It is Key's loose-lipped talk, coupled with the rather too frank comments that English sometimes makes about him, that would have persuaded his opponents that the deputy would be a rich candidate for entrapment. Who can forget his priceless "I'm a stayer, he's a sprinter. I grind away, John just bounces from one cloud to another"?
I blogged this week that English's 'loose' comments about John Key were more a reflection of his style rather any split between the two. Fran's column above throws doubt on my theory. She speculates there is an 'ideological rift' between Key and English and that English will eventually roll Key for the prime ministership.
Having leadership ambitions and differences in opinion are fine - even healthy - just as long as English doesn't under mind his leader. So in light of Fran's column I've a couple of concerns about Bill English:
- English rates himself too highly evident by his comment that Brash and Key don't fully understand WfF
- Even though English said he'd never be leader again when he first became deputy, he still harbours leadership ambitions
- Combining the two above equals an un-contented deputy leader
I wonder whether Key made the right choice when he made English his deputy/finance minister. So given my concerns I reckon Don Brash would've been the better choice for deputy/finance minister and keep Bill English as education spokesperson where he was doing an excellent job. Brash would've been ideal for the job because after his failed bid for PM and his age - he'd have no desire to be leader again.
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