Brown’s speech – the aftermath

CS

Gordon's quite right. When you're dealing with the country's economy, you really cannot afford to have a novice in charge.

Imagine the big decisions that governments have to make.

Think of all the crises that could arise in the next few years.

Imagine that an incoming Chancellor had to set up a new regulatory framework for the City. You wouldn't want an incompetent novice in charge of that, would you?

Imagine that an incoming Chancellor had to raise extra revenue without wrecking the delicate balance of the nation's pensions system. You wouldn't want an incompetent novice making that decision, would you?

Imagine that a Chancellor had to decide whether or not to shaft those on low incomes to finance a tax cut gimmick. You wouldn't want an shallow novice with no moral compass making that decision, would you?

No, on the whole, I agree with Gordon. In deciding on a PM and Chancellor, we can't afford to give the job to an economic incompetent who doesn't know what he's doing and can't finance his own spending plans...again.

Miranda

James, we are not stupid. Many of us have had a good education, we've studied economics. We read good papers and journals and scour blogs. We know reasonably well who is to blame for our econonic woes. And what is more we've know for some time it was coming.

We also know some key things to halt the decline - one being to cut public sector spending and get the budget deficit into order. Second, to encourage the revenue producing part of the economy and come down hard on welfare and immigration. Perhaps you'd like to start reporting those who are saying what needs to happen, instead of your lefty lovies. Maybe its the media who needs to get educated and catch up. Isn't that what a journalist is supposed to do. Not follow the press releases.

If anyone thinks that one 'humbug' speech from the 'humbug in chief' who has been the architect of this mess changes anything for most of us - then it is they who are fools. All he said was, it's not his fault, it's the Tories, I'm going to do anything I can to save my skin but what is good for Britain - oh and here are some Fishermans Friends for the children of those hard working families I've catapulted into penuary. And I'll just shake my wife's hand to show what a great husband I am; pathetic.

mac

James, I believe that most commenting coffee-housers never felt that there was any gloss to start with, and were unconvinced by media suggestions to the contrary. Ignoring the shallow presentational tricks and attendant snake oil selling techniques, and listening to what he actually said relating to pressing political and economic issues confirmed that there's no vision and no strategy other than to pander to Labour's captive market of the state's own bloated clientele - and the unions. Blair, that supreme snake oil seller, always saw that this wasn't enough.

The 'personal stuff' was contrived froth which simply isn't the real Brown; we've had 11+ years of the real Brown. What he said, and didn't say, on the major issues facing the state was worrying and uninspiring.

Yes, the BBC, ITV and Sky reporters have all been pretty laudatory, but that wasn't unexpected given their track records and it says more about the reporters' - and their organisations' - partiality than the substance of Brown's speech.

Cameron and his team now have plenty of targets to aim at. Let's hope that they pick the ones that will damage Brown most, using lines that are clear enough to penetrate the prism of left-leaning journalists - particularly at the BBC - and that the mendacity and dissembling of this self-serving, unfocused, second-rate government is in consequence plain to see (except to idiot trolls like Dirty Euro, of course!)

Common Sense

Having looked at the Jackie Ashley piece, I think the comments sum it up much better!!

Ian C

It's an open goal for Cameron. Will he take his chance now? If he does not he will have missed it as Broon cannot last until next September (probably not past Xmas).

CS

***Having looked at the Jackie Ashley piece, I think the comments sum it up much better!!***

You just know that the Government is in a mess when even CiF readers are almost unanimously dismissive of the speech.

David Bouvier

Labour: "No time for a novice"

Conservative reply: "No time for a discredited loser either"

And I thought Labour had spent the last year claiming that Cameron's experience as a Treasury SPAD during the exit from the ERM was a bad thing.

David Bouvier

I particularly liked the idea that we should base bonuses - indeed almost anything - on "hard work, effort and enterprise" as opposed to actual success.

Paying for effort in, not value out is exactly the wrong way around.

Then again he really doesn't get that the same applies to being PM - I am sure he is trying really hard, but sure ain't succeeding.

TrevorsDen

'no time for a loser' quite right.

The Tories need to stop hoping Brown will hang on and attack him strongly for all the reasons he has to go.
An election for new labour leader will cause huge problems for labour which will not help the govt. They may decide to congregate round an 'elder statesman' who is not likely to be around for long win or lose. this is clearly Straws strategy - which will be a big boost for Tories since Straw was Browns campaign manager.

Getting rid of Brown has to be the big priority for Tories - after all there is an outside chance we might get Balls instead.

PS
Despite what Finklwotsit says in THe Times, what will undpo Brown anyway in the coming months is the economy. Given the huge world turmoil I do not see how this cannot help but have a sickening effect on our economy. This will surely shred what is left of Browns reputation.

Get Shorty

Team DC bullet points for next week:

~When is bank deposit insurance going to be increased. Ireland put it up 5x at the weekend. No dithering!!! It is now higher than ours.
~UK banks are failing because of poor management. Fred the Shred in Scotland became drunk on expansion. Andy Horny at HBoS should have stuck to selling potatoes at ASDA: the Chairman is not a banker!! Northern Rock had a board of directors totally unfit for purpose.
~Why are Scottish bank jobs more important than English ones?
~Team GB have gone on a massive spending spree and the coffers are empty.
~No more "boom & bust."
~UK house prices have become excessively over priced and I am concerned for the 1,000,000 buy-to-let mortgage holders who believed Team GB's rhetoric. They are now screwed!!!
~Get the snopping state off our backs.
~Articulate an Energy Policy.

Nicholas

In the current issue of the Spectator Lloyd Evans quotes Brecht on the East German government and it struck me as appropriate to the disreputable gang inflicting their relentlessly turgid obstinacy on Britain:

"Ossified officials, hostile but cowering, have begun to govern against the population".

The only difference being that Herr Braun and Pals have an idealistic concept of imaginary client groups to whom they pander with their narrowly focussed, empty and increasingly barmy solutions.

Since the departure of Blair and Chums what an uglier, more self-satisfied, more self-serving and even more contemptible coterie of charlatans "New" (actually 11+ years old and we are tired of it already) Labour has become.

Time to move on Gordon and Crew. You are yesterday's men and women. General Election now please.

simon s

Totally agree Fraser. People are now listening to the conservatives - and Cameron can establish a new 'narrative'. A post-it pad note with the words 'boom and bust' needs to superglued to Brown's forehead.

After Browns comments about using children surely Cameron has the motivation to hammer him.

David S

"We did fix the roof while the sun was shining"

Even if that was true, how and when is he going to pay the builders?

And maybe he should stop talkng about property ladders, when the only options in a falling market are snakes.

John Page

"A huge prize awaits the politician who can explain to the electorate in plain English why this crisis has occurred and what should be done now." Step forward Vince Cable, then.

Polly's mum

John Page: surely not Vince Cable. I think you must mean John Redwood.

Trafalgar

John Redwood speaks a lot of sense. Unfortunately he scares the voters and must be kept under lock and key until June 2010.

Truth Teller

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