What was in Brown's speech for those turning away from Labour?

Publius

If you're on the subject of referendums, Mr Brown, then what I would like is the one you promised and then reneged on. Remember that?

Nick Breeze

Lots of noise within the conference and twitter messages and bloggers and broadcasters etc... but sadly no audience for it. We're all working 20 times harder just stay afloat praying for an election.

Let's have a national referendum now on who we want to govern the country.. or is that.. not very democratic?

Chris.

What is baffling is why Labour would want to be reelected, other than to cover up what they have done. The collapse of public finances will have catastrophic conseqences for a Government with nobody to blame. Civil unrest will cause extreme and personal risks for those deemed responsible. Look at the hue and cry over Baroness Scotland, this is only the beginning I fear.

Ben Elford

I've been under the impression that the convention of the standing ovation is a routine response easily triggered, especially in a bored audience grateful for the opportunity to stretch their legs, and helped by a few loyal activists primed to get to their feet on cue.

What is supposed to be significant about it?

Gauze Net

Filter set to maximum. As a result, thank Gord, very little managed to get through. Terrific!

Cottage Pie

So where's this bold announcement that he intends to join the debate with Messrs Clegg and Cameron?

Beer Moth

"But what about those voters who are turning away from Labour in their droves? What was there for them?"

Further justification.

chris as usual

The voters at the general election are going to get what they deserve. If they vote Labour, then it will be on the basis of what Labour have been doing for them, their wish that this will continue, and will deem that any promises or explanations by other parties will not do it for them.
For everyone else, including those who voted Labour previously but are now discontent with them, the interest will be on the presentation by David Cameron and his party. (We heard from the Liberals last week -ouch!). So it is for all these people that we need an honest debate. On the basis that Labour will get less than 30% of the vote, and that there will be about a 70% turnout, then the maximum vote Labour can actually expect is about 1 in 5 of the voting population.
We need major reforms, not feeble gestures, and the Conservatives owe it to the other 4 out of 5 to propose reform.
I wish I was younger. I would have a go.

glenlivetguy

Brown boasts about what Labour have done for the NHS in the last 12 years but the simple fact is that it now costs £90billion a year to run. With the current account deficit this year likely to be £200billion, in effect the NHS bill for 2008 and 2009 will be paid for by our children as they pay off Brown's National Debt.Not to mention the PFI costs for the hospitals on the never never.And yet still more promises to provide yet more services with money that isnt there.

oldtimer

I steeled myself to watch it.

My conclusions:
(1) It is the Brownian version of dog whistle politics, designed to win back Labour`s core vote.
(2) On that basis it will probably enjoy some success.
(3) It will not win back the broad coalition of voters that Blair and co mobilised in 1997 and subsequent elections.
(4) The election campaign will be a dirty fight - Brown and co have everything to lose.

In2minds

So many lies it's hard to know where to start! But taking the point of those turning away from Nulabour and doing so on the issue of ID cards. It's not so much the plastic, the card, but the database that supports it that is the issue here and there has been no mention by Brown of this. It will be made up of all existing databases and what ever the 'new' act says the police will ignore this and carry on as before bending the law as it suits them. To say that ID will not be compulsory is to overlook what NO2ID and other organisations can see happening NOW.

This was just another fight back speech full of Nulabour lies.

Ian Walker

As Guido has pointed out, the "Gulags for Slags" policy has been lifted almost word-for-word from the BNP manifesto, so there's a chance to win back a few voters there.

Funny how a referendum on Lisbon, probably the one thing that really could turn things round for Labour, never comes to the table. Almost as if they're relying on the EU for cushy post-government places on the gravy express.

Nicholas Hallam

The concept of the "hard-working majority" is worth examining as it seems to underpin Brown's vision for Britain, identifying the section of the population which Labour's policies are intended to help.

I suspect that the majority of people in this country are not particularly hard-working, and those that are do not seem to me especially deserving of help from the government.

moorlandhunter

He and Labour have not had the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty yet. We were promised this and yet Brown refuses to let the people speak. His speech is a long on promises but as always will be short on truth.
BTW, I see on another blog that the homes for young single mums to dissuade young women to ‘fall’ to repeat pregnancies is a idea first spoken of by Nick Griffin and the BNP? Has Brown stolen the idea from them?

Billericay Dave

Just checked my mindtracker results on sky HMMMM dont seam to be the same as I entered made me look like i agreed with gormless or is it just they think I should agree with our glorious leader !!!!!!

Vulture

Bruin could have promised a million quid to every Liebour voter - its all moonshine, since he'll never be called upon to deliver.
I think the Slut Huts idea is quite a good way of controlling the Ferals (thanx, BNP) - but its abt as practical as Bliar's cashpoint fines bollox. It won't happen.
This speech might retrive a few Liebour votes that had strayed towards the BNP, but it won't make any converts, that's for sure.
Liebour are still very blackened toast.

TrevorsDen

It might be interesting to consider previous Brown speeches and their promises which have not been delivered.

Offering a referendum on AV when he has refused one on EU is surely a cynicism too far.
And why AV - why not the principle of PR? Who is to say that it any better than another system?

Thomas Cussans

There simply is no way that any attempt to highlight 'New' Labour's 'achievements' over the last 12 years can amount to anything more than a society fractured possibly beyond repair, an economy laid low, debt pursuing generations scarcely born and a properly stupid client state of pointless, half-educated pen-pushers who can justify their existence only by the vindictive pursuit of the obviously law-abiding.

This is Gord the Mad's legacy.

In this crazed, splintered world the only consolation is listening to the likes Harriet the Harridan lying through her teeth, pearl necklace gleaming, as she reiterates her support for a man she clearly loathes and as clearly fears. To say nothing of Mandelson, loving every second of fawning attention, lying even more blatantly. There is a certain perverted pleasure, for me at any rate, in observing these properly nasty lunatics spiraling to the ground, Gordo desperately yanking the controls back and forth, Mandelson looking ever more slimy, Harman spouting more inanities (believe me: this woman is seriously thick).

And all the while 'Ed" Balls, stutterer in chief, smirks.

It makes your skin crawl.

These are people

Thomas Cussans

There simply is no way that any attempt to highlight 'New' Labour's 'achievements' over the last 12 years can amount to anything more than a society fractured possibly beyond repair, an economy laid low, debt pursuing generations scarcely born and a properly stupid client state of pointless, half-educated pen-pushers who can justify their existence only by the vindictive pursuit of the obviously law-abiding.

This is Gord the Mad's legacy.

In this crazed, splintered world the only consolation is listening to the likes Harriet the Harridan lying through her teeth, pearl necklace gleaming, as she reiterates her support for a man she clearly loathes and as clearly fears. To say nothing of Mandelson, loving every second of fawning attention, lying even more blatantly. There is a certain perverted pleasure, for me at any rate, in observing these properly nasty lunatics spiraling to the ground, Gordo desperately yanking the controls back and forth, Mandelson looking ever more slimy, Harman spouting more inanities (believe me: this woman is seriously thick).

And all the while 'Ed" Balls, stutterer in chief, smirks.

It makes your skin crawl.

These are people

Dean

What you overlook is that most voters are not happy with the choice they are being presented with. On the one hand, we have a Labour Government that sees no limits to the good that government can do (and is willing to spend without limit to prove its point). On the other hand, we have a Conservative Party with seemingly unlimited faith in the invisible hand of the free market - a dogma apparently so strong that the near collapse of capitalist financial markets in autumn 2008 was unable to shake it. As for Cameron's so-called "modernisation project", well your very own Tamsin Lightwater saw through that one pretty quickly, didn't she?

TrevorsDen

Guido points out that the 'Borstal for Teen Mothers' (what about the fathers?) plan is lifted from the BNP playbook.

Con Home point out it was a1999 Blair pledge as well
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/centreright/2009/09/brown-really-does-believe-in-recycling.html

john miller

Mandy says, I'll work for whoever gives me a job, even the Tories , then gives a pathetic speech and is cheered by the party faithful.

Brown gives a BNP style speech about locking up young pregnant mothers in some gulag and gets a standing ovation.

Harriet Harman's husband gets parachuted into a safe seat, with no wimmin in sight and gets a resounding cheer from the party faithful.

Henry the Rat says he will halve the national debt by importing green cheese from the moon and selling it to the Germans and gets a standing ovation from the party faithful.

Do I detect a pattern here?

Norman Dee

of what use is a fully or partially elected H o L's, or a smaller or larger government in the Commons when Brown and especially Mandelbum are dedicated to locking us into a Europe with no democracy at all. What are all theses Lords and MP's going to be discussing, Sarahs choice of dress for the next time they go to Brussels to get their orders.

Herbert Thornton

By giving Brown a standing ovation they must have turned even more people away from Labour.

David Skitmore

Labour is no longer a mass political party it's a political gang of self serving career politicans the speeches where truly awful Mandelson's gutchering.. no passion no self belief no vision.

Carly

Brown mentioned Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in his speech but the country that pays the bills of the United Kingdon, England, is persona non grata in the Labour party. It makes me furious. Brown is trying to sell a Scottish statist collectivist ideaology to a conservative England. He just does not 'get it'. If Labour win another five years this country is finished.

Tom Mackee

Was it not Hitler who dreamed up the idea of homes for unmarried young (suitably Aryan of course) mothers bearing the children of absent (suitably blond SS)fathers. Rather than throw money at single teenage mothers on sink estates, Brown wants to throw money at them in purpose built homes. How about just cutting the allowances unless they are in a marriage?

Dee

Vote Labour get BNP. Nick Griffin can't believe his luck.

chris

theyll not stay (labour)