Gordon gets his headline but the devil is in the detail

kinglear

They can't be expected to work out all the details even when they do announce it. There are more economically illiterate people in this government than have never had proper jobs.

Trumpeter Lanfried

He does love a punch line at the end of his speeches, doesn't he? We remember "twopence off the standard rate of income tax." We also remember the small print (loss of the 10p band) which tied him up in knots for about three months.

Something similar could happen this time.

mitch

The conditions will be so bizarre nobody will qualify except Labour Mps and mandelson.

mac

But this has been the New Labour tactic since they were elected in 1997. What'll read well as the next day's headline? Get it printed. Truth? Honest intention? Real policy? Consequences? None of these are considerations. The Campbell grid to keep everything in No 10's grubby grip rules everything.

Brown is telling any and every lie needed to keep control. But it's all in the pursuit of fairness and equality of course, how very dare anyone suggest incipient Stalinism?

George Laird

Dear All

The reason for this headline is simple, to deflect attention away from Michael Martin.

This has been held up to distract!

Dizzy has said that Brown has lied to Prliament regarding the percentage figure of 70%.

Don't be drawn into this con, simply ignore it and concentrate on the job at hand.

Motion of no confidence in Michael Martin as Speaker of the House of Commons!

It is really that simple, let Mandelson and Brown play their stupid little petty games, this is a job that Parliament must do.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Sally Chatterjee

Policy is now being made to suit the short term needs of Brown instead of the long term needs of the country.

JimBob

Paxmans comment is ironic whichever angle you look at it...

Bocephus

Mitch is correct, Mandelson will be able to claim, didn't he just take a big pay cut?

It's good to know that you can have 16k of savings and still claim. I thought the whole point of savings was to help pay the mortgage when times got tough. Brown does seem to be spending money like a drunkin' sailor on shore leave. I don't think even I, a proud Brown hater for years, could have believed he would ruin the country quite so spectacularly. What makes it even more bizarre is the worse he does the more popular he gets.

Makes you proud to be British.

Oscar

He did pay for it didn't he? The press are in Brown's pocket.

Neil

It looks like the BBC might have pulled their embarrassing video of Peter Mandelson being asked in the street about the Gord's mortgage package.It was shown this morning on the Daily Politics show and was absolutely hilarious and gave Andrew Neil a real laugh but not the "i don't accept that" Hoon!

Gaston Grimsdyke

On the Daily Politics at lunchtime a BBC bod button-holed Mandelson and asked him whether the "deal was done" with the banks. Mandelson ummed and aahed, and said "the banks know what the government is doing". When asked again he shuffled off looking a bit peeved. Back in the studio there was great hilarity. It's on their website.

northerner

Incipient, Mac? There's nowt incipient about it.

Jeremy

Do you think that NuLabour's reliance on spin is as a consequence of their failure to dominate at the despatch box? I think that's part of it. I think the other part of it is that the debate - any debate - is not solely carried on in Parliament but also through the broadcast and other media. So that - for example - if you want to bury a bad Commons performance by Brown, or deflect attention away from a political crisis such as the current one, you just launch a quick PR campaign about a hastily cobbled together government initiative - much like the one above - and, hey presto, all of the next day's headlines are facing the way you want them to. Crisis buried. Job done. And so it goes on.

jeremy

Actually I think its a very good package. The nitpicking from some quarters is just that and no more.

It's a very tory idea in my view - supporting home ownership through a downturn.

I'm sorry the spectator doesnt think so.

JONNY

There's a huge socking hole in Labour's plan - now they've wrenched back control of the bank rate from a supinely ineffective Governor.
Leaning over backwards to muscle up the banks to rescue the investments of property owners.
And in the process kicking millions of savers (most of them elderly and certain to vote) right bang in the teeth. With nix interest in reward for their prudence over many years, when you take inflation into account.
Kill off the pensioners and savers - now that's my Gordon Brown.
You don't like 'putting aside for a rainy day' do you now. Maybe not so intelligent though with the Election coming up.

Jeremy

Further to my previous post, I would also suggest this is why Labour have rigged the Speaker - because they are simply not that good at the despatch box. They cannot win the debate without moving the goalposts in their favour. Which - let's face it - is a pretty low thing to do.

A. Headhunter

Remember 'Catch 22'? The moment when Yossarian opens his parachute bag to find an IOU from Milo? that's what Brown has just done to this country.