New year; same old Gordon Brown

Wilhelm

Aye Gordon. I blame Oliver Cromwell and the Rounheads for the Economic disaster.

Steve Twidale

Thaks for an honest and accurate summation of the hubristic onanist.

Wilhelm

Gordon Broon is like the arsonist who burns down the house and then phones up the fire brigade to put the fire out which he started in the first place.

And then the lefty BBC and press thinks he's a wonderful guy. Go figure.

TGF UKIP

"The PM's there for the taking." Quite so Fraser, but who's going to take him?

I don't know whether other Coffee Housers have had similar experiences but I have really been struck over the past few weeks, when the conversation has turned to the parlous state of the nation, as it inevitably has, just what the reaction to the Tories has been.

Almost without exception a mention of the Tories is greeted by one of two words -"hopeless" or "useless." Almost inevitably too, with these words goes a sad, regretful and puzzled shake of the head.

Very clearly a lot of people would like them to be more convincing but appear to have virtually given up on them.

Hardly surprising, though, I guess when Fraser Nelson and Matthew Elliott of the Taxpayers' Alliance land more economic punches in the media for the right than the Tory Front Bench combined.

Helene Davidson

Gordon is the single greatest argument for emigration by anyone with an IQ higher than room temperature (post price increases).

strapworld

Well said Fraser, and a happy New Year.

I truly believe that Brown is suffering from a mental illness. How long will his cabinet colleagues allow such a person to hold the highest political office in our Country?

There needs to be a determined campaign by people like yourself, we the people, and all the opposition parties calling into question the state of Gordon Brown's mental health.

He needs help, as do we!

Tiberius

Having been required by profession to listen to his budget speeches, I'm certainly not going to listen to a New Year's message from the man who has cost me a five figure sum in investment losses, which may end up as a six figure sum by the time I retire or die.

He can shove his message, and if he has a scintilla of honour or dignity or self-respect left, he should resign.

Austin Barry

We are now in Orwell's Oceania.
The disembodied voice of patronising nonsense:
"This is our land. A land of peace and of plenty. A land of harmony and hope. This is our land. Oceania. These are our people. The workers, the strivers, the builders. These are our people. The builders of our world, struggling, fighting, bleeding, dying. On the streets of our cities and on the far-flung battlefields. Fighting against the mutilation of our hopes and dreams."

And all we, the people, can do is to sip ersatz coffee in the Chestnut Tree Cafe and plot revolution against this strange man and his self-serving cadre.

Donna

Which results in the rest of the population believing his rubbish about how he's the best man for the job, and how our current crisis was nothing to do with him, guv.

Come on Cameron, your country needs you to take a REAL stand!

Mr G Pickles

How dare this revolting man call on the spirit of the British people. Broon the Cloons only concern is the survival of himself and the hand picked nodding dogs he calls his government.

Augustus

"...and when the history books come to be written..."
And, as events over the past few months have shown, those who forget the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them.

m dowding

There needs to be a determined campaign by people like yourself, we the people, and all the opposition parties calling into question the state of Gordon Brown's mental health.

I would extend such an enquiry into anyone who is daft enought o vote Labour!

Brook Whelan

The chutzpah of Gordon Brown is astounding. He is in complete denial about his failure to manage the economy and his failure to heed the warning signs of dangers ahead.

As for his political strategy, I suspect he is enjoying this economic downturn as it seems to be the only thing that could save him.

Gordon Brown is not really a Prime Minister in the sense that he does not have experience of other departments other than the Treasury. His experience of the machinery of government is too narrow.

With this in mind, whenever Gordon Brown is off abroad at EU summits and meetings of other world leaders, he is in reality just a glorified finance minister.

Joe Mooney

I hope this ponzi Government goes soon.

Frank P

Stop it Fraser! You've got your punters believing this scam. Even Tiberius fell for it. How did you manage to get Rory Bremner to perform for this audio tape? He's very good isn't he? I was almost convinced myself for a couple of stanzas into it, then I fell in. I'm surprised the link is still available; is Andrew Neil away to the Seychelles for his Hogmanay jolly or something; he'll be in real trouble when he get's back, I'll bet Gordon's Gorillas are hunting him down at this very moment. Enough of this frivolity, surely you can get enough meat from his actual insane utterances without having to concoct parodies. Shame on you!

Pete, Scotland

I tend to agree with 'TGF UKIP'.

I feel that the 'official' opposition parties are so lame that I just can't understand why I should vote for them and not Labour!

I am now looking at some non-mainstream parties that have passion and principles that I agree with.

They may not win this election, but over time?

Tankus

Why should he resign when his most important indicator by far (opinion polls) show him only a short distance behind.

Nothing else matters.
Dead babies
Dead soldiers
Dead frozen pensioners
Homeless families
Malnourished remedial children
Unemployed
Destroyed economy

Its all the Tories fault in the last century and the American's in this.

it doesn't matter a jot.

he is less than 10% behind....

The seas are just waiting for him to part !

seb

@ Helene Davidson

I'll say.
Has anyone got any figures on emigration? I'm sure we rarely hear much about this because of the scale of the exodus and the government wishing to keep us in the dark about it. The extent of the outflow of educated, young and productive young Brits must be one of the most damaging statistics in the arsenal against the Holy, Wise and Fair [aka The Scotland Comes First] Party. I only hope that Canada and the Antipodes are generous and wealthy enough to open their doors to refugees from Autist Man.

LiverpoolTory

TGF UKIP - Are you making constructive criticism or do you just want permanent Labour Government? Worth remembering that for years many left wing Trots and Socialists sat on the Labour benches and yet despised Tony Blair and everything he stood for. They still voted for him and brought their small but significant amount of constituents with them. If Labour is to receive a 1997 style electoral annihilation then all those lingering right wing idealists in Veritas, England First or UKIP or whatever other single issue parties should just grin and bare it and vote Tory. Do you think Jeremy Corbyn and Dennis Skinner or dozens of other Labour backbenchers care at all for New Labour or this Government. No! They just keep supporting them because they are deeply tribal and want to keep the Tories out of power. Left of centre Tory leaders such as MacMillan and Heath never had the problem of their core support defecting to right-wing fringe parties. Destroying labour should unite us.

David

His stabs at the Tories go deeper than just the quote you use. Pretty much every other line is "we won't do as some have suggested" or variations on that theme; designed to push home his 'do nothing' lies.

Verity

Surely, Donna, "the rest of the population" can see that Brown isn't playing with a full deck?

BrianSJ

This is reminiscent of Kremlin ways of dealing with dead leaders. If he isn't dead, then perhaps the prime mentalist is distraught at Mandelson taking off to Marrakesh, and they have to change his medication.

TGF UKIP

LiverpoolTory, three points. First of all Blair/Brown & Co were a massively effective campaigning operation utterly dedicated to the capture of power and could therefore drag the left along with them under the promise of becoming the government. Contrast that with this shambolic, unprofessional bunch of venal Tory part timers.

Secondly, while Blair may never have been an overtly "red in tooth and law" socialist he sufficiently distanced himself from the Tories both in rhetoric and policy for the Labour left to allow itself to be dragged along. Contrast that with the overtly Blue Labour stance Cameron embraced on taking up the leadership. Could you imagine Blair or Brown making their own side stand up and give three cheers for a resigning Tory leader?

Thirdly, you rightly mention Heath and McMillan being able to depend on the core right of the party. What a pity, therefore, that the right of the Party could not equally depend on the left during the leadership of Iain Duncan Smith and during the election campaigns of 2001 and particularly 2005 when the left anonymously and remorselessly biefed against the Tory leaderhship and campaign.

paul

who the hell does he think he is, and why doesnt he *$&! off already? Thats what i want to know. I'm sorry that i cant be more thin, but this is the end of the tether. if we cant vote him out, then let there be revolt

TomTom

“The failure of British governments in previous global downturns was to succumb to political expediencsy and cut back investment across the board thereby stunting our ability to grow and strangling hope during the upturn.

This is the policy of Edward Heath after 1972 leading to high inflation through lax credit. It is why the US and UK deliberately created a housing boom to rescue banks after the Dot.com Crash

Nicholas

Government by attacking the Tories.

Yes, very useful, Gordon. Especially as you have been in power for nearly 12 years. Here's an idea. How about easing up on the ducking, diving and finger pointing to demonstrate some of that courage you are always blathering on about?

No, didn't think so. Those yellow streaks are difficult to get rid of aren't they?

Memo to Mandy & Campbell: The drip-drip of anti-Tory bile doesn't work now you are in government and have been in government for over 11 years. Your primary focus should be on managing the economy and governing the country, not worrying about what the Tories are doing - especially if they are actually doing nothing as you accuse. This gauche Baldrickian "cunning plan" will backfire because by and large you are hated even more vehemently than the Tories were by 1997. You have been rumbled, found out, stripped of your one-dimensional clothing, your shallow posturing and empty spin is cast into the full glare of the public spotlight and your little conjuring tricks ain't gonna work no more. Now, more than ever before, is a time for honesty. Which is a pity because your party has none.

kat

Oh dear! What on earth has happened to his voice? I had to give up listening halfway through as the unending stream of identical length sentences, all ending with a most peculiar lowering of pitch and volume, threatened to send me into a coma.

I can't remember a single word of what he said whilst I was listening.

David Parker

Liverpool Tory,
You are right about tribalism in that, a depressingly large number of people will never abandon their traditional party loyalty, regardless of how badly that party performs. A senior civil servant recently said to me " I was born in Glasgow, my hand simply could not write the word Conservative"

However, your suggestion that supporters of non mainstream parties should abandon their strongly held beliefs merely to ensure a Tory victory implies the presumption that a Conservative Government would actually be allowed to fulfill all the proper functions of a Parliamentary British Government.

That is a promise which Cameron has yet to make. But, in the absence of such a promise, clearly and convincingly made, a large number of voters, disillusioned with the whole current political class, may well feel that there would be no great difference between a Brussels government led by Brown or Cameron.

Whilst it is very unlikely that even a substantial protest vote for minority parties will result in any MPs for them, this could well deny the Tories victory in a number of key marginal seats and might even result in a hung Parliament.

The remedy lies entirely in Cameron's own hands, but the longer he sits on the fence the less believable he becomes.

Gareth

TGF, you are a one trick pony. Get a new record for 2009 please, you are so dull.

David Short

Same old, same old, same old. When will FN run out of shoes to throw at Gordon Brown week after week?

It's becoming very boring.

I think we get the point. Think of something else to write about next week?

How about rich-through-inheritance, overprivileged Old Etonians with no experience of life or real work wanting to run the country?

Oops, sorry, the Suckuptator supports them.

Nicholas

"How about rich-through-inheritance, overprivileged Old Etonians with no experience of life or real work wanting to run the country?"

Not as bad as "rich-through-cronyism and corruption, overprivileged champagne socialists with no experience of life or real work trying to run the country".

Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton. Unfortunately for the British the Great in Great Britain was lost in the student union politics of New Labour.

Fraser Nelson

David Short, I'm afraid we at CoffeeHouse will never bored of counting the ways that Brown has trashed the economy. And FYI the OECD data and CML data have not been posted on this site before. When it comes with shoes to throw at Brown, I have an Imelda Macos-league arsenal - and fresh deliveries arriving all the time.

Verity

Nicholas, as much as I always enjoy your posts, and almost always agree with them, I wish people would stop conflating the Great in Great Britain - with the word 'great' as in approbation. It's a pet peeve. It drives me nuts.

Polly and Alice's mum

Hello David Short. Re your comments about old etonians, rich throug inheritance etc etc etc boring boring.... can you talk about something else next week etc. Like, how many labour MPs were educated privately? how many labour MPs educate their children privately? how many labour MPs have done REAL work before they became labour MPs?(by which I mean, real work in the private sector/wealth producing sector - know what I mean?)? How many labour MPs have homes in Italy/France etc.... not to mention second homes in..er London, where their children are at school? (Balls/Cooper).
I could go on, but am losing the will to live and my girls want to go on the computer.
PS. Do you have children? Do you want the best for them? Are you prepared to make sacrifices for their wellbeing? If so..... SUCKER - this government is going to shaft you. Happy new year.

Verity

For whomever asked for emigration figures above - obviously, you are not going to get anything out of the Brown gang, you can go to http://www.migrationwatchuk.com/ which is independent and has absolutely nothing to do with Gordon Brown's gang.

hadrian

I'm with Liverpool Tory on this one- destroying Labour must be out top prority. So, although we may not think the current Opposition are up to scratch on all points, nevertheless they're the main channel through which to concentrate our anti-socialist efforts to remove bungler Broon. In Scotland, it's a shade more complicated as the Tories are such a spent force in many areas...and SNP don't exactly enthuse one!

Nicholas

Ah, but Verity my first "Great" was the "great " as in post-modern approbation, with an unfortunate capital "G", my second the "Great" as in "Great Britain", the geographical (no longer geopolitical) demarcation. Same word, different meanings. The alleged conflation is a presumption on your part, but aided and abetted no doubt by my unfortunate typo (no preview page for posts at CH and too much time spent in the company of Dr Carlsberg). At the time of writing no such conflation existed in my intent - a little alliteration maybe. Alas, perhaps too subtle.

Great Britain can contain the great, indeed once did, without conflating the meanings, therefore the great is (or was) indeed in Great Britain, so to speak. I grant you the phrase as used in its most common and incorrect conflation does smack of Yo Blair, Cool Britannia and Trendy Left-Wing Celebrities of the Type who Celebrate Themselves - mainly on the BBC. Brown & Co have put paid to such associations though, and the Great Britain we now occupy and which they occupy almost as an alien power, is more a dour, grey, landscape of meanness and paranoia where the transiently triumphant villainy in Dickens meets the unsmiling bureaucratic snooping of Honecker, all beneath the glowering visage of that black cloud in a suit, the re-animated spirit of a Scots Cromwell. Life imitates art and with the foul wind of New Labour propelling our rapidly sinking ship we sail ever closer to Gilliam's 'Brazil' and 'V for Vendetta'. Will we get there or will we sink first is the question (are the questions)?

I thank you for your vigilance though and for your kind comment on my posts.

Wilhelm

Wasnt Britain called Great Britain so it wasnt mixed up with Brittany ?

hadrian

Brittany is a Celtic enclave that has suffered far worse cultural oppresion than the Celts in Great Britain who never enjoyed a great deal in any case. Cornish- all but dead; Manx- allowed to wither; Scots Gaelic- virtually in its death throes.
However look to Eire- the virtual demise of Erse or Irish Gaelic cannot be attributed to the English but to the Irish themselves, for all their 'nationalist' fervour.
Only Welsh really manages to just about hold on and fight back, and that's down to ordinary people in the street (literally) refusing to by-pass it for English.
End of digression....!!

andrew

Of course he is mentally ill. Only an extremely sick person could have turned the UK into the most watched nation on earth with 1/5 of the worlds CCTV cameras in operation here. How could he subject his own people to such sick and degrading treatment. He is an absolutely vile un british and sinister individual.