Comments on: Gordon Brown

By: Bingo Lottle

Bingo Lottle — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 09:04:20 +0000

Perhaps you weren’t paying attention. During the last election campaign Blair left Brown sulking at home, until it became obvious that everyone hated Blair and only the inspired choice of Michael Howard as Tory leader was giving Labour any chance of winning. Blair then trundled Brown out and it was stated very clearly that he would be taking over at some point during the ensuing parliament. Insofar as anyone voted for a Prime Minister, they voted for Blair and Brown (except the three people who actually wanted Howard). Get a grip, Bobo!

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By: James

James — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:33:07 +0000

Brown’s elevation to PM wasn’t exactly democratic, but it seems that nobody else wanted to take over as party leader (and who could blame them?), so he’s probably the best of a bad lot.
As for bringing in MPs from other parties, I say it’s a welcome change from the tribalism that’s dominated politics for far too long; whilst I’d prefer a greater diversity of points of view in the House of Commons, I’d also like to see a little less competition and a little more cooperation.

As for Menzies Campbell, he has stated publically that his MPs are entitled to vote according to the will of their constituents rather than their party leader. If he is sincere, then that alone makes him a worthy Prime Minister.

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By: Sainted George

Sainted George — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 15:10:45 +0000

Brown has started cutting spending in England already

http://scottishrajwatch.blogspot.com/2007/06/todays-disgrace-english-patient.html

While Scotland spends more English taxpayers money

http://scottishrajwatch.blogspot.com/2007/06/account-so-far.html

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By: englandism

englandism — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:13:21 +0000

Further to Chris Walker et al (initial comments)

Agreed.The constitutional position is that we elect a government not a PM and that the cabinet is responsible for the UK. Gordon Brown has the legal right to be PM and the cabinet has the legal right, as the executive, to introduce and adapt legislation in the legislature.

I would argue that Gordon Brown and any MP not elected in an English constituency does not have the MORAL right to govern the English in matters not equally applicable to the electorate which provided the mandate.

This is not a little England hissy fit. This is coming mainstream and the degree of ‘frustration’ that is felt across England is actually, to me, getting frightening. Believe me, I know.

This is not about disliking the Scots. Not that there has ever been anything but the greatest kindness and fraternal love directed southwards and not that a little bit of harmless banter is now being directed northwards.

This is about equity.

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By: AP

AP — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 00:31:42 +0000

“It’s the rich wot gets the pleasure,
It’s the poor wot gets the blame ……”

Yobs are yobs, whatever class they’re from. And crime is crime. As Durkheim pointed out, on an island of saints dropping litter is a death penalty offence. Reference to more primitive cultures is irrelevant when considering the laws of this country. To excuse such behaviour is pure hypocrisy if one then intends to punish chavs for similar behaviour simply because they can’t or won’t pay. All must be treated equally under law or law itself is brought into disrepute. If the rich can be seen to be getting away with it why should anyone else obey it?

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By: Steven_L

Steven_L — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 22:35:23 +0000

< ‘Does paying off the life insurance premium excuse murder?’ (Agent Provocateur)<

In some cultures the payment of ‘blood money’ is perfectly acceptable. In British culture, if you break something it is polite to pay for it. If you spill someones drink you offer to buy another one. Let’s face it, if you were a restauranteur in Oxford you’d rub your hands together when the Bullingdon Club booked a table, get the cheapy crockery out, invite your hardest looking mate around for the evening and squeeze them for everything you could get.

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By: englandism

englandism — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:56:19 +0000

Hello.

Crack on Boris. More of the same please.

Here’s a pretty picture of Gordy:

http://www.englandism.com/images/gordon-brown-prime.jpg

Enjoy

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By: klinker

klinker — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:41:57 +0000

PaulD: “Furthermore, Klinker, what shred of evidence do you have that either Cameron or Boris have made bad decisions on the basis of their background”

calling people from Liverpool plebs. It’s a cheap and predictable shot that no doubt gets a few sniggers in posh circles, but ultimately serves to reinforce stereotypes that contribute to stopping people achieving their potential.

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By: Agent Provocateur

Agent Provocateur — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 10:17:58 +0000

I tend to judge people by what they think, say, and do, rather than where they come from. Since I’m something of a disciple of Peter Kropotkin’s, and he was a Tsarist prince, this is hardly surprising. He was also a revolutionary and a genius. I do however crack the odd joke at public school boys’ expense (never at public school girls’ expense!), but then I do the same to that NuLab shower … Prescott talking about ‘class war’ when he lives in a mansion had me in stitches … just what class does he think he represents? Has he never heard of social mobility? There are very few, if any, working class representatives amongst Labour’s front ranks anymore, unlike the days when Churchill pointed out that class background and privileged education didn’t seem to inhibit the opposition front benches in a memo to Butler.

As I told Mel in an email, I was at Kings. It was for a party back in the days Liberty is talking about (though I’m not sure she’d have liked my flares, long hair and dope, but I would have traded some for some of her pills and we could have listened to Otis and Aretha together). Coming from red-flag Hull I managed to persuade the lads (the most privileged group at the time, or so I was told somewhat disgustedly by the middle class socialist bloke that had invited me down to Cambridge) to nick a crate of champagne … they were very good thieves once I got them into the idea (Kings can afford it, I assure you). We laid on the grass and drank it from the bottles as the sun rose, recycling the bottles by chucking the empties into the river. There was nowt wrong with them lads Clinker.

I’m not sure however that ‘paying for the damage’ can excuse vandalism. Does paying off the life insurance premium excuse murder?

My objection to this Bulligdon Club biz is that the boogras never invited me along … I do a damned good line in vandalism guys!

The problem with elitist education is that it puts everyone else at a disadvantage, there’s no problem with the nature of the education itself. I would suggest that there is a contradiction here for a contemporary technology-based democracy worthy of the name, though I’m not suggesting any solution to it.

Perhaps it’s time that we either elected our PM in a presidential manner, since both Thatcher and Blair have acted in that way, or curtailed such abuse of the position. Not too sure about Her Maj for PM though (or about such emotive arguments) … if Scotland does leave the Union, will they crown a Stuart king? We always did rebellion much better than revolution in this country.

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By: Old Bolingbroke

Old Bolingbroke — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:52:58 +0000

Chris is right, Boris. You seem to have fallen into the trap of thinking the PM is a President, even though I’m sure you would use ‘presidential’ as a criticism.

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