George Osbourne on the way out, John Redwood, Ken Clarke or Nigel Lawson to fight it out.

Simon Heffer writes today in the Telegraph, in indignant tones, about the luck of Gordon Brown. He blames George Osbourne. It’s not really George’s fault though, Cameron isn’t much better. Simon says that John Redwood would sort them out. Had to laugh at that one.

Turkey waiting for Christmas

John redwood would be manna from heaven from Gordon Brown’s perspective. He’d gobble it up and spew all over the tories. Redwood is far too right wing and finds it impossible to hide it. His measured rhetoric cannot conceal the Thatcherite within. Osbourne is useless, Cameron isn’t much better. They’ve both been put to the test and look like keen sixth formers at their first Young Conservative regatta. Brown saw this financial crisis coming from a mile off, it suits him so well you’d have to suspect he engineered it in 2006 and 2007. The government didn’t stop the bank charge bandwagon by fixing the case via the OFT for nothing. They new they’d be paying in the end.

Brown is the teacher, Cameron and Osbourne the snotty sixth formers who think they know better.

It’s child’s play for Brown to squash them. He is a financial expert, he has the cheque book, he gets the advance intelligence and he can interpret it and manipulate it to his own purposes.

Ken Clarke would be a better choice, or even Nigel Lawson, but not Redwood, he’s just too lightweight. Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling isn’t much better but he can always ask the boss…