Those who think that Labor’s poor ratings in the opinion polls will force her to quit are wrong.

Ms Gillard has the numbers to stay on as party leader.

Let’s face it, there isn’t anyone with enough support to take her on successfully, and certainly not Kevin Rudd.

Colleague Simon Crean remembers well that, as prime minister, Mr Rudd got it all his own way.

Eventually, his ministers got sick of kow-towing to his arrogance and rebelled.

Mr Crean now says that Mr Rudd should forget about the top job because he was never a team player anyway.

Under the Westminster system, a prime minister is supposedly the “first among equals”.

Mr Rudd’s cabinet more reflected George Orwell’s comment in Animal Farm: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”.

If Labor is to stay in power long term it must resolve the leadership question.

But first it needs to apply that great political adage: “United we stand, divided we fall”.