministers and MPs fed at the trough of public excess in claiming expenses, a scandal which has permanently damaged the institution of Westminster. His simple gesture of writing to the parents of those killed in action in Afghanistan, while heartfelt, comes across as being a chicken-scratch scrawl illegible and careless to the mourning. And his failure to inspire confidence in his nation's finances has been abysmal. On the international stage, his brief tryst with a tax on banking transactions met with derision and insult from his peers.

While a general election can be put off until next May, the sooner the better for all Labour voters that Brown develops an exit strategy. It's easy to see why Conservative support is growing.