What will Brown do?

I know that I've banged on about it a bit on here, but I've always beleived that Gordon Brown being Scottish will - to use an Alastair Campbell phrase - fuck him. Gordon's knows this very well, hence we've had him suggesting we all fly Union flags in our garden; he told us all he was supporting England in the World Cup; and then he announced that new coins next year would celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union. Anything to avoid the West Lothian Question has pretty much been the angle Brown's been driving.

Unfortunately for Brown, it seems his fellow Labour scots have decided that the West Lothian Question simply cannot be ignored. But what should Brown do about it? His biggest concern will no doubt be the recent poll that suggested 55% of England won't accept a Scottish Prime Minister. The most obvious option - whilst not solving the fact that he's Scottish - would be for him to parachute into a really safe and vacant Labour seat in England. At least then he would be a Scot representing English constituents. I hear Sedgefield might be free soon.

The other option - and far more serious than my idiotic suggestion - would be to give lots of power away immediately after ascending to the throne. This is what Rachel Sylvester has suggested might happen in today Telegraph. It would certainly be radical and would grab the headlines so people wouldn't be talking about the Scottish Raj solidifying it's occupation of England once and for all. The question is can it really be enough to convince people to give Labour another four more years? I don't think so.