Reasons for Brown to be cheerful

bill

What did Jeff say?

Simon

We are about to enter a weekend of further leadership speculation. Any unity next week will merely be a facade. We all know this. The Labour Party is not a happy place - that much is very clear. They are not going to come together.

The Nuclear issue is potentially toxic for Brown - there are many on his own side who are passionately opposed to any further nuclear developments.

We also have more to come out about the role his financial regulatory system has had to play in the recent turmoil.

It ain't over yet!

Nick Kaplan

According to Dianne Abbot, if Labour loses the coming by-election then the Cabinet will turn against Brown. If true then Browns position is very precarious.

Anom

Is this not a dead cat bounce?

BrianSJ

The nuclear saga does include parting with Westinghouse for less than £3Bn to Toshiba just before we really needed them.
The bank merger is a long way from home as a financial or political success.

Oracle

The gods are toying with him (and, by extension, us).

TrevorsDen

Go to the Telegraph website to see just how Jeff regarded Browns answers.

A good day for Brown? Well you might think that if you are mentally deranged.

A good day when we have just seen the banking indudtry turned upside down with a forced merger (forced by the govt) which will grossly distort competition and see 20,000 tomn 40,000 job losses (didtorted against England in favour of Scotland) -- THIS is a good day?

Is a good day like its a good day having your toes amputated in stead of your foot.

TrevorsDen

"he has personal contacts with EDF " -- you mean he is putting billions of pounds worth of work his brothers way?? Why don't you just come right out with it??

Patrick

Then you must have seen a different programme Fraser. Jeff Randall asked the right questions and received the usual suspects answer from the PM. Please read Jeff's excellent article in the Daily Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/09/19/ccjeff119.xml

which is rather at odds with the tone of your article

Richard Holloway

I think he will get a few days respite before conference (as he seems to be getting), before a event at conference triggering the whole shebang. My money is on a woeful speech on the final day, which will get the longest applause ever and then the bickering will really kick off. Either that, or one of the tory policy announcements will resonate with the public, they will be another strong poll lead and the speculation will begin all over again.

That's not to say Brown will actually go. He's not going until May 2010, in a huge landslide loss. Why? Because Labour hasn't got anyone to replace him.

Seasurfer1

Fraser, It is only a 100 Billion Dollar Breather, compliments of the World Banks, oiling their banking systems. Monday onwards will bring more volatility.
It is something we are used too with our Deluded PM- flooding the market with funny money, otherwise known as NATIONAL DEBT.

Ike

The EDF energy deal is a laughing stock in the business world. The bulk of the business was sold off for almost nothing and we now have the spectacle of nuclear power being run by a foreign country. Yes, the French have the expertise we need but what an indictment of the dither and delay over nuclear.

After a decade of 'what to do?' the Government finally woke up and saw that if we didn't do something, the Russians could turn the lights out on us.

It's just one farce after another.

Seasurfer1

I thought Jeff Randall mauled him in the Daily Telegraph?

John

In the clips I saw on Sky, Gordon Brown talks about the off balance sheet positions, of banks, (SIVs)as he has only just heard about them. Who was chancellor for the last ten years? What about PFI? I think he comes over very badly but you did hype him up.

Fraser Nelson

Gents, I'm not saying he deserves this. But Brown is an expert at exploting the fault line between the political and financial worlds. To read some of the press you'd think Victor Blank runs Lloyds and that Brown orchestrated the takeover over a dry martini at a City reception. I'm just saying that he got away with it. For as long as Lloyds need favours from him (laws passed, competition laws suspended) they'll let him take his bow. If I was Lloyds, I would.

Patrick, Brown doesn't survive Jeff's typically excellent article. But he wasn't mangled in the interview to the extent I would have liked. His defence mechanism for interviews - ignore and recite - means its hard to spar with him. Anyway watch it at 8pm tonight and we'll come back here to compare notes.

Fraser Nelson

Nick, ignore this Glenrothes nonsense. Labour's defeat there is a formality, the SNP already hold the constituency for the Scottish Parliament. Talking up Glenrothes is a way for the rebels to buy time.

Ian C

And there's the small matter of the Glenrothes by-election and Scotland just lost its largest employer to one south of the border. Diane Abbott "understands that if Glenrothes is lost the cabinet will then move against him" - from This Week.

Frank Pulley

I worry about you Mr Nelson, put the telescope to your good eye, please.

mac

'Gents', Fraser? How very dare you, Mr cod-Prescott. Gents? That's a pissoir. "Gentlemen', please!

simon s

The tories are going easy on Brown - because they want him to remain in power. Surely Labour mp's must know this.

EUSSR GO HOME

Ee, Wot a luvly picture of Our Gordo!
[He must have seen something really nasty in the Gulag - to make him grimace like that.]