Activist who launched manifesto once called for Brown to quit

The young activist chosen to introduce Labour’s manifesto called for Gordon Brown to quit two years ago.

Ellie Gellard, 20, told Mr Brown after a by-election defeat that it was time to “get your coat” and go.

Yesterday she urged Labour to embrace the power of the internet. But by mid-afternoon the party was ruing her use of social media and questions were being asked why no one had picked up on her previous remarks.

Iain Dale, a political blogger and Conservative activist, drew attention to a post from the Labour Membersnet website written by Ms Gellard in 2008 in which she criticised Mr Brown’s leadership. Posting under the title “Musings of a young Labour Londoner”, she railed against Labour’s 2008 by-election defeat in Glasgow East. She wrote: “Brown needs to speak up, change the face of Labour from New to Old, slimy and slick to rugged and honest, champion of the poor and ‘normal’ rather than the super-rich, do this or go.

“We all know this, and he probably does too, so why can he not speak — I have not heard from him as PM speaking with passion. How dare he stand by with personal interest watching our party sink it is not his to lose, it is ours. It is time to move on ... In short, Brown (although I had high hopes and don’t burden you with total responsibility) get your coat, time’s up.”

Ms Gellard, a student at the University of Bristol, defended her previous blog postings. She told The Times: “That was a couple of years ago when Labour activists were feeling pretty low after the Glasgow East by-election. Since then we’ve seen Gordon take the lead, deal with a global financial crisis, turn things around and today we saw him speak movingly of Labour’s vision of a future fair for all. He’s the man to lead us through this and it’s game on!”

Sourced from Times