The Prime Ministers popularity seems to be in question, I wonder why? It looks like Labour are about to bodge the economy once again and make us all suffer financially. Caring Mr brown who seems to have always been in chancellor mode since he was 'PM' has said the economy is 'sole focus'. It seems the former Exchequer has made some mistakes. Personally I do not think GB has done a lot for us since hes been Prime minister, I would advise him to get out whilst he can before he is ousted by his own ministers.see this This looks like the final chapter for Labour, even some ministers are thinking of defecting

We've had a boom in recent years (at least in house prices). Now we could be heading for a recession. Given that the British economy has gone through booms and busts for at least 200 years, I can't quite see how all this is Gordon Brown's fault.

I'm teed off with the abolition of the 10p tax rate, the fact that British troops are still holed up in Basra airport doing nothing in particular, the planned extension in the length of detention without trial, the continuing giveaway of public services to PFI cowboys, the plans for the building of more nuclear power stations and what are laughably called 'eco towns', the fact that unelected 'Lord' Digby Jones is a government minister, the abolition of inheritance tax to appease people who have enough money already, and many other issues. But I don't see how Gordon Brown (even if he was Chancellor for 10 years) can be held particularly to blame for the global macroeconomic conditions we find ourselves in.

Instead of getting rid of boom and bust (promised by Mr Brown in 1997 or whenever) he's delivered a massive boom (1999-2007) and now a massive bust (2008-?) :rolleyes:

Further more, instead of running budget surpluses during the years of economic success and high tax receipts he managed to increase public borrowing to the tune of roughly £38billion year-on-year for a good number of years now. As he won't lower public spending the deficits the government are going to run up this year and next are going to be even greater.

As the old saying goes - Labour governments always run out of money. And it's so true.

As for the state of the economy - well, I'm am more and more beginning to believe that this is the start of a long term period of lower growth, higher prices and declining quality of life. The reasons are there clearly to see: we have gone past peak oil (where the production of oil has peaked and yet demand continues to grow) resulting in ever more expensive energy (which leads to more expensive production and transportation of goods). Wholesale prices of other resources, such as metals and even grain, have in recent years gone through the roof. We have entered, and this is the world not just the UK, an era of declining resource availability and difficult lifestyle choices.

Frankly the shit is now only a few millimetres from hitting the fan. Should be interesting when it does! :blink:

The Prime minister according to sources has known about this impending economic gloom for a few years. Just remember TW these ministers are paid to govern our country this includes surely its economic state. Nationalising a bank is one big one

You're right. I have always thought 'No more Tory boom and bust' was a ridiculous slogan. A 2001 election advert bringing dumbing down of the highest order.

I know, Mr Prudence he ain't. Apart from the massive PSBR he's run up, we've had a trade deficit for so long in this country that no-one even mentions it any more.

I agree completely - the Blair/Brown government has been so hopeless for long-term thinking that seems almost deliberate.

An imaginative government could have managed the phased reduction in oil consumption and the development of other energy sources (so we were not faced with importing our electricity from France) and would not allow all our scrap metal to end up on ships to China. Instead they caved in so completely to the 2001 fuel protesters that they are terrified of being labelled 'anti motorist' and 'nanny state'.

Having said all that, although I think that Gordon Brown and his circus are to blame for a great deal that is wrong with Britain, he can't be held responsible for the chill winds blowing from the USA. I suppose I'm being a bit tribalistic here, but I can't see how a Cameron government (who would be as deeply in hock to big business and certain American pressure groups as Brow) would have done much that was different.

I do suspect though that the next government, which will be Conservative under Cameron, will run a tighter ship regarding public finances. They'll have to - after the mess Gordon will have left by 2010..!

(Not too different than what the last new Conservative government had to deal with when coming into power, in 1979... a complete shambles of an economy and dire public finances. Considering the relatively healthy state of things Labour inherited in 1997 - it does make you wonder.)

Watched Gordon Brown in America on the news this evening, what a different man! Mind you his reputation however has sunk even lower in my opinion he actually stated he liked american television, doh! No offence but name one good TV programme other than repetative soaps that we are subjected to over here. In the immortal words of former pop star 'Jilted John' well I will leave it up to you to find out what he thought of Gordon

I can't see it being all that similar. Don't forget that the union-busting policies and privatisations that Mrs Thatcher is remembered for didn't really start until after 1983.

Her chosen course of action will not be open to a future Cameron government. Even if (or probably when) he does win, I'm not all that clear on how he will be much different to Brown/Darling in practice.

But then again, I'm an awkward cuss who thinks that John Major and Jim Callaghan were better prime ministers than most people give them credit for.

To be fair, he was only doing as he was told. We are only a colony of the US after all, and our masters expect us to behave with due deference. Nicolas Sarkozy did his performing sealion act there a few weeks ago, and it looks like the Pope is being expected to do the same as we speak.

You are not one of the 20%of people surveyed who actually like Gordon are you TW. He could of picked a better subject than american tv surely! I can imagine him being as you say told.......' Now do as your told Gordon or you wont get to watch the simpsons! :D

Frankly, it has come to my attention that Gordon Brown and his advisers are simply a bunch of morons.

[QUOTE=Town_Walls,Apr 16 2008, 06:29 PM]
"But then again, I'm an awkward cuss who thinks that John Major and Jim Callaghan were better prime ministers than most people give them credit for."

That's two of us then.

I think Major was pretty sound. Let us not forget that in 1992 he and the Conservative party polled the most votes than any party ever in the history of British general elections.

I have to agree,apart from his little fling with Edwina,i think the bloke was sincere,did you watch the 'Major Years' documentary?.

No I haven't.

Let us not also forget that it was under his spell as Prime Minister that the economy was sorted out - Labour inherited a pretty sound economy in 1997.

I think Brown as leader of labour was a very bad choice. William hague is a far better shadow home secretary than he was a leader of the conservative party. Gordon Brown was a very good exchequer and I think he should have stuck to this. He clearly is not at ease in the public eye, I have never seen such a false smile form a man who seems quite glum and americans are already calling him the unlucky prime minister. As far as the people who tell him what to do I'd sack them. Who would visit the States when the pope was in town and how many world leaders have supported his attack on Mugabe, not a very well orchestrated exercise on solidarity I feel. So when will Mr Bean go ?

Not guilty your Honour. I don't like him at all. But I don't have much time for many of the better known MPs, apart perhaps from Frank Field and Alan Duncan.

Yes, I even bought his autobiography. There is unfortunately no mention of how he was charmed by Edwina, but then I suppose it's not as if he actually wrote it. Actually, one of my main memories of the TV series was watching Norman Lamont throwing his toys out the pram on more than occasion.

But yes, looking back John Major came across as a decent man. It does, however, upset me that rail privatisation occurred on his watch though. A very black mark on anyone's record.

...........and now 'plastic' Gordon on american idol prepare to be alarmed Hes more like a thunderbird puppet. Gordon is also giving money away it seems at our expense

The pundits are predicting that the PM might be forced to stand down if Labour do badly in the local government elections next month. Having waited so long for the top job I doubt that he would give up so easily but if he did who would replace him? There is already a betting market with David Milliband being the front runner. It's hard to think of anybody though with the charisma and ability to become the leader.

There again David Cameron was an unknown when he became leader of the opposition and is doing very well although some say what he really stands for is also unknown.

I doubt Gordon Brooon will stand down even if Labour do badly in the local and London elections this May. He'll just blame it on "mid-term" factors in the electorate. Basically it's our fault for not voting Labour, not his and the government's fault for running this country so badly!

As for his replacement - lord knows. Jack Straw? David Milliband? Jacqui Smith?! Who knows... the Labour frontbench is so weak there's hardly anyone to chose from!

Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Prime Minister in 2010 methinks!

Not sure myself if Cameron would get the vote he seems so 'wet'. I think that it could be a hung parliament. can you honestly say that Cameron and indeed his party represent the feelings of British people, I dont think so.

Can you honestly say that you'd rather continue with this hopeless Labour government than have a fresh Conservative one?

But what sort of Conservative government? The opposition front bench is knee-deep in Old Etonians like Dave Cameron who at various times has said that he is a fan of Mrs Thatcher, the heir to New Labour, a liberal Conservative, and Conservative to the core.

Well that seems actually quite consistent! Mrs Thatcher, Old Etonians, New Labour and being liberal (ie libertarian - ie small state, individualism, etc) are all pretty Conservative! :P

Quite. When you think of the giants of the Conservative party in the last century (Winston Churchill, William Beveridge, Harold Macmillan, Enoch Powell, and so on) the band of ex-public relations executives that makes up the current opposition front-bench is hardly inspiring.

I do appreciate that PS feels much the same way about getting rid of this government as I felt before the 1997 election, or going back further, about how many people felt before the 1963 election. But I can't see how a Cameron government would be any different to Brown & co. in practice - in fact, it will probably be worse.

We'll still have the creeping privatisation of public services, big business will still be getting a great deal when it comes to tax breaks, relaxed planning laws and migration from Eastern Europe, our troops will still be underfunded and overstretched, and the country will continue to pay lip service to climate change and future oil shortages while lorry miles, plane usage and traffic congestion all carry on increasing.

Why vote for either of the main parties?there are other alternatives,i am now at the stage of my political life where i have in the past voted for the two main runners and i now see where thats got us,dont lets kid ourselves,this country is on a downward spiral.

I'm really not sure if Cameron is ready to deal with governing the country actually PS, all style no substance. From what ive seen he and his right hand men are all in the 'wet' league for me. I think they may end up making the country worse off, personally. If only Enoc Powell wasnt around!

I agree with what you say but William Beveridge a Conservative?

Oh dear. You're completely right. I got a bit carried away there!

After losing three elections when the "dry" league were rejected by the voters, it seems to me that David Cameron realised that the only way for the Conservatives to gain power again was to be seen to be occupying the middle, "wet" ground. He seems to change his stance to suit his audience but he is a skilled PR man after all. Detailed policies seem scant Should the Conservatives win the next election as seems likely then I suspect that the "dry" side will re-emerge.