Glasgow Kiss For Gordon Brown

Neil · 25-07-2008, 03:26

Labour have lost Glasgow East by 365 seats to the SNP which overturned a gigantic 13,500 majority.

Is it all down hill now for Gordon Brown and the Labour party?

jambutty · 25-07-2008, 04:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

Labour have lost Glasgow East by 365 seats to the SNP which overturned a gigantic 13,500 majority.

Is it all down hill now for Gordon Brown and the Labour party?

That comes as no surprise.

It’s been downhill ever since he picked up the poisoned chalice that Blair left him who was already half way down the slope.

The problem is that he will take us down with him and when Labour get kicked out come the next election, as surely they will, he will pass on an even larger poisoned chalice.

If this country were a PLC it would have filed for bankruptcy long ago. As it is the current Chancellor is considering changing the rules on government borrowing by increasing the limit to 50% of GDP and now Labour is selling off more of the family silver.

Moves are afoot to sell off the country’s 35% stake in the British Nuclear Power industry to Centrica and a French company for some £14 billion, thus netting the treasury some £4 billion.

Centrica, as we all know, supplies the gas to this country and is forecasting a 60% rise in gas prices in the not too distant future. I don’t suppose that the real reason for the increase has anything to do with gathering in more funds to pay for their share in BNFL rather than then declared link to the price of oil?

andrewb · 25-07-2008, 09:11

Its not looking good for him is it. I agree Jambutty, I heard borrowing is the highest since 1946.

jaysay · 25-07-2008, 09:37

He will be chewing his finger nails down from now on

wadey · 25-07-2008, 11:46

It couldn't get any worse, by any standards this was a bad result.

MikeSz · 25-07-2008, 14:54

Its another example of how people have voiced their views on this stagnant, out of touch, clueless government. It also suggests that the views of the SNP (who predominantly support Scottish independence) are now being supported by the Scottish electorate.

Eric · 25-07-2008, 15:27

In a way, Labour should not be too disappointed: they must realize that they are going to get a pummeling at the next general election; on the other hand, they are leaving the tories with a real mess to sort out ... maybe it's a good time to be in opposition, and leave the tories to deal with the obvious economic and social problems England will be facing.

jaysay · 25-07-2008, 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric

In a way, Labour should not be too disappointed: they must realize that they are going to get a pummeling at the next general election; on the other hand, they are leaving the tories with a real mess to sort out ... maybe it's a good time to be in opposition, and leave the tories to deal with the obvious economic and social problems England will be facing.

Nothing new there Eric, they always do that at every level they're involved, big on talk pathetic in action

MargaretR · 25-07-2008, 17:09

.......

garinda · 25-07-2008, 18:02

Gordon Brown will never be elected as Prime Minister of this country.

The sooner he goes the better.

The only comfort he can take from the latest by-election result is that the Conservative vote actually dropped.

shakermaker · 25-07-2008, 18:08

I think andrewb was right when he said to me the other night (lovely pillow talk) that Gordon Brown had gathered the credit for the quite fruitful economic times we had when he was Chancellor (when it wasn't really his doing) and is now receiving a rather unfair lashing for the current political and economic climate when it isn't really his fault.
Swings and roundabouts Gordy.

Stanaccy · 25-07-2008, 18:25

The problem labour have had is following conservative policies since they came into power. Selling off the state owned industries, maintaining strict public sector budgets, bringing in private industry to run public services at the lowest possible cost (pay peanuts get monkeys). Using civil servants to combat inflation etc.

To bring in an earlier thread they should have followed more socialist ideals regarding the public sector, that way health and education would have improved and they would have been able to point to positives that have been done.

Until labour returns to it's roots then it will always be a pale shadow of the tories. The closest to any viable alternative to the tories is the Lib dems unfortunately.

MikeSz · 26-07-2008, 23:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stanaccy

The problem labour have had is following conservative policies since they came into power. Selling off the state owned industries, maintaining strict public sector budgets, bringing in private industry to run public services at the lowest possible cost (pay peanuts get monkeys). Using civil servants to combat inflation etc.

To bring in an earlier thread they should have followed more socialist ideals regarding the public sector, that way health and education would have improved and they would have been able to point to positives that have been done.

Until labour returns to it's roots then it will always be a pale shadow of the tories. The closest to any viable alternative to the tories is the Lib dems unfortunately.

I think you have missed a couple of points here. Yes, Labour have adopted some concepts of original Conservative policy. Mr Blair's Public Private Partnerships were just one example of using the private sector to attempt to increase competition in the delivery of services. They did however apply their own little brand of socialism to these policies which shouldnt be ignored. These are not policies that have been lifted straight out of Thatcherism and implemented under a new name - they have been overwhelmingly re-worked whilst cherry picking the best bits. Other examples include the NHS Trusts and railways.

They have not "maintained strict public sector budgets" - dont be naive with what you hear on the news. Public sector spending has gone through the roof, as has the amount we are now taxed - but its all done in a modular fashion; things are broken down so you can quote the low figures, or the amalgamated set depending on what suits. Pet projects, government schemes and hedge funds all contribute to this. Labour governments have always been 'big' governments - they tax more and they spend more. This is one of the fundamental differences between the two main parties - I'm not going to get on my soap box, instead (and alas rather crudely) il just try to stay neutral and say with a Labour government, you have to hope they dont waste all your money, with a conservative government, you have to hope they collect enough and put it where it needs putting.

Big governments end in tears, and socialism in its purest form cant exist because it is incompatible with human nature. The communists tried it and found out that 'some are more equal than others' because human nature allows it to be so.