Brown struggles to push his "renewal package"

Sally Chatterjee

Renewal? This man's been launched more times than an RNLI lifeboat.

Still, we should be grateful for small things: he's appeared! We are in the middle of an election campaign and Brown's been invisible for some time.

Remember Brown's done "national debate" before, a sham pre-determined exercise run by his cronies at Opinion Leader Research.

Bluebottle

A "National Council for Democratic Renewal"; is it me, or is there something uniquely North Korean sounding about this?

He really is turning into the Dear Leader.

Gawain

Presumably the only difference between the "National Council for Democratic Renewal" and a newly elected Parliament is that the first is appointed by Brown and the second is elected by the registered voters of the United Kingdom ? This interview confirms what I think about Brown. He is a narrow minded, technocratic, bureaucrat and is essentially un democratic. The current economic and political crises have proved he is a particularly inefficient and ineffective bureaucrat. If he isn't really interested in a new democratic mandate there is no longer any relevance to his office or his continued presence on our television screens and radio sets. Time to leave the stage Gordon.

TrevorsDen

Isn't it obvious to even the biggest 'thicky' that this "Renewals" thing is just one enormous gimmick?

David Logan

At least Evan didn't let GB simply talk over the top of him like Marr did yesterday. The points about cabinet ministers voting against change on expenses were particularly telling. In fairness though, possibly because he was kept a little more under control I thought Brown sounded a little less demented than yesterday.

Vulture

Demented. He sounded like a man in the grip of serious delusions. Notably that he's the only one best placed to steer us through the manifold crises he's created.

Heironymous Bosch

It was about this committee that Brown said on Marr yesterday; 'Hold on, hold on...wait and see what we come up with'.

Once he's been ousted he should be prosecuted for fraud and bringing the UK into disrepute. Blair should be a co-defendant as should Mandelson, Straw, Darling and the rest of the apparatchiks.

DrownTrodden

What a fool I was to listen to this. He said it again, ‘Presbyterian conscience’. As I predicted yesterday, my vomit bag will now have to wing it's way to no.10.

It won't stink any more than this rotten crew. I hardly think they will notice the smell as they are up to their necks in the great stench.

Moraymint

Utterly deluded.

If the situation wasn't so scary, Brown would be a bloody joke. As it is, he's a bomb-proof liability to this country.

We'll look back in years to come and rate Gordon Brown as having caused more havoc than any other individual - at home or abroad - who had the potential to damage the UK national interest.

Through his barefaced spinning, self-aggrandisement and determination to cling to office, the guy is little more than a traitor; and he's incompetent to boot. It astounds me that the Labour Party continues to let Brown run riot like this. What a shocking and shameful excuse for a political party they are; they deserve nothing less than total obliteration at the general election - which must be called now.

Rant ends. Her Majesty should intervene post haste before there's trouble on the streets.

Simon Stephenson

"If Labour is buried, the Tories – if they are smart – will argue that Brown’s proposals have been rejected, that he has no mandate, and an election needs to be called so a new Parliament can fix the problems of the old one."

You, and others like you, need to recognise this for the party-politicking that it is. The Labour Party is quite entitled to remain in office for its full 5 years, unless it loses a vote of confidence in the Commons. Trying to construct grounds on which it should "do the decent thing" and go to the country early is as pointless as it is incorrect.

Incidentally, I wonder how many of those now calling for an immediate general election were similarly calling for an early election during the period of the Major government's great unpopularity in the mid-1990s.

There are so many serious criticisms to be made of Brown's government that it is worrying that so many choose instead to fire bullets into the air by participating in humbug.

Prodicus

Every time he opened his mouth I thought: 'Does he know he said that out loud?'

Is this tragic "Dead Man Talking" tour of the studios Labour's big election week push?

DownTrodden

Simon:

"Incidentally, I wonder how many of those now calling for an immediate general election were similarly calling for an early election during the period of the Major government's great unpopularity in the mid-1990s."

I for one. Living under an "elective dictatorship" of any hue is abhorrent.

For 30 years I've lived with governments I didn't want. Enough is enough, these wreckers must go.

David Parker

I may be going deaf but I swear that I heard Brown say "I'm not arrogant"

Will J

Can't the Queen call a General Election? I realise she can't call one just because she doesn't like the Government, but this is self-evident and deeply unpopular corruption and self-interest. Is she really not able to intervene even now to assert the sovereignty of the people over their Parliament?

Tiberius

Simon Stephenson: it's a good job the Major government did not fall sooner because Brown would have had the opportunity to shoot his flame-thrower at the British economy earlier in its period of recovery, and with even more dire consequences.

Catosays

I wonder why none of the shower of xxxx in the Cabinet have the backbone to stand up to this bully.
For God's sake, what are they scared of? They know he's barking mad and yet they lay down like puppy dogs waiting for their bellies to be tickled.

Spineless bxxxxxds

Michael Booth

"You, and others like you, need to recognise this for the party-politicking that it is. The Labour Party is quite entitled to remain in office for its full 5 years, unless it loses a vote of confidence in the Commons. Trying to construct grounds on which it should "do the decent thing" and go to the country early is as pointless as it is incorrect".

Simon, it may indeed be pointless and incorrect, but just as the government are entitled to stay for the full term if they so choose, the governed are not obliged to like it, or to agree with their political masters. However, you are spot on when you say 'there are so many criticisms to be made of Brown's government' - which ones do you think are the most serious?

Flemingcrag

From the number of times the Prime Minister has spoken of his Presbyterian conscience as a way of expressing his anger and disgust at the way MPs abused their expenses system I am beginning to detect a religious divide.
Was it the Catholic tastes of Gorbals Mick, McCabe, McFall and others of the Celtic ilk that let the side down? Will future selection panels for Scottish Labour MPs include this preference; Only those of sound Presbyterian background need apply?
Will this exclude Guido Fawkes?

mac

Evan Davis played it well and the bunker won't have been pleased by the outcome. Davis as good as said to Brown 'no one gives a toss about this "National Council for Democratic Renewal" drivel, most people want a general election'.

Brown's comment "I'm not arrogant, I'm willing to listen to people" was priceless.

And I read on Dale's blog that Brown has said that he's discussed Susan Boyle's helath with Piers Morgan.

'Deluded' just doesn't cover it, does it?

Roger

I have listened to what you all have to say on the matter and have decided that I will keep my job and defer any General Election to the last possible moment in order to maximise personal benefits. My Publisher has advised me accordingly.

JONNY

' The Labour Party is quite entitled to remain in office for its full 5 years,'

That's constitutionally correct Simon Stephenson.
Your only problem will be convincing the rest of us, that the cause of 'Democratic Renewal' can best be served by the flea-bitten Rump of this Manure Parliament. Half of whom will be queuing up at the Employment Office in twelve months' time.
And finding themselves unfit for purpose.

Mick

I appears as though The Daily Telegraph is to Brown as Clouseau is to Herbert Lom's Inspector Dreyfus. He couldn't bring himself to say the words.

George Laird

Dear Fraser

"The Dear Leader had come with an announcement: he is proposing a National Council for Democratic Renewal and was inviting questions on it".

Inviting questions but not inviting applications to sit on it.

Another pathetic sham by Gordon Brown.

Another quango stuffed full of cronies hand picked from the Public Honours Unit lists.

"Of course. I’ve been as open as can, as transparent as I can.”

I would like to see a poll conducted to ask the public do they think that statement is a lie.

As I have always written Britain is a corrupt society.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Tim B

So in yet another example of upfront leadership and decisiveness, he's - - - formed another committee?

It's just another example of Brown not being any kind of leader.

Hysteria

Moraymint - you still eating raw meat I see !! Loved the post yesterday about "the Orcs in Downing St. too!!!

Boudicca

"I'm not arrogant, I'm willing to listen to people" ...... But you will then have to listen to me extol my own virtues, accept that I am going to ignore what you want and do what I tell you.

Arrogant .... we have our own British Mugabe!

Chuck Unsworth

Brown was speaking as if he was on a totally different astral plane - no connection at all with reality. As to McBride, Brown is clearly very confused indeed. Everyone knows and understands the difference between resigning and being sacked. Though in Brown's case they may well amount to the same thing.

But his opening remarks to Davis seemed to drone on and on - and were almost nothing to do with anything at all. I@m convinced that Brown is mentally ill. He's incapable of answering the simplest of questions. In fact he doesn't answer anthing ever - witness PMQs and all interviews. Even Andrew Marr was finding it difficult to keep him on track.

We don't need a National Council for Democratic Renewal - whatever the hell that might be. What we actually need is some politicians with decency, honour, integrity and just a modicum of ability.

Simon Stephenson

Downtrodden 12.32
Tiberius 1.19
Michael Booth 1.32
JONNY 1.43

Thank you all for your responses to my post.

Like all of you, I suspect, I would throw my hat in the air if a general election were called sooner rather than later. Moreover, I'm positive that Gordon Brown remaining in office is detrimental to the best interests of the people of this country. The only proviso I would place on this is that if the next 12 months are as horrific as I expect them to be, it MAY cause people to conclude that there is something wrong with a political system that allows someone like Brown to rise to the top of it. If so, and if the response is to place insuperable barriers in the way of camouflaged motive and megalomaniacal ambition, then in my opinion it would probably be worth having him as PM for another 12 months.

But my point about calling for an election now is that it's a waste of powder, and from people of influence it's an indication that they've lost the plot. Without having to be devious or deceitful, Brown's got perfectly reasonable arguments to deny calls for an election. I should think he reckons it's a walk in the park to engage in these sort of theatrics rather than face the constant incisive criticism of the logic and internal consistency of the policies he is proposing, and the honesty with which he holds his announced motives for their implementation.

Michael Booth. You ask me for serious criticisms of Brown's government. Well I think the most worrying is that New Labour is a facade for the sort of authoritarian socialism that was out in the open before the end of the Cold War. The message and the mood-music has been that Labour has recognised the error of its ways, that it has abandoned its ambition for a socialist state and that it is happy to work openly with the people to create the sort of society that THEY, the people, want.

This is bullsh1t! The public euphoria that greeted the collapse of communism - all that taught the Labour socialists was that they needed to go underground. No longer was it productive to be open about their ambitions, because the public had no appetite for what they wanted to achieve. What was needed was to pretend to embrace the desires of society, while at the same time working towards its downfall by ensuring that it was given the rope with which to hang itself.

Isn't this by far the most convincing explanation for the parlous economic and social state in which we find ourselves? Not incompetence or dogma, but a very detailed sabotage operation hidden inside a spectacularly successful camouflage.

Paul B

Simon , it should also be remembered that Major won an election and with the largest ever popular vote.

The figures being
Con. 14,093,007
Lab. 11,560,484.

The respective figures for Blairs "golden years" are- (in date order)
1/13,518,167
2/10,724,953
3/ 9,562,122

So despite his "landslide" in `97 and his healthy majorities therein after- Blair was never as popular as Major. Whilst excepting your point on a technical level, Brown really has no moral legitimacy to govern us.

Simon Stephenson

Paul B

I take your point, but Mr Major's 1992 election also threw up the following stats:-

Largest popular vote for a party not subsequently forming the government - 11,559,735 (Labour)

Largest popular vote cast in total against the party that subsequently forms the government - 19,519,872 cast for parties other than the Conservatives.

So, using the same logic as your conclusion, Blair was never as popular as Major, but he was never as unpopular as him either.

Statistics, eh!

RobC

I have just watched his sky version with Boulton and if anything he comes across as even more out of touch.Boulton hit a very raw nerve when asking what was the reason for the 2nd house rule change in 2004 bearing in mind that ministers then started flipping and making a profit. Bluster followed by "If you have an allegation to make prove it" was not a very satisfactory reply which was then followed ad nauseum by "I had nothing whatever to do with it".
Makes you wonder who did come up with the scheme - somebody must know?

Martin

"Brown’s 'work' – pumping the UK economy full of dangerously underpriced debt – is why the recession has hit us harder, with our unemployment surging faster, than any other country."

I'm not sure this makes a great deal of sense. Borrowing/spending is generally a good idea at times like this. Or are you saying that cutting demand is what is needed to get out of a recession?

And it isn't true that the recession is hitting us harder than any other country.

The Economist forecasts annual UK GDP growth for 2009 of -3.7%.

Japan: -6.7%
Germany: -5.2%
Italy: -4%
Ireland: -7.4%

The unemployment rates for the latest 3 months:

US: 8.9%
France: 8.8%
Germany: 8.3%
Spain: 17.4%
Ireland: 11.4%
UK: 7.1%

These things are measured and easily checked.

NotaSheep

The "surprised"/"shocked" swap was one that I noted as well. Gordon Brown is a past master with changing words to suit his purposes.

Simon Stephenson

Martin : 12.59am

"Borrowing/spending is generally a good idea at times like this. Or are you saying that cutting demand is what is needed to get out of a recession?"

With respect, you are seeking to single-consequence something that has many consequences. You're making the recession a bogey-man the countering of which is sufficient justification for any action, irrespective of the other consequences that may result.

It's just not advantageous for humanity to make decisions this way. It's certainly the case that many people don't understand the ability of some to evaluate more than one thing at a time. But many people don't understand basic algebra, either. Does this mean that we should only make decisions that can be explained using simple arithmetic?

Minie Ovens

i've never seem a sociopath in action and am therefore somewhat naive as to their demeanor.
Is Brown a sociopath? Surely he must understand what he has wrought or is it just a natural subconscious inability to face up to one's massive failure.

Martin Morrow

I'm sure the Royal Air Force would be delighted to parechute Mr Brown into Helmand province to take over leadership of Al Qaeda and/or The Taliban.
There! Two birds with one stone.

hadrian

As for Broon's reputed 'Presbyterian conscience', just who does he think he's kidding? Broon couldn't stomach true presbyterianism if it were the last food on the planet. Nor would he recognise it if it hit him in the face. His father was a Kirk minister but the Kirk itself cast off proper Presbyterian doctrine a century ago and has like the CofE been increasingly replacing plain Biblical Truth with Psycho-babble and social gospel socialism ever since.