Brown's battle with the Germans rumbles on

cuffleyburgers

Who'd have thought it thirty year ago that we'd be sitting here, with the Germans doing their utmost to save us from the consequences of our folly?

Sally Chatterjee

"Internal party politics"? Does the Labour party discuss the German budget at the NEC, do the Tories comment on the French budget deficit?

No, this has little to do with internal matters in Germany and everything to do with Europe's largest economy discussing the response to the crisis.

C Powell

Hooray for the Germans! It's about time someone said clearly that the answer to vast amounts of debt is NOT to pile on ever more debt.

Ian C

This is background noise (clatter!) that Brown will be unhappy with, which is why Milliband was deployed this morning to try to talk about anything but on the Today programme. Humphries was quietly successful on that occasion.

A very good article from the FT of 8th Dec by chief European Economist of Bank America gives good background to where the German noise comes from. And it makes sense.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3d2b7740-c55e-11dd-b516-000077b07658.html

HJ

Who do these Germans think they are?

If they're tired of being lectured to by Gordon Brown for years, how exactly do they think we feel? Frankly, they have got off lightly in this respect.

Austin Barry

Although one should follow Basil Fawlty's injunction not to mention the War, I'm afraid that the German's are correct and that Brown's mad borrowing represents a bridging loan too far.

Mike, Brighton

The German blitzkrieg against Brown's economic policy is very damaging because they are right. It has come to something when German politicians are needed to damn Brown's policies. Where are the Tories?

GJTory

If these comments are for internal German consumption, why is it that the first set of comments were made to Newsweek, in English and the second set are also in English? Wouldn't remarks made for German politics be made to a German based media outlet in German?

John Page

"Germany backs Labour's decision to borrow billions to fund tax cuts in a bid to boost the UK economy, Foreign Secretary David Miliband has insisted."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7779023.stm

Chuck Unsworth

That'll teach Brown to project himself as the Saviour.

Miliband's comments this morning were a measure of how incompetent and mendacious this government (and I use that term in its loosest sense) actually is. Once again, it's attack the man rather than the ball. A government of all the untalented.

Jim

Thank heavens another country's politicians are at last telling the truth.

Brown's so called "world saving" policies are so much like the emperor's new clothes - we need more countries' leaders to point out the fact that our emperor is, in fact, completely naked, and all this talk about the world following Brown's lead is Labour spin.

John Page

P.S. Ben Brogan already had more detail on this last night.

http://broganblog.dailymail.co.uk/2008/12/germans-go-for.html

Jon

Trouble is, you won't see this on the BBC

Dr Blue

Brown goes from "saviour of the world" to "Total Dumbkof" in under 24 hours.

The Germans have done us a great service this week.

TrevorsDen

yet again some dope says 'where are the Tories' ... the Tories have been saying this for ages, it was Cameron who forced Browns 'world' gaffe and he pasted him at PMQs.

Where are the BBC/C4/SKY - that would be a better complaint.

Meantime "a bridging loan too far" ... is a great line. The Jerries can have my sun-lounger anytime.

Schadenfreude

Angela Merkel is a very wise and experienced politician, who witnessed how massive state intervention can destroy a whole nation. It has taken Germany a whole generation to rebuild the economy in the former socialist East Germany. Gordon Brown should start listening to the new Iron Lady before the British economy collapses an economic mire akin to East Germany. He must learn that an inefficient economy, already overburdened by an unproductive and mushrooming public sector cannot be saved by pumping billions more into the system.

Kev G

John Page, within the past few minutes, Milliband has been airbrushed from this link to be replaced with Brown himself.

Probably gone off to brandish a banana at somebody.

Dr Blue

"The Jerries can have my sun-lounger anytime."

Indeed, and we won't even be able to afford to go and fight them on the beaches and around the swimming pools any more.

JONNY

"Germany backs Labour's decision to borrow billions to fund tax cuts in a bid to boost the UK economy, Foreign Secretary David Miliband has insisted."

I see John Page offers no comment. Evidently he does not share my taste for bananas.
But I daresay Polly Toynbee still loves him.

cuffleyburgers

Plus, in Germany, you can still smoke.

Paul B

Agree with TrevordsDen, brilliant line "Bridging loan too far" Superb!!

Agree further with Trevor, the Tories have been on the case, the question is where are the "impartial fair minded public service journos" ?

John Page

Hi Jonny, I felt Miliband's crass lie spoke for itself.

Mike, Brighton

...yet the biased-BBC still leads with "Brown hails EU recovery package"...perhaps it should read "Brown hails EU (excluding Germany who don't agree with it and have been excluded 'cos its a bit politically embarrassing for Sarkozy and me) recovery package"?

Ken

Unlike a certain northern Briton, Germany still remembers the horrors and aftermath of Depression and its wheelbarrows of worthless currency. How about emailed expressions of support for some sound German views? I sent him an approving message hoping paymaster Germany would continue to pressure all EU states into following prudent policies.
Here is Herr Minister's address:
Federal Minister of Finance Peer Steinbrück
Berlin Wilhelmstraße 97 10117 Berlin
Phone: +49 3018 682-0 .
email: poststelle@bmf.bund.de

Ken

Unlike a certain northern Briton, Germany still remembers the horrors and aftermath of Depression and its wheelbarrows of worthless currency. How about emailed expressions of support for some sound German views? I sent him an approving message hoping paymaster Germany would continue to pressure all EU states into following prudent policies.
Here is Herr Minister's address:
Federal Minister of Finance Peer Steinbrück
Berlin Wilhelmstraße 97 10117 Berlin
Phone: +49 3018 682-0 .
email: poststelle@bmf.bund.de

dont like the whinging rich

Amazing that the Brits have got the brass neck to turn up for this summit in Brussels.

Brown, having bored everyone to tears with lengthy lectures on the merits of light touch regulation and innovative financial markets as compared to the Germans' "clapped out" social market model, now tells them that they agree with him and his silly VAT giveaway, but wants them to throw their good money after our bad.

Arrogance, plain arrogance.

Wilhelm

More awkward hand movements from nutty meglomaniac Gordon Broon.

George Laird

Dear All

So the "lie" peddled Gordon Brown and repeated by the Labour Party that this is internal German politics is shot down in flames.

Steffen Kampeter has stated;

"The tremendous amount of debt being offered by Britain shows a complete failure of Labour policy".

It seems that the volume of opinion that Gordon Brown is indeed a clueless clown is gaining ground each day.

There is going to be a bad and very deep recession, prolonged because of Brown's stupidity.

What is Brown doing?

Arranging deck chairs and selling tickets on the Titanic despite universal acknowledgement it has sunk.

General Election now please and roll on a hung Parliament.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Peter

So far, 27 comments all broadly anti-Brown. What's happened to Labour's rapid rebuttal squad? Must be their Christmas do today.

Wilhelm

Prime Minister's Question time , more like a chimps tea party

Gordon Broon squeeeeeks

''I have saved the world, eh um the banks, thats it, I meant to say the banks, er not humanity ''

Hoist by his own petard

HistoryMan

Well done the Germans. Don't panic, don't panic shouts corporal Brown. At last someone is pointing out the utter stupidity and arrogance of Brown and Co. TrevorsDen - dead right about the media bias etc. But the Conservatives must develop a strategy of speaking directly to the electorate above the heads of the media.

Forlornehope

An amusing view from the German side: http://www.stern.de/politik/ausland/:Britische-Presse-Steinbr%FCck-Schulmeister-Sinn-Ironie/648898.html

Austin Barry

Well, I suppose the Germans do have some experience in identifying megalomaniacal leaders, and did produce that wonderful biopic "Downfall" which provides a template for Bunker behaviour. No doubt everyone is pretty annoyed at No. 10 (or Nummer Zehn as perhaps we should call it). An angry Mandy may well be tossing his form-hugging lederhosen in the bin, while Frau Harman, blue eyes ablaze, belts out "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" accompanied by little Hazel Blears on the Glockenspiel.

TGF UKIP

Is't come to this? Treasury opposition being outsourced by the Tories to the Krauts. Mind you, should we object when the Hun is doing so much a better job than the present lot.

Whatever next, though? Foreign policy outsourced to the French so young William can devote his entire time to writing his books and telling his jokes?

teledu

Austin Barry's "...a bridging loan too far" - Ccoffeehouse quip of the year!. (Well it made me chortle.)

Wilhelm

Austin Batty wins the Iron Cross first class for bringing out the tired old, cliche ridden, Great Escape, Allo Allo, Dambusters, Anti German rant.

Yup , the English have always been pathologically jealous of the Germans with our technological advances ( jets, rockets, maglev trains) what a sad little island.

Ps. The Fuhrer was an Austrian.

Ray D

Cousin Willy, you're rattling the wrong cage here. Any anti German sentiment you perceive is strictly tongue-in-cheek. Perhaps it's true after all that Germans pay for their many virtues by possessing no sense of humour?

Wilhelm

Ray B

Oh dear, not that old chestnut, the Germans dont have a sense of humour. When I buy a car I go for a Mercedes Benz or a BMW, i dont care If the guy who designed it has a sense of humour or not. While British cars are one big joke, isnt that right ?

John Major and Gordon Broon, Yup the British have a sense of humour.

Ps . Im Swiss, have you got a problem with Switzerland. dont you like toblerone chocolate, cuckoo clocks and Roger Federer ?

Ray D

Wilhelm,

I was obviously being too subtle as you are now arguing my side of the case. Germans are Britains smarter cousins.

I would also mention Leica cameras, Miele washing machines and Solingen kitchen knives, just off the top of my head.

German politicians re-unified Germany, British politicians have trouble holding the United Kingdom together.

You want to talk TV? In the famous "Don't tell him, Pike." episode of Dad's Army, a German U Boat captain easily outwits Capt. Mainwaring's home guard. Brits think it's funny and nobody is offended. Now try it with Japanese, Italians or even Americans in place of the Germans.

Looking for anti German sentiment in Britain in pumping a dry hole. Mild envy? Yes. Hatred? Nope. Did you not notice our beloved Queen's a German?

The Swiss, however, are an entirely different case.

Wilhelm

Ray D

You mention British comedy , the English seem to like losers.

Tony Hancock = loser.
Norman Wisdom = loser.
Steptoe and Son = losers
Ronnie Barker in Porridge = loser.
Basil Fawlty = loser.
Dads Army = losers
Leonard Rossiter in Rising Damp = loser
David Jason = Delboy = loser
Eddie the Eagle Edwards = skier who came last = loser.