Guido hasn’t seen any details other than the couple of sentences in Dave’s CiF article. It is a start. Being able to put off paying the VAT for two quarters will be a little bit of much appreciated help to small businesses.

Certainly far more help than Gordon’s scheduled 2% hike on small business corporation tax. In a recession the last thing businesses need is a tax hike. How will a tax hike help small businesses create jobs?

According to ConservativeHome the Tories have decided that the narrative and the popular perception of Gordon “saving the banking system” is too hard to overcome currently. As head of government Gordon is the financial pilot in the cockpit waving to admirers as he performs acrobatic and risky financial stunts above the heads of the public – who can only hope he doesn’t come crashing down on their heads.

Vince Cable is ignored on the ground shouting random directions to attract attention from the crowd. Little can be done to avoid Gordon claiming credit and to be fair, his contemporary version of the Swedish bail-out model was better than the Paulson Plan Mk 1. The Tories plan in their attack to hold off until recession bites and then point the public towards Gordon and give him the credit he deserves for the magnitude of the bust.

Might work, though Gordon will try to pass the buck as ever, blaming Iceland or the non-appearance of the tooth fairy for Britain’s woes. The triumphalism of this week may fade from the public’s memory pretty quick. Danny Finkelstein has nailed it to Gordon, “If this is a triumph, I’d hate to see a disaster“. Fink’s argument needs to be re-scripted in populist form.

In a month or so attack videos need to replay Gordon intoning an end to “boom and bust” over and over again at different times in different ties, than replay him asking last week “has another bank gone bust?”, zooming in slow motion on to that, for once, authentic smile. As recession brings unemployment and repossessions, his self confession to presiding over the age of irresponsibly low interest rates and a failed regulatory regime he designed needs to be drummed into voters – along with Gordon’s smile of triumph amidst disaster.

So Guido is not the only one who thinks Brown is the Prime Mentalist. The meme is mainstream now.

On the BBC’s Daily Politics show this morning a mental health professional went public on national television.

As Sarah Brown came on “Beautiful Day’ by U2 was playing in the background, you could hear the lyrics:

Thought it was a nice touch that Sarah introduced him. It was also nice that he shook her hand after the speech. Like loving husbands do.

By popular request Guido will be live blogging the Brown speech from 2 pm this afternoon and you will all be able to join in the fun in the Cover It Live chatroom. Don’t forget by using this reminder thingy. It should be a barrel of laughs.

Will anyone give Guido odds on the Prime Mentalist saying “Getting on with the job”? Please?

This morning the Guardian’s political editor Patrick Wintour quoted an anonymous cabinet minister off-the-record.

Gordon Brown’s authority was further undermined last night after it emerged several ministers sharply criticised the decision to use this week’s political cabinet to discuss Tory weaknesses rather than Labour’s own unpopularity. One member said the tenor of the meeting was “bizarre and a denial of reality as we sat listening to how deep down David Cameron is not really popular”.

That cabinet minister was David Miliband. Guido knows this because David Miliband is always using the word “bizarre”, it is his favourite word in television interviews, in print and in speeches.

Indy
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
We badly need a treaty to control the arms trade
It is bizarre that we’ve treaties to stop nuclear arms, but not to stop weapons flooding into conflict zones

David Miliband interview on Radio 5 Live
February 2, 2008
“Well I think it’s a very bizarre comparison to compare Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe with China.“

Sunday Business Post
June 22, 2008
…The other member states see themselves as perfectly entitled to decide on the basis of their own national interests – just as Ireland has – whether to ratify or not. British foreign secretary David Miliband described the idea that Britain should not take its own view of treaty ratification as ”bizarre’‘.

Daily Mail
May 12, 2008
Disease ‘could push Burma toll to 1.5m’
…Mr Miliband said the decision to go ahead with the poll, despite the crisis was ‘bizarre’.

Daily Mail
March 26, 2008
Our troops deserve full inquiry on Iraq, say Tories
..But Foreign Secretary David Miliband said: ‘There is agreement that an inquiry into the Iraq war will be necessary.’ He added: ‘Given reports from Basra today, most people would see that as a bizarre choice of priority now. We say the right time to look at these issues and review the lessons learned is when our troops have finished their work in Iraq.’

MORI tomorrow will have a poll putting the Tories on 52%, Labour on 24% and the Lib Dems on 12%. Total political meltdown.

The FTSE has crashed to new lows and closed at 4912, well below the psychologically important 5000 level. Economic meltdown.

UPDATE : According to Electoral Calculus, this would give the Tories 493 seats, Labour 121 and leave the Lib Dems on 8 seats.

The refurbished Bank of Scotland head office on “The Mound”, was formally opened by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, at a gala reception on September 7, 2006.

Guido has yet to see a list of the “handful” of MPs who want a leadership election. So with the help of you co-conspirators shall we compile the list? Guido will start it off:

UPDATE : Other likely suspects are Jeremy Corbyn, Anne Cryer, Ruth Kelly, Michael Meacher, Tessa Jowell.