Parallels

The Peter Principle: in any organisation people are promoted to their point of incompetence.

They got rid of Sven Goran Erickson. He had taken the England soccer team to three tournaments in a row, but hadn't won anything. A large pay off was needed to terminate his contract early and he soon found another job coaching Manchester City, who are enjoying their best season for more than 20 years. They found it hard to find a replacement for Sven; nobody really wanted the job and eventually they gave it to his number 2, Steve McClaren. He started well, but when confronted by Macedonia, Croatia and Russia he couldn't cope. Now Steve has gone too; he wasn't up to the task, the Peter Principle applied.

They got rid of Tony Blair. He had taken the Labor Party to three election victories in a row, but the Iraq war was unpopular and he had to go. He quickly found another job and is now busily employed in the Middle East. They didn't find it hard to replace Tony; someone wanted the job and they gave it to Tony's number 2, Gordon Brown. He started well and opened up a big lead in the Opinion Polls, but when confronted by David Cameron at the Dispatch Box he couldn't cope. Successively he has presided over purloining Conservative policies on inheritance tax, a run on a British bank, the loss of the confidential financial details of half the population on a computer disc and now undeclared but disguised donations to Party Funds by a property developer who has mysteriously appears to have reversed unfavorable planning decisions. It looks as though the Peter Principle is applying again.