Gordon Blinks

[Chinahand]

I think the Tories can't quite believe it - did they want an election - did they heck, but they knew they had to play chicken and call Gordon out on it.

 

And it worked - they can now accuse him of cowardice, flip-flopping, playing politics with the electorate etc etc. Bet they're dancing in the wine bars tonight!

 

BBC Link

[cheeky boy]

Still no chance of them winning though, watched Ken Clarke on Newsnight admitting as much

 

I think Gordon is more in tune with the mood of the country than Blair was and unless he gets involved in a major cock up the Tories don't stand much chance

 

If Labour continue to be business friendly and implement a gradual withdrawal from Iraq I can't see anything the Tories have to offer which would beat them

 

Here in the IOM there are a handful of Independent and Guardian readers who actually give a fuck, so I predict this topic will die shortly

[Albert Tatlock]

Here in the IOM there are a handful of Independent and Guardian readers who actually give a fuck, so I predict this topic will die shortly

Same in the UK I fear. But imagine the turnout on a cold, wet, dark, wintry November day?

 

Gordon Broon and his NuShite advisors are treating the people of the UK like idiots. If Gordon makes misjudgements as basic as this election fiasco (and his last budget and his recent statement/visit on troop withdrawal from Iraq already clearly shows a reliance on spin) I predict quite a few cock-ups in the coming year. Nothing has changed at all since Blair left, and it's pretty much 'business as usual'.

 

With 6500 jobs already predicted to go in the city next year, the UK sub-prime market yet to hit, credit tightening biting and the US economy slowing etc. - I predict: house prices going down next year, the finance sector showing restricted growth - and trouble ahead for Gordon - especially with $468 Billion in exports and $603 Billion in imports (in 2006). With inflation on the rise, and any further rise in interest rates likely to lead to a housing crash - there'll be a lot of juggling going on over the coming months.

 

Time to tighten belts, pay off loans and not over extend oneself methinks - if you've been daft enough to fall for the smoke and mirrors trickery that passes for a UK economy these days that is.

[bluemonday]

Problem is that GB has no credible opposition.

Cameron and Campbell are jokes.

[VinnieK]

I think the Tories can't quite believe it - did they want an election - did they heck, but they knew they had to play chicken and call Gordon out on it.

 

And it worked - they can now accuse him of cowardice, flip-flopping, playing politics with the electorate etc etc. Bet they're dancing in the wine bars tonight!

 

BBC Link

 

But in terms of the political process the electorate votes for a party, not a particular prime minister (who is by tradition the leader of the party with the largest majority, but can be chosen or appointed using other criteria), so strictly speaking Brown is justified in not calling an election. In a sense this then makes the conservative party complicit in further corrupting the political process to focus on personality (i.e. prime ministers) over legislation and policy.

 

I'm no fan of Gordon Brown, but Cameron makes my skin crawl.

[P.K.]

Gordon Broon and his NuShite advisors are treating the people of the UK like idiots. If Gordon makes misjudgements as basic as this election fiasco (and his last budget and his recent statement/visit on troop withdrawal from Iraq already clearly shows a reliance on spin) I predict quite a few cock-ups in the coming year. Nothing has changed at all since Blair left, and it's pretty much 'business as usual'.

Complete crap. What are the right-wing Sundays going to claim next week? That Gordon's running scared because he "Failed to call an election for Nov 7th"? Will the week after that be "Failed to call an election for Nov 14th"? Get real. It's a complete non-story tarted up to try and make diddy Cameron and his non-policies look good. They allude to upping inheritance etc just to appeal to their own voters in thicko middle-england - pathetic.

 

But in terms of the political process the electorate votes for a party, not a particular prime minister (who is by tradition the leader of the party with the largest majority, but can be chosen or appointed using other criteria), so strictly speaking Brown is justified in not calling an election. In a sense this then makes the conservative party complicit in further corrupting the political process to focus on personality (i.e. prime ministers) over legislation and policy.

 

I'm no fan of Gordon Brown, but Cameron makes my skin crawl.

Wrong. In the UK we vote a party out.

[Pat Ayres]

So totally wrong, in the UK every vote is FOR a particular candidate/party, therefore you vote a party IN.

[cheeky boy]

Still no chance of them winning though, watched Ken Clarke on Newsnight admitting as much

 

I think Gordon is more in tune with the mood of the country than Blair was and unless he gets involved in a major cock up the Tories don't stand much chance

 

If Labour continue to be business friendly and implement a gradual withdrawal from Iraq I can't see anything the Tories have to offer which would beat them

 

Here in the IOM there are a handful of Independent and Guardian readers who actually give a fuck, so I predict this topic will die shortly

 

 

So much for my prediction that this topic would have an early death

 

Still don't think the Tories could win an election unless Brown really cocks it up

[Albert Tatlock]

Gordon Broon and his NuShite advisors are treating the people of the UK like idiots. If Gordon makes misjudgements as basic as this election fiasco (and his last budget and his recent statement/visit on troop withdrawal from Iraq already clearly shows a reliance on spin) I predict quite a few cock-ups in the coming year. Nothing has changed at all since Blair left, and it's pretty much 'business as usual'.

Complete crap. What are the right-wing Sundays going to claim next week? That Gordon's running scared because he "Failed to call an election for Nov 7th"? Will the week after that be "Failed to call an election for Nov 14th"? Get real. It's a complete non-story tarted up to try and make diddy Cameron and his non-policies look good. They allude to upping inheritance etc just to appeal to their own voters in thicko middle-england - pathetic.

I don't think so - (and I am not, never have been, and will never be, a tory or a labour voter). Oooh look!

 

Regardless of who's in next year - things are going to get tough - it's the sound of inevitability due to poor management of the economy - the only winners again being the big banks, the building societies and estate agents - whilst UK Joe Public is contracted up to his eye balls in debt and has the arse taxed off him.

[P.K.]

So totally wrong, in the UK every vote is FOR a particular candidate/party, therefore you vote a party IN.

Ahhh.... not much gets past you - the Master of the Obvious!

 

It's an old, well-worn expression that we vote a party out not in as the motivation to vote would appear to be stronger to get the current lot out than to vote a new lot in.

 

The real worry is that for our version of democracy to work we need a strong Opposition and in particular a strong Opposition Leader as they are seen by Joe Public as the PM in waiting. IMHO the last decent Opposition Leader was John Smith. The rest have been a bit rubbish, in one case very rubbish. I mean - "Kinnockio for Prime Minister" - are you mad?

 

I sort-of agree Albert but not on the winners. The sub-prime in the US bellied up and Northern Crock has gone the same way. The sub-prime being those who are credit-wise a bit dodgy. Unlike the directors of Northern Crock that is. In the last 4 years they have awarded themselves some £30 MILLION for a job well done, errr wait a minute.... The CEO alone received some £10M and strange but true he cashed a share option at the beginning of the year when they were at £11.98. Now they are at £1.94. Another director decided recently to take a £300K pension. Another attended just 14 meetings over the last year for which he received some £770K. You don't suppose they knew something do you?

 

I read yesterday it was Brown's own fault because he had "allowed" speculation. What complete and utter tripe. What's he supposed to do? Ring up the editor of the comically anti-Labour Daily Rail and tell him that he's not going to "allow" any more speculation? In any event he'll wait until he has got a lot of British troops out of Iraq and the "professional" regiments have given the Taliban in Afghanistan a really hard time. The rotation will probably be the Air Assault Brigade including all of the Parachute Regiments and the Commando Brigade consisting of all of them as well. Maybe the WoodenTops will do a tour, who knows?

[bluemonday]

Whilst I agree with what you've said, I dislike the fact that political advantage will be gained at the expense of lives. Still it happened before ( Thatcher/Falklands )and will again.

I suppose that's the nature of politics and politicians, they're happy to use or do anything to get the result they want.

[Albert Tatlock]

I sort-of agree Albert but not on the winners. The sub-prime in the US bellied up and Northern Crock has gone the same way. The sub-prime being those who are credit-wise a bit dodgy. Unlike the directors of Northern Crock that is. In the last 4 years they have awarded themselves some £30 MILLION for a job well done, errr wait a minute.... The CEO alone received some £10M and strange but true he cashed a share option at the beginning of the year when they were at £11.98. Now they are at £1.94. Another director decided recently to take a £300K pension. Another attended just 14 meetings over the last year for which he received some £770K. You don't suppose they knew something do you?

"Mortgage experts said that despite yesterday’s £10 billion injection into the market by the Bank of England, rates for an estimated 230,000 to 300,000 sub-prime borrowers will soar to unaffordable levels of more than 10 per cent when they reach the end of their current deal." Times Clicky

 

I agree with commentators who estimate there is one year to go till the 'hit' arrives in the UK.

[bluemonday]

I agree with commentators who estimate there is one year to go till the 'hit' arrives in the UK.

And won't there be some botty wobbles when it does.