Just get out of the way, Prime Minister

Kevyn Bodman

Partly right,Fraser. A PM setting detailed business targets is absurd, but the businessmen with him might benefit from the simple impression that the UK is well-disposed to the idea of expanding business with China. The effect might not be quantifiable, but is nonetheless real. It's one of the reasons business entertaining gets done. But, having done what he can to establish a favourable atmosphere then, yes , get out of the way Prime Minister.

Verity

"but the businessmen with him might benefit from the simple impression that the UK is well-disposed to the idea of expanding business with China." I don't agree, Kevyn. It's not within Brown's remit (actually, being unelected, nothing is within his remit, but let that pass) to be making such statist announcements. What governments need to do is get out of the way. Brown should stop trying to get on TV looking like a leader. He isn't a leader. He doesn't have the right stuff to be a leader. He's a touchy, sulky backroom nerd. And never having been in the private sector, he would do well to keep his floppy mouth shut.

Mike Bower

Mr Brown has been party to many enconomical changes inflicted on small businesses - minimum wage and PC orientated regimes. Whilst China is at the other - unnacceptable - end of these scales, I feel he only condones the conditions of it's citizens by showing such enthusiam for talking trade up. I don't suggest we should be going to these despot countries and wagging our fingers at their leaders; in fact I would rather Mr Brown start to look in his own back garden to see where his lack of sensible policies are taking our law and order and general behaviour. This International Statesman stuff does nothing for me; I would like to see the Britain put back in Britain and then the Great put firmly in front of it. Our town centres in the evenings are the most shocking in Europe - or is it cafe culture English Style? Think I went off track there abit - but all comes back to the same thing!

Trumpeter Lanfried

Brown only has one basic speech which he uses on every occasion. It comprises a list of economic half-truths which he rattles off like a machine gun; a classic case of what Arthur Daley's minder used to call 'GBH of the earhole.' I hope the Chinese enjoy it.

Max Kaye

From the photos I'd say that the rift between the Chinese Communist Party and Stalinism may have been healed.

Howard

Brown is proving hopeless in every department and he cannot break free of the Treasury. He reminds me of Eden who had similar faults of personality and character. Somebody should do an analysis.

george

Perhaps Brown has told the Chinese leadership not to send their daughters to UK boarding schools on the grounds that it makes them out of touch and elitist.

Nicholas Millman

The BBC are bigging up the Brown trip with news reports live from China (courtesy of licence fee payers) as though this was some kind of monumental event. Trying to bury the stink of all the sleaze at home no doubt and ably supported by those paragons of impartiality the BBC. Kind of sickening to see McStalin toadying up to the repressive regime that murdered so many of its own people in Tiananmen Square and afterwards for daring to hope for democracy. That rusty and somewhat tarnished moral compass must be spinning like crazy.

Kevyn Bodman

Verity : we might not disagree by so very much about Brown's statist attitudes. But if you want to do business with someone you must let them know that you want to do business with them.I was taught this as a young sales trainee. That's what Brown is trying to do, I think. Having sent that signal he can't, and shouldn't try, to do any more.Business is the province of businessmen. Mrs. Thatcher used to 'bat for Britain'; our Royals try to do the same in opening up a favourable atmosphere for trade.After that, get out of the way indeed. Verity, your comments are among the best, here and over on Melanie Phillips' page, but I don't think a comment on Brown's 'floppy mouth' helps.

Max Kaye

Kevyn Bodman, I disagree. Verity's only fault was not to mention Brown's 'orrible bitten-to-the-quick nails.

William

Yeah, Brown, a real nerd, bites his finger nails, floppy-mouthed backroom boy! Sorry, what were we saying about the necessary balance between the free market and the role of government in promoting British interests at the macro level before we were so rudely interrupted?

Liz Hayes

i would suggest most of you read more history,economics, and try to open ur eyes more in the world if u still haven't yet done so...(apparently haven't)...

Robin

Gordon Brown goes to China and pledges more trade between us. In November Sarkozy was in Chioan and returned with 20bn of orders ofr Airbus and Nuclear power stations. Does anyone remember the days when Mrs Thatcher went on tour and brought back orders for British companies with British workers? (that's a lesson from the history books Ms Hayes) He also seems to need teaching a thing or two about British history himself; Bentleys, now more numerous in Beijing than London, are not a British success story - it's owned by the Germans. What a farce this man is.

Robin

Gordon Brown goes to China and pledges more trade between us. In November Sarkozy was in Chioan and returned with 20bn of orders ofr Airbus and Nuclear power stations. Does anyone remember the days when Mrs Thatcher went on tour and brought back orders for British companies with British workers? (that's a lesson from the history books Ms Hayes) He also seems to need teaching a thing or two about British history himself; Bentleys, now more numerous in Beijing than London, are not a British success story - it's owned by the Germans. What a farce this man is.

Robin

Gordon Brown goes to China and pledges more trade between us. In November Sarkozy was in Chioan and returned with 20bn of orders ofr Airbus and Nuclear power stations. Does anyone remember the days when Mrs Thatcher went on tour and brought back orders for British companies with British workers? (that's a lesson from the history books Ms Hayes) He also seems to need teaching a thing or two about British history himself; Bentleys, now more numerous in Beijing than London, are not a British success story - it's owned by the Germans. What a farce this man is.

kayvijkay

In India, Gordon Brown was on a public relations overdrive. He publically endorsed India's case for a permanent member status in the UN Security Council and even talked about an honorary knighthood for Sachin Tendulkar whom cricket-crazy Indians worship almost as an incarnation of God. In this 'making friends" exercise, Mr.Brown didn't quite sound Prime Ministerish.