I NOTE that over the last few days a number of East LancsMPs have called for a leadership contest on the basis of “a root and branch review of our policy and how we communicate them to voters” (Janet Anderson, LT September 16).

Readers may recall that at the time of the Brown ‘coronation’ John McDonnell put himself forward as a candidate, for those very same reasons, ie to instigate a root and branch discussion on the policy of the Labour Party and hence the Government.

He never had an pretensions of winning the contest and his motivation was simply to have the most important issues facing his country openly debated.

The tragedy was, he couldn’t even get the 40 votes necessary to trigger a debate. History tells us Brown was elected unopposed and supported by those MPs who are now calling for a contest against him. The words tragedy, farce and history come to mind.

Why didn’t Janet and Greg Pope et al support the McDonnell nomination then?

It would have achieved what they are trying to achieve now and the matter would have been settled.

They would not have had to vote for him in the subsequent leadership election contest, but they could have rested easy knowing that they had facilitated an open debate about where the Labour Party is going and what its political, social and economic principles are to be, and especially at a time of enormous world economic upheaval.

Two final points. These same MPs have been told by many over these last years and particularly, but not exclusively, since the horrendous decision to invade Iraq on the basis of Government lies, that the policies of the government are not in practice nor in perception, seen to be on the side of the vast majority of working people, but rather in support of the most powerful economic interests in the land.

Lastly, it’s hard not to believe that the froth of the opposition to Gordon Brown is the dawning and gaping reality that they are all likely to lose their seats.

But then again, that might be motivation enough for some of them.

GEORGE S DAVIES, Redearth Road, Darwen.