Blair's most unpopular decision is more popular than Labour under Brown
James Forsyth 11:55am
Looking at the numbers from that Independent poll, one thing stands out to me: today, more people agree with Blair’s decision on Iraq than support Labour under Gordon Brown. Labour has support from 24 percent of the electorate while 26 percent disagree with the assertion that "Britain should never have become involved in Iraq".
It says something about how low Labour’s standing currently is that Blair’s supposedly most unpopular decision commands more support than the party does. It makes a mockery of all those Brownites who used to say that Labour could only reconnect with the electorate once Blair and the stigma of Iraq had been removed
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Comments
john miller
July 20th, 2008 12:17pmIt never fails to amaze me how crass Brown's communications and PR advisers are. Ok, it would be a Herculean task to sell Brown to the big, wide world, but pictures like these are just appalling.
Flak jacket over suit posing behind a machine gun in a gunship... Who did they think would look at this and think "Good old Gordon!"?
Conversely, when someone in the bunker saw it why didn't they think "Prat"?
Sometimes I think Brown wants to screw the electorate for hating him and the Labour Party wants to screw Gordon Brown and the rest of us want to screw the Labour Party. What a country.
Austin Barry
July 20th, 2008 12:35pmI see that Mr "Prudence" Brown has now pledged 30 million quid of taxpayers' money to the Palestinian Authority. Why? I guess that this dour Roundhead will continue to be cavalier with our loot as part of his death spiral largesse.
Silent Hunter
July 20th, 2008 1:23pmJohn Miller:
Oh look!
There's that annoying 'jaw drop' thing he does again....
Agreed!.....he's a complete Prat!
A shame some one didn't take off and push him out from a great height. LOL
London Calling
July 20th, 2008 2:29pmI thought Gordon Brown speech today in Bethlehem was very good, in fact I thought he deserved a mention here, after all he is still our prime minister and represents our country and should be praised when he gets it right, and I couldn’t fault his speech, it was brave, fresh and positive for the future of Israel and the Palestinian peace process.
As far as polls are concerned, they don’t really matter right now,... do they?
David C
July 20th, 2008 2:40pmIt says something about Labour's standing.
It also says something about Labour's judgement.
I cannot understand why the PLP have not quietly knifed the 'dear Leader' and started to fight back.
I am one of those who believe it is now too late to change leader; that action had to be taken before the recess.
Instead, the Labour Party has shown itself to be a reflection of its master, lacking of purpose but incapable of admitting a mistake, bereft of ideas, devoid of principle and very, very frightened.
dc
July 20th, 2008 2:59pmI hate Brown. I think he is an absolutely horrible man.
mitch
July 20th, 2008 4:25pmBrowns problem as I see it apart from being a useless ditherer is that when he spins or manoeuvres its so obvious what he is about, Blair on the other hand could swap sides and no one noticed. Brown is too clumsy and stupid to lie convincingly.
Marian C
July 20th, 2008 5:11pmHe looks like he's just been dug up, and they're using him as a fly catcher LOL
Verity
July 20th, 2008 5:35pmMitch - Are you saying that Blair lied convincingly?
I must have been asleep that time.
Robert Williams
July 20th, 2008 6:29pmThe Independent, who would appear to still be big fans of Brown, seek to excuse a similar picture thus
" The image above reportedly turned a Downing Street press officer "white with shock" – Gordon Brown sat behind a Puma helicopter's machine gun during yesterday's visit to Baghdad. Mr Brown had not posed for the shot: he had merely turned to chat to the gunner who let go of his weapon. Sensing a public relations disaster Mr Brown's secretaries tried to intervene, but too late. The picture had already been wired around the world."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/brown-plans-to-withdraw-troops-as-he-backs-obama-over-war-on-terror-872388.html
However the Indy's pic has a smiling Gordon, not the one above where he is fingering the weapon.
Silent Hunter
July 20th, 2008 8:12pmLondon Calling????
Don't you mean.....
"Jairmany calling.......Jairmany calling....." LOL
john miller
July 20th, 2008 8:27pmlol I see from the Telegraph that the spin now is that "hey, he was just chatting away and then this like jacket thing threw itself over him and the gun swung round then someone took a picture and hey, we like,just published it by mistake and hey, it was all like, just an accident." I shall say no more...
john miller
July 20th, 2008 10:33pmHa! It gets worse - Guido has it as a caption competition on a Sunday evening.
I've only just really LOOKED at the photo, and bugger me, I realise I've never, ever seen him so happy - scary or what?
Lord Elvis of Paisley
July 21st, 2008 12:02amDavid C "lacking of purpose". Not really. This Government does have a purpose, and it is a very common one at that.
David C
July 21st, 2008 11:35amMilord:
I used 'lacking of purpose' to avoid 'dithering', which has become cliched, and to escape 'purposelessness', which although more precise, seems to be a concatenation too far.
I do however, appreciate and agree with your 'common purpose' witticism.
Silent Hunter
July 21st, 2008 12:25pmLord Elvis of Paisleybuddy:
Is it to take over the world? ;O)
Hysteria
July 21st, 2008 2:33pmhe is not "fingering the gun"- his hands are some way behind the naughty bits of the weapon. And for the complete avoidance of doubt it is not "a Heavy Machine gun" as was reported - it is a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) - the workhorse support weapon for the infantry, here mounted in air to ground role. Note the carrying handle at the top? Heavy Machine guns (.50 cal for example) are substantially bigger and - er - heavier!