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Friday, 3rd July 2009

Brown's U-turns analysed

James Forsyth 6:28pm

Steve Richards’ column in today’s Independent - analysing Brown’s u-turns on the Post Office, 42 days and the abolition of 10p tax rate - is superb. As Steve notes, all these u-turns have in common the question of where does Brown stand in relation to Blairism; is he break from it or its continuation?

Steve’s conclusion sums this up brilliantly:

“The U-turns show that Brown has never acquired a clear voice of his own as Prime Minister and has failed to break away from his complicated past. Perhaps an early election would have liberated him from the manacles. Instead, we are left with a trail of major reversals that convey the insecure mindset of a Prime Minister trying too hard to win a big tent of support when virtually the entire campsite has moved on.”

Filed under: Gordon Brown (906 more articles) , Government (232 more articles) , Labour (2013 more articles) , Tax (118 more articles) , U-turn (7 more articles) , UK politics (4907 more articles)

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paul holdstock

July 3rd, 2009 7:17pm Report this comment

brown simply makes 'u'turn, after 'u'turn.
hence revolving in a downward spiral.
the very embodiment of 'spin'.

Tiberius

July 3rd, 2009 8:00pm Report this comment

Steve over-elaborates. All he seems to be saying is what we all know - Brown is useless.

Wight Tory

July 3rd, 2009 8:26pm Report this comment

Its as if he's been sat on a rolling chassis with the controls in place and the bodywork placed on bact to front. In his mind he's moving forward and without looking to see people pointing at the crazy bloke driving the car the wrong way.

In truth, some of the u-turns were right, 42 days and the 10p fiasco to name a couple, but the laughter/distain comes from the "getting to that point" and no Head of State should be in that place to begin with. The Poll Tax policy shows that plundering on regardless is dangerous, but Maggie was never ridiculed to the point of comic strip humour.

Brown and co, really don't get that to be mocked is a bigger crime in the publics eye than to be seen as steadfast. One says "You know what you're doing" the other says "What on earth are you doing?" To be one's own man is a more attractive quality than being everybodies fool.

Jeremy

July 3rd, 2009 8:37pm Report this comment

“The U-turns show that Brown has never acquired a clear voice of his own as Prime Minister and has failed to break away from his complicated past."

That is very insightful.

"Perhaps an early election would have liberated him from the manacles."

That is very insightful.

"Instead, we are left with a trail of major reversals that convey the insecure mindset of (the) Prime Minister..."

That, too, is very insightful.

"...trying too hard to win a big tent of support when virtually the entire campsite has moved on.”

That, I think, is a bit of meaningless waffle tagged on to the end of what was otherwise a very penetrating and trenchant paragraph.

mitch

July 3rd, 2009 8:59pm Report this comment

The fool spent so much time dithering that everything he wanted to do was done by blair and failed.
Brown is left with banning carrier bags and other such monumental life changing decisions.His premiership will go down in history as a disaster littered with missed opportunities.
He had the power,he had the majority he didn't have any vision.

Pete, Scotland

July 3rd, 2009 11:26pm Report this comment

Not only is he old Labour, he is also old politics.

Hysteria

July 4th, 2009 12:50am Report this comment

but isn't the point that when a leader has a clear vision, based on sound principles, which he can articulate, the subject need never arise. The leader sets out the broad frame and gathers the "do-ers" around him to get things done.

U-turns don't need to happen. Adjustments to tactical issues are based in the sound framework of principles - they are not "U turns".

Brown's only principle statement is "I am an honest man" well gee whizz Sherlock! How many politicians are going to claim anything else.?

We on the right have very simple principles which we should be proud of - equality of opportunity (not outcome); people spend their own money better than a Civil Servant; the wealth creators need to be supported - and that's about it.

Lions Roar

July 4th, 2009 2:46am Report this comment

Find his voice?

Communication is the key.

Major Plonquer

July 4th, 2009 9:23am Report this comment

'Prime Minister Grodon Brown'

is actually a very clever anagram of:

'Snot-mired Erring Wimp Broon'.

john miller

July 4th, 2009 9:58am Report this comment

I disagree. Naturally, I think the policies were invented and pursued solely to put the Tories on the back foot.

That is why they unravelled. They were bad policies which had no intrinsic merit.

Banging someone up for political purposes, making poor people poorer for political purposes and the muddled sale of the Post Office for political purposes were never going to work.

That's why he had to U-turn.

Nicholas

July 4th, 2009 10:28am Report this comment

I agree with John MIller. Too much of Brown has been about attempting to discomfort the Tory threat and to secure the image of himself and the Labour party rather than governing the country in the interests of the people.

The very clear message sent by the Euro and local elections would have caused a man of more moral strength and integrity to go immediately to the country. Brown's stubborn hold on power through soundbite and his determination to push a spiteful agenda of scorched earth is both shabby and shameful.

All the while he falls back on that entrenched position so familiar in socialist hypocrits under fire "I may have done wrong but don't you dare attempt to tell me about it".

The rotten state of this regime and the supine apathy of the media, the country and the opposition parties in not doing something about it fills me (and most of the rest of the World apparently) with nothing but contempt and disgust.

So, never mind the bounder's U-turns. I want to see him hitch his metaphorical U-Haul trailer to his creaking wagon and U-Haul it out of No.10, finally and once and for all, to the great relief of the British people.

Chris

July 4th, 2009 11:13am Report this comment

"Brownian motion?" suggested by a correspondent in one of the Saturday newspapers.

David Burns

July 4th, 2009 1:07pm Report this comment

The latest set of smears about the Tories and Gays just show how bereft of real policies Labour is.

Dave

July 4th, 2009 1:11pm Report this comment

Gordon Brown is a sociopath. A shameless liar and egotist, lacking in conscience and empathy, and fuelled by hatred, resentment, and overweening narcissism.

Would you seriously expect anything noble, honest, or positive to issue from such a creature?

Jean Baker

July 4th, 2009 4:41pm Report this comment

'Spinning's' so bad for the brain.

philip riley billingham

July 4th, 2009 8:30pm Report this comment

General Plonquer, while I admit you're correct technically, I think you will find that 'Gordon Brown' is very nearly an anagram of Total f-----g c----n.
regards.

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