Please stop complaining and get campaigning!

Can you believe it?

We've had the most disastrous results affected by the recession, allowances scandals and ministerial resignations, including Cabinet members walking out the day before the election and as soon as the polls closed. All for maximum publicity. 

Then came the PLP debate where Charles Clarke's demand for GB to go were overwhelmingly rejected. Instead we all backed calls for unity and getting on with Government.

So imagine my surprise when I was walking through Portcullis House in the House of Commons on Thursday and stumbled upon a meeting held by Charles Clarke, John Reid, Alan Milburn and a few others, huddled together in intense discussion.

I went over and offered to be the secretary for their little club. With nervous laughter, my offer was turned down.

I later saw David Miliband and Milburn in a similar intense discussion. My suspicions were now heightened.

These may not be connected but now I read today that Charles Clarke is once again calling for another challenge against Gordon at the next party conference.

I then read in the Telegraph of all papers, Ben Brogan's interview in Berlin with Peter Mandelson, who was out there fighting to retain Vauxhall jobs.

But that wasn't the headline. It was 'Mandleson - Brown will face another challenge' with Peter talking about a group of people who will never accept Gordon as Prime Minister.

It's not a surprising headline for the Telegraph but Peter - The Telegraph? Ben Brogan?

Then I looked at today's Guardian - just to show I have intellectual pretentions - where David Miliband reveals that nine days ago he thought about resigning from the Cabinet in the midst of all that turmoil. He gives us no indication as to why, though presumbably he has similar concerns to his good friend Purnell.

David says he belongs to the generation of politicians who have only ever experienced government. He remembers one or two years of opposition.

I must tell him I did 18 years of it and the one lesson I learnt is that a divided party is a defeated party.

The Guardian interview feeds that disunity and is a breeding ground for further challenges.

I told David his statements last September were read be everyone, including me, as a leadership challenge. He strongly rejected that interpretation.

But yet again we have to question his motive. Why make a statement like this just when the party is pulling together and fighting back, especially after the political cabinet yesterday.

I agree with David that we have the fight of our life on our hands to save this Government. But David, these actions do not help. They create uncertainty and doubt.

So can I repeat to him and others. Stop complaining and get campaigning.