Gordon Brown

Blairites fear Brown will hijack review

Chancellor trains his sights on Blairite outriders

· Supporters of 'unfunded tax cuts' dismissed
· Senior figures fear trouble at conference

Gordon Brown today returns from six weeks' paternity leave to hit back at Blairite outriders amid growing concern from ministers that next month's conference will be dominated by arguments over the party's future.

The chancellor dismisses proponents of "unfunded tax cuts" and warns against "short-termist gesture politics". Labour insiders read his remarks, in an article for the Financial Times, as an attack not only on the Tories, but on the former minister Stephen Byers, who last week proposed axing inheritance tax and is described by colleagues as a Blair "ultra".

Mr Byers said the next year would be "make or break" for Labour and called for wholesale policy renewal in an article in the Times yesterday. He added that the comprehensive spending review would involve a fundamental reconsideration of priorities, although it might sound "of interest only to anoraks in the Treasury".

Interestingly enough Brown has been keeping a low profile, distancing himself from the PM and the recent terror flap, so you have to wonder what he is up to.

People forget that Brown is very much the architect of New Labour, that he shows unabashed endorsement of US economic model and is committed to the Neoliberal cause.

He won't make a very good PM, thoses who wait in the wings for years never make good leaders (see Eden), he will be a disaster for this country thats for sure.