Gordon Brown on the Brink ?

Denis Irwin

Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell has resigned from the Cabinet and called on Gordon Brown to quit.

Mr Purnell said he no longer had confidence in the Prime Minister and said he should step down for the good of the Labour Party.
It comes as polls closed in the local council and European elections.
In a resignation letter released to several newspapers, Mr Purnell said Mr Brown's continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less, likely.
The senior Blairite's departure follows the loss of three ministers from the Cabinet in as many days.
There are also reports of backbenchers collecting signatures demanding his removal.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/Work-And-Pensions-Secretary-James-Purnell-Quits-The-Cabinet-More-Woe-For-PM-Gordon-Brown/Article/200906115296300?lpos=Politics_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15296300_Work_And_Pensions_Secretary_James_Purnell_Quits_The_Cabinet%2C_More_Woe_For_PM_Gordon_Brown


Seems to be inevitable now no matter what the results from the Elections. Not that Labour are going to do well anyway.

mike65

Agree, his successor (unlucky bastard) will almost certainly be the shortest lived PM since god knows when as he will be compelled to hold a general election so he can be 'validated'. Brown got a freebie and has little authority.

Trotter

I wonder will this put more or less pressure on our own government here. If the media focus is on the UK situation, that would suit FF.

The speed of the deterioration of Gordon Brown's situation, even today!, is shocking.

mike65 wrote: »

Brown got a freebie and has little authority.

Just like our own fearless leader.

paddyboy23

i dont think he ever got a chance,something like our own brian cowen i think they were both left in the s..t by two very clever men who now have two little jobs away from all the noise, god help the poor people britian if david cameron and that george osborne take over

nesf

The Economist has an article on it this week: http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13783004

They're pessimistic about his future.

Affable

Hope not. I don't want the tories to win.

sink

3 cabinet ministers in 3 days, that is unprecedented, it amounts implosion of Gordon Browns cabinet. Couple that with a possible collapse in support at the polls and Gordon Brown can't possibly maintain the leadership of the Labour party. We could see a new PM in no. 10 in the next few weeks. The new PM would have to hold a GE in order to stop the haemorrhage of their parties support and their governments legitimacy.

Denis Irwin

Affable wrote: »

Hope not. I don't want the tories to win.

But they'll still win even if he's in charge.

Affable

Denis Irwin wrote: »

But they'll still win even if he's in charge.

Yeah, I know, I just meant if he falls apart then we don't have a more convincing labour leader. And I dislike the direction the Tories could take us.

mike65

Us? Us???

Affable

mike65 wrote: »

Us? Us???

Well I just meant England. Sorry.

jpfahy

There's the UK government falling apart and yet our own crowd are still united, despite all the much greater scandals and economic problems we have here. Just shows the Irish will put up with any s**t without protest.

Nate--IRL--

jpfahy wrote: »

There's the UK government falling apart and yet our own crowd are still united, despite all the much greater scandals and economic problems we have here. Just shows the Irish will put up with any s**t without protest.

Couldn't agree more.

Nate

Permabear

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Affable

donegalfella wrote: »

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They are a nasty outfit IMO.

Out of interest whats Ireland like politically? Would Irish people tend to share the poltiical sensibilities of the North of England, Wales and Scotland rather than the South-East more in veering more towards (to however moderate a degree)collectivism and socialism economically and culturally-or if not that, would they be more in line with Labour/New Lab than Tories? Do they tend more to the social liberalism of England, Holland, Sweden etc or to the social conservatism of the USA?

Permabear

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Affable

donegalfella wrote: »

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Not to say that I definitively agree with collectivism and socialism, but it's good to see that, the issue aside, there are still people to be somewhat idealistic, who are not brainwashed, and who are willing to take a step back against the international pressure and say is this right what we are doing? The world has just been bombarded with the fact that economic 'progress' is the be all and end all above all else and other values and concerns have been put on a backburner. All this consumerism has gone mad and seems pointless.

Is gay marriage/adoption or abortion legal? Do you have separation of chruch and state?

sink

Affable wrote: »

Is gay marriage/adoption or abortion legal? Do you have separation of chruch and state?

No to all of the above.

mike65

Hmm before you are steered in ther wrong direction in Ireland the individual rules, has done for years now - Did you see In Search of the Popes Children on BBC4 recently? If so thats Ireland now (despite the bust people haven't changed). The old collectivism was cowed in front of the Catholic Church and the bank manager.

Permabear

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johnathan woss

Affable wrote: »

Hope not. I don't want the tories to win.

What could the tories possibly have done worse than New Labour ?

Affable

donegalfella wrote: »

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I can see that makes intuitive sense. Although I guess I was reffering to socialism. But, besides, America is apparently anything but collectivist and they have some of those most indoctrinated people in the world who are fearful of saying anything anti-american, anti-religious, anti-capitalism etc. Some of the most cliquey high schools, hatred of the non-conformist etc. So collectivism as a moniker or ideal in one area of society doesnt alwas result in it literally, get me? Also, I think it's religious, moral collectivism that has caused more brainwashing than economic collectivism.

Affable

johnathan woss wrote: »

What could the tories possibly have done worse than New Labour ?

Gay rights. Abortion? Privatising all healthcare? Letting state schools rot?
Being more Anti-European. Off the top of my head. Taking anti-meritocratic measures and not taking away measures which protect old boys networks?

nkay1985

Going, going.........








I'll finish this post in a few days.

nesf

Affable wrote: »

Privatising all healthcare?

Private healthcare isn't necessarily a bad thing, look at the Dutch Health System, we could all learn a lot from their model.

Permabear

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Ludo

sink wrote: »

No to all of the above.

Not true...gay adoption IS allowed here.

Affable

donegalfella wrote: »

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But again, thats just legislative. It's not true on an a human, societal level.
No-one in the UK is attacked for anti-religious statements or anti-patriotic statements like in the US, hell even their media is willing to call celebs that leave the country anti-American. The CIA/FBI have interrogated people who criticise Bush even mildly, remember the Mccarthy era?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism

That's only the 40's/50's, as well. 'Unique in defending non-conformists'?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism#Victims_of_McCarthyism


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_segregation_in_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_rights
(Even behind South-America)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_ask,_don%27t_tell

I could be boring and try and fidn more sure there are plenty. But don't think a few things written in a constitution mean everything. Just like all scriptures of a religion don't give the picture of it's impact and adherents.

Affable

donegalfella wrote: »

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Slaughter of millions was due to collectivism? It was due to tyrants and dictators.

You can abstract it because it's a totally different thing. It's not telling you what to think.

Davidth88

Affable wrote: »

Well I just meant England. Sorry.

Almost as bad .... England is the only part of the union not to have their own assembly right now.

I would say GB is only waiting for the Euro elections to be over to walk away from No 10. His position is untenable right now , if Labour do badly in the Euro elections ( which they will ) he will use that as an excuse to say ' goodbye and thanks for the fish '


The Conservative party are looking pretty electable right now , however this expense row will mean a lot of seats that were safe Con/Lab may swing this time.

Remember the UK elections typically are decided in about 40-50 ' swing ' constuancies ' lets see what the man in Billericay has to say about it .

is_that_so

I think they will all want to wait out the summer to let the expenses story disappear. While the Cons are obviously piling on the pressure they'd be likely to get hit in any backlash. I think Brown is looking for a "Hail Mary" and like our own Brian, thinking that an economy which was improving would help him and Labour.

Dead man walking as they say but seeing as he appears to have got through the reshuffle and unless anything spectacularly bad happens in the next few weeks he should survive till September. After that I imagine Labour will begin to think about it but as one pundit observed recently Labour tend not to replace their leaders with any great haste.