As we've remarked before, The Guardianistas have been at the forefront of the 'Brown is doing terribly' movement.  Without the fierce judgements of Polly Toynbee, Jonathan Freedland et al it might be easier to paper over the cracks of Labour's recent difficulties.

Jackie Ashley, ups the ante again today - 'Labour must decide.  Sack him or back him. Autumn deadline'.  A couple of months ago she has raised the prospect of Labour losing the next election; she has since moved on to being out of power for a generation.  Today she goes further again:

"The next generation of Labour MPs and future ministers won't be available, at least not at the quality required. Like the money, they will note what is happening, and drift away. To think that parties cannot die is unhistorical. They have done and will do. Tories can always rely on big money to take them through the bad times, even during the zenith of the Blair years. Labour is different, more vulnerable by far."

This is hyperbole, of course. The Tories clearly weren't on the verge of extinction if they have been able to come back to their current position so quickly.

The reason Ashley raises this prospect is that she wants Labour ministers to take her main point seriously:

"...unless Brown gets the united and determined support of ministers and leading backbenchers, he and the Labour party are finished for a long time to come... Drift is not an option. Look in the mirror. Sack him. Or back him."

Its the annual CentreForum summer party tonight and more Labour MPs and ministers are expected than ever before. (Prominent Conservatives have always been keen to be seen at our events.)  So hopefully we will ask them whether they intend to do Jackie's bidding - "Sack him. Or back him' - and if so, which one.