Campaign Obama

Is Justin Webb doing UK politics for a bit then?

Nothing going on here of note:


No Bye elections

No DNA data base defeat in the lords

No wriggling Mandleson

No ID Card schem being unveiled.

Brown should do what he did last time. Simply declare he's off to see the president elect/to save the world and then sit outside Obama's house until the guy takes pity on him and lets him in for five minutes.

Worked before.

Poster #1 needs to get off his high horse. Nick blogged about Glenrothes earlier this week. It's convention not to comment on an election in the UK whilst it is ongoing, so Nick can't talk about the by-election until after polls have closed tonight.

Nick's also clearly talking about the UK aspect of the US Election - how is the positioning of the "special relationship" going to continue, and with who?

I think Obama should be savvy and invite the Mexicans & the Canadians first and then meet the Europeans in one fell swoop. That'd kill this argument.

Does Obama like Brown more than Cameron?

Really?

Who cares!

They'll have to work together regardless, and therefore make a fist of it.

We'll find out in January.

Till then move on.

No.1 Unlike the US, in this country an election is not covered in detail in the media, on the day it happens. Nor is there any active campaigning.

Even Brians Scotland blog is about the US these days!

Did the UK drift west a few nights ago and we became the 53rd state?

I didnt even get my vote!

The BBC never fails to amaze me - they would much rather be globe trotting around the World and reporting whats going on at home. Just like our politicians.

Time for the Licence Fee to be ditched maybe?

Funny that it was a "Crucial duel" a few days ago, but on polling day, auntie is following the NuLab party line of making it "a good bad news day".

There'll be plenty of time to think about Obama before he actually becomes president but today may see another nail hammered into "Duff" Gordon's political coffin or his emulation of Mr Clinton as the comeback kid. Oh, and by the way it may give the odd pointer on whether the UK will long survive with its peculiar asymmetric polity.

Slightly more topical?

From the hysterical and overblown media coverage a person might start to think that Barak Obama's election as America's first black president was almost as important as Wossy and Brandy effin' an' a-blindin' on the radio!

I'm sure Gordon will have his eye to the main chance. When he loses the next election he could follow in Tony's steps and make a name (and £12m a year) for himself on the speaker's circuit. A meeting with Obama under the guise of the world's financial plumbing system and how to fix it could clinch the deal. After all, that's what Tony did, wasn't it?

The key issues Obama needs to resolve are:

Iraq (Bush and Blair)

Economic Crash (Bush and Brown)


(Brown is part cause for the bust and is culpable in these areas: monetary policy, regulation, and fiscal policy.

Gordon fuelled the UK bubble, in everything from housing to equities and financial instruments, that is now deflating.)




I can see Brown being useful in understanding where things have gone wrong. However, if I was Obama - I would not want Brown's finger prints over my recovery plan.

Since Brown is not able to own up to his mistakes he will distort any recovery plan in order to protect his reputation.


Brown is part of the problem. He is not part of the solution.

And besides, as one minister puts it memorably, the real Brown government only began a month ago and leaders around the world know that.

Yes thats Brown - keeps saying it starts now, then in a few months when it goes wrong (again), he declares that it is starting again for real now, and then in a few months when it goes wrong (again), he declares that it is starting again for real.. etc...

Just like his 'over the business cycle' - the cycle that was constantly re-defined to meet the rules - until even this flexibility couldn't cover up his mistakes.

It is demeaning to the UK to see Brown trying to get some reflected glory from Obama -- the UK PM should have the stature not to need such tricks -- another clear demonstration of Browns own lack of confidence, insecurity and unfitness for office.

Nick

Good, balanced post. I hope this is a sign you are going back to your old blog style and not acting as a cheerleader for G Brown.

A plea: at your next editorial meeting, please ask your colleagues to stop referring to Mr. Obama's skin colour in every piece they write.

OK, his being half of African descent contributed significantly to his victory.

But it's not relevant to the story any more, as he has moved from being from candidate to President Elect.

E.g. today's headline article about his new team includes the following sentence, completely unrelated to the rest of the piece:

"Mr Obama was elected the first black US president on Tuesday with a resounding win over Republican rival John McCain."

This is completely off the point of the article. Is there anybody on the planet who might read this who doesn't already know Obama's heritage?

Nick,

Why aren't youwriting about Glenrothes????

Nick you say,
"No matter say those close to the prime minister. Brown and Obama got on well, they share the same progressive values, their aides and advisers have formed close ideological bonds." What are these so called progressive values Brown has. He is boring and uninspiring and people in the US don't even know who he is. Does Alistair write this blog for you sometime ?

You also say,
"Brown, they argue, is a man with a global economic plan who can come to the aid of a president-elect who's talked vaguely of mending the plumbing of the world's financial system without actually spelling out how. The Democrats, one Brown ally told me, admit that they've not thought this through - well, he added, Gordon has."

In that case why doesn't GB go work for Obama and the UK have a general election and get rid of all the incompetent members of the Labour government. They have destroyed everything Great Britain stood for.

Sorry Nick,

But this really is a non subject.

I predict that this thread will very rapidly move off topic !

Hazell Blears' comments on blogs will be my favourite for "topic of the day".

"bloggers have distain for the political system and politicians" - she's right there. I wonder why that is ? Central to this is that the electorate simply don't feel represented by the current political incumbents.

Nick

Any chance of anyone publishing the content/audio of the BBC seminar this morning about the US Election result.

Rgds

Matt Wardman

#5 Vimeiro

No.1 Unlike the US, in this country an election is not covered in detail in the media, on the day it happens. Nor is there any active campaigning.

Vim - where have you been living for the past 20 years or so? Up until about 2 years ago, we had reasonably good coverage of the run up to by-elections. Wake up!

What is this nonsense about the progressive left?

Is this the same progressive left that has left us saddled with the highest level of personal indebtedness to household income ever? 180 percent to be precise,,higher than the the US at 140 and higher than the 100 percent average in Europe.

There is nothing progressive baout a credit boom..merely progressive debts leaving generations hobbled paying them off.

There is nothing progressive baout breaking the banking system and the nationalising it; that's positively regressive.

Never have so many given themselves personal accreditation about so little.

it would be progressive if they were to utter one word of apology for the dire state this economy is in and then step aside.

Call an election.

charismatic, visionary, energetic, popular - not words that trip of the tongue when discussing Gordon Brown's attributes.

Time to ditch the dummy and get the UK back on track.

Go Brown, Go Now. It's time for Change

Seer Nick

ACCORDING TO HAZEL BLEARS YOU ARE A POLITICAL CYNIC,

@11

My kids do that when they are losing anything too!

"a president-elect who's talked vaguely of mending the plumbing of the world's financial system without actually spelling out how."

Sounds like this is exactly what Brown has in common with Obama, Vague talk

First balanced blog for a while. Is Alistair Campbell on holiday?

Jordan D @3 wrote:

"It's convention not to comment on an election in the UK whilst it is ongoing, so Nick can't talk about the by-election until after polls have closed tonight."

Is this the same convention that dictates that PMs don't campaign in by-elections?

I guess that Brown and his 'prop' are unconventional.

Sorry but have you joined the "Gordon Brown can do no wrong" society..
And I quote:

"the real Brown government only began a month ago and leaders around the world know that"

You are repeating self serving drivel....

If Gordon Brown is a progressive politician I am Mickey Mouse. The guy's policies belong to the 1970's. Nick please stop saying this. You sound like an idiot not the perceptive commentator I know you are.

The coverage of the US election, though very important, can be put off for a few days though while more important domestic issues are discussed. I refer to a certian by-election of course.

BTW has Hazel Blears got a nerve or what?!

It's pretty obvious to anyone looking on that Gordon Brown has gravitas and a plan but Obama has the energy and charm behind him. I don't think there's any place for boasting or getting sneery about things. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and if they can put the ego aside and focus on getting the job done the success will happen in its own time.

One could argue that Brown is the senior partner in policy and connection terms, but Obama is the senior partner in presentation and resonance. In personality terms, Brown has to maintain the upper hand or Obama will start getting cocky, but Obama has to absorb things otherwise Brown will start biting his head off.

The American attitude of industry is great but tends to trample things while the British intellectualism adds subtlety but can be elitist. My take is if Brown can "borrow" American confidence and Obama can "borrow" British sense of context, this will help develop the Anglo-Saxon partnership and help flip the broken fundamentals.

I've commented, before, that the global economy can survive a complete disconnection of the American economy within 3-5 years. Plus, America is beginning to appreciate its economic success depends on the rest of the world. If people can get over that I see no reason why recovery can't begin immediately.

Personally, I don't believe it will take genius to develop things well. The real issue is whether people can stop trying to be clever or protectionist, and avoid royally screwing this opportunity up. Opportunities don't come along that often, and it would take a real putz to miss this one. Really, all you have to do is turn up. The rest just happens.

Nick

You tell us :



"No matter say those close to the prime minister. Brown and Obama got on well, they share the same progressive values, their aides and advisers have formed close ideological bonds. And besides, as one minister puts it memorably, the real Brown government only began a month ago and leaders around the world know that.

Brown, they argue, is a man with a global economic plan who can come to the aid of a president-elect who's talked vaguely of mending the plumbing of the world's financial system without actually spelling out how. The Democrats, one Brown ally told me, admit that they've not thought this through - well, he added, Gordon has."

Since when was it your job to spread Labour propoganda ?

It might be politics Nick, but not as we know it.

Today there's a by-election; financial meltdown is still going on; people are dying in Africa; there are still problems in Afghanistan, and yet you trivialize matters by posing a theoretical question that won't even come into view till next year.

Who is setting the agenda here Nick? Allie and Petie, directly or indirectly, and did you oppose it?

This, quite frankly, is lightweight puff, and not worth serious discussion, unless, of course, you are a zen grand master, or whatever.

Dear Nick,

Chief of staff a Clinton Advisor? I fEEL HE'S ALREADY BEING MANIPULATED,


but ,


this is going to be a highly defended President by the secret service.???

It is indeed a bit pathetic that our PM tries so hard to associate himself with the new US president elect. The 'novice' thing was a bit unfortunate from this angle but maybe the Americans won't have heard as much about it as we have.The 'change' also looks a trifle difficult for our political master but hey we've got Peter and Alistair back to spin our way out of that one.
Like some others I was also perplexed by Hazel Blears outburst yesterday. Don't these pesky bloggers know that they're meant to believe what politicians tell them or spin for them? How dare they express other opinions? They're obviously all right wing ranters.

"DC diplomats are angsting"

Nick I know there are more critical things to concern ourselves about but 'angsting' - did you really have to?

Sorry to be precious when there's so much of substance to focus on but one of the reasons for liking your reports and blogs is you normally avoid such ugly journalese. Don't go all Robert Peston on us please!

26. At 11:01am on 06 Nov 2008, Jonno_79 wrote:
If Gordon Brown is a progressive politician I am Mickey Mouse. The guy's policies belong to the 1970's. Nick please stop saying this. You sound like an idiot not the perceptive commentator I know you are.

....and I'm Donald Duck.

Blears is a perfect ventriloquist's puppet!

Why on earth would President Elect Obama want to meet Goofy Gordon? He reputation as the Iron Chancellor is completely bust and his competence for running the economy is anything but. There is nothing Brown could teach him about being a leader he's only been in the job himself for just over a year. Oh and did you not just point out the Brown Premiership has only just started now. Then pray tell me who's been running the country for he last 12 months? So no I don't think he will be the first to meet the President Elect as there are many who come further up the line than him.

The best hopes of the world are contained in the words "re-opening dialogue with Iran". Dare we hope the new regime in the USA will fulfil this pledge? Will it reconsider the missile shield in Eastern Europe and enter into discussions with the Russians about it instead?
More than that, will the USA, now it has a president with experience in social work, become more egalitarian, like some of its European allies?
Will the new administration of the USA listen to its many expert citizens who warn of the dangers of climate change and sign up to international agreements?
There are so many hopes resting on the young shoulders of the new President elect. Who cares who is the first to pay court to the new regime from the rest of the world, or how much older than him they are, so long as the new American administration finds common ground with them when they do.

I notice the Lord Mandy is getting himself involved and, according to the header for the article, stating that banks will pass on the effect of rate cuts in full.

Nice header, but can he deliver? Can he MAKE the banks act like that? How?

Or can he only attempt to force the nationalised banks to act like that?

BTW has Hazel Blears got a nerve or what?!

Further, with all the heavily dropped hints from politicians about rate cuts during the past week, what price an indpendent banok of England, which is supposed to have been El Gordo's defining action from 1997. Since he himself has been spouting the old fashioned political garbage about interest rates, then obviously he doesn't respect the bank's supposed integrity.

It seems to me that 'British' politicians have a huge problem with perspective when it comes to America.

'British' politicians are, in the context of America, always, always, struggling to punch way above their weight.

It is a pretty unedifying spectacle watching these 'British' politicians frantically currying favour with the new movers and shakers in US politics.

They seem to be almost totally in thrall to the USA but our political or economic objectives do not always neatly co-incidence.

In a saner politicial world, our politicians would fully comprehend that from an American political, economic and especially military perspective, we are of very limited value and adjust to that reality.

Which broadly translates into playing our full and willing part in building the European Union whilst simultaneously strengthening and developing our relationships with the BRIC, the Commonwealth and the USA.

PS. As the Times leader mentioned today, America has delivered a masterclass in democracy ... I wonder how many English people can map that onto our pitiful English 'democracy'.

Here's a thought Nick.

Has the government actually got a joined up strategy related to security?

It's had another rebufff from the Upper (sensible) House related to retention of DNA data.

Now the ID cards that were going to be imposed on airport staff is being watered down, and obviously will be a disaster because it hasn't been completely thought through. And now there are suggestions that supermarkets will be involved in gathering fingerprints for biometric data for ID cards.

Are they in their right minds? This is about security, national security in the first instance. With the fingerprint now being considered more important than the photo, they plan a series of "get my dabs quick" booths, presumably along the lines of the quick photo booths.

Who is going to verify that the fingerprints belong to who they are claimed to belong?
Who's going to check, and how? Will this disturb the normal running of the supermarket in anyway? Is there a profit incentive for the store to host this "service"? Will this have an effect on the cost?

Do they really know what they're doing, or making it up as they go?

Don't answer that, we know.

Blears = CEH

Yes / no

#37

Does your figure represent nerves, or nerve endings or both?

Also, have you been looking, or are you also a tub-thumping virgin?

37 Charles_E_Hardwidge

Takes one to know one ;-)


Had to be said!



Anyway - you have to feel sorry for Obama - the politicians that will be beating his door the hardest will be the ones that are failing and need some of the Obama magic to rub off on them.

It seems to me that 'British' politicians have a huge problem with perspective when it comes to America.

'British' politicians are, in the context of America, always, always, struggling to punch way above their weight.

#18

Robin JD. I tend to get a bit lost with the comparisons between debt and GDP etc. The thing that I've tended to focus on is the number of individual insolvencies published by the Insolvency Service.

[Unsuitable URL - .xls doc removed by Moderator]

As well as looking at % of debt to GDP, we should also look at % of debt to income. Here is a BBC news article from 2004 highlighting the seriousness of this issue:

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3848243.stm

So:

*Rising levels of bankruptcies and individual voluntary arrangements.

* Rising levels of household debt susceptible to changes in interest rates.

* A consumer boom fuelled by low interest rates.

* The aggregation of toxic assets on banking balance sheets.

* Warnings from the Bank of England.

* A super-regulator, created from fresh after dispensing with the smaller specialist regulators

* The removal of banking supervision from the BofE to the FSA, creating a muddle

https://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/sep/21/viewpointcolumn

There's been lots of talk about blame, responsibility etc.

It doesn't seem hard to see that the Government is both accountable and responsibile for what has happened in the UK. Clearly, the problems that have beset the markets is a world-wide thing, however we pride ourselves on being #1 in the financlal markets, and this must mean in every aspect.

This includes having the regulators understand the risk that is sitting on banking balance sheets and using the measures available to them to minimise the potential for wholesale trouble.

Much more interestingly

Interest rates are cut by 1.5%


Anyone drawing the obvious conclusion???




....mmmmmm

CEH @ 44

I agree that 'influence' is a very useful tool but I prefer to see this used carefully in a very understated way.

Which is something I believe you often allude to with your informative 'zen thing'.

PS. A few kind words can go a very long way.

I think Gordon Brown will be seen in US circles as a damning reminder of the old policies and Obama will be advised to stay clear....

Anyway - you have to feel sorry for Obama - the politicians that will be beating his door the hardest will be the ones that are failing and need some of the Obama magic to rub off on them.

#26
Jonno_79
I doubt that she even has a brain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

I agree that 'influence' is a very useful tool but I prefer to see this used carefully in a very understated way.

Which is something I believe you often allude to with your informative 'zen thing'.

PS. A few kind words can go a very long way.

27 Charles_E_Hardwidge

It's pretty obvious to anyone looking on that Gordon Brown has gravitas and a plan but Obama has the energy and charm behind

CEH - I don't normally read past the name on your stuff, however my brain registered the first para before I could stop it, so....

There are plenty of people who see absolutely no gravitas in gordon brown.

The fact that you can claim otherwise is just more evidence of your complete lack of understanding -- the only think I think you may have once said that I can support is that you share some characteristics with gordon brown - this you probably share with mandleson too -- you can say something in a confident manner despite it having no basis in fact whether you have just fogotten all the comments hereabouts saying brown has no gravitas, or whether you knowingly write untruths I don't know - however it is clear that your writing is based on nothing but hot air.

51. Eatonrifle


Outrageous suggestion, couldnt possibly comment on an election day.



Good timing though... Eh?

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Let's be honest. A 1.5% cut is not just a bribe to the soon-to-be-unemployed of Glenrothes. It's a stark acknowledgement of the disastrous outlook for the UK economy.

And economy mismanaged into oblivion for the past decade by Gordon Brown and his happy band of shuffling drones as they vote through ever more insane laws and distract the voters attention with low interest rates and hundreds of billions of pump-priming squandering.

Now they've all suddenly woken up, the most indebted nation on the planet, the economy in freefall, house prices in freefall, banks collapsing, unemployment rocketing. But fear not. The architect of this financial maelstrom is always there with a dismissive sound-bite. 'Uniquely placed to weather the storm' apparently.

The government really does live in a 'bubble' doesn't it? It must be like the Forbidden City at Number 10. No news of the outside world is allowed to filter in and disturb the paper PM from designing fantasy policies with fantasy outcomes on fantasy budgets.

They simply have no clue.

Which World leader will meet Barack Obama first?

Clearly, it should be Vince Cable. I know he's not a World leader, however, he's the only one who has a clue about the World economy, in our parliament at least.

Those who think Gordon Brown has the answers is expecting an awful lot. I don't dispute that he's intelligent but I do dispute the fact that he's got the answers - he simply has a point of view.

Blind faith doesn't often yield results when it comes to economics.

the-real-truth @53,

A thick, leaden personality is usually mistaken for 'gravitas' by the dim (or the deceitful).

Relevant snippets from the BBC news site:

" 'very marked deterioration in the outlook' and 'severe contraction' say the bank of england."

"Supermarkets could take fingerprints for ID cards, the home office said."
"The Biometric Assurance Group (BAG) says officials may struggle to cope with the number of false matches, which could run into tens of thousands."

"Activity in the service sector, the backbone of the UK economy, shrank in October for the sixth month in a row. output from services was at its lowest level since its poll began in 1996"

"manufacturing output fell for a seventh month in September - the longest run of monthly declines since 1980. Manufacturing output fell by 0.8% in September, much worse than analysts' expectations, making output 2.3% lower than a year earlier"

My opinion given the above:
I sincerely hope that Obama isn't considering taking advice from Gordon Brown.

Non discussion of an election is more than a convention on a BBC blog. The House Rules say -

"In line with the political parties and other UK broadcasters, the BBC will not be reporting the election campaign or offering discussion about the campaign on any of its outlets while the polls are open. The message boards will remain open on Polling Day, but users must refrain from discussing the election while the polls are open. Usual BBC House Rules will resume once the polls are closed."

I'm no big fan of Tracy Emin. I think, she's a mess and obnoxious, but an essay by Tracy in today's Independent captures a sense of where Britain was and what it could be.

Tracy comments on her being locked inside a cluttered and raging mind, and discovering classical music. Classical music has an order, flow, detail, and harmony to it that encapsulates the essence of a great movie, game, or moment. By dropping pretence and opening herself to classical music, Tracy has discovered these qualities within herself that have always been there.

Tracy's experience is similar to the calm and perspective a Zen garden unlocks within people. Like Zen, her sense of discovering there's another world out there is really just her discovering her new self through which she perceives the world differently. One can struggle for years or travel thousands of miles to experience this and fail, or throw yourself at the ground and accidently miss.

People comment about plans and mastery, and Zen has a lot to say about both. Sometimes, the expert is too close to things they miss the picture, or the novice is so without a clue they never settle on one thing long enough to develop a clue. This is another reason why Zen advocates people drop the ego and stop grasping at thoughts and desires which crowd the mind, and allow the inner potential to emerge.

however it is clear that your writing is based on nothing but hot air

I doubt he'd be the first to be summoned to the Oval Office, but I'm interested in how quickly (if?) Obama will renew diplomatic links with Spain. Zapatero endorsed Kerry before the 2004 election, and he opposed the Iraq war. He confronted the establishment in Spain (the Catholic Church over education). It would be a strong signal from Obama towards a soulmate, and a signal towards Latin America as well.

54 Carrotsneedaquango


Labour are devious enough to try it.


If nothing else - it does show that the Bank of England doesn't buy Gordon's we are "uniquely placed to weather the financial storm" line.

Okay let's just have a think about this...

500bn bank bail with equity portion taken up only by HBOScotland and RBScotland.

Record ever interest rate cut today at 150bps.

Errmm... what else could be happening today, in Scotland?

No need to call an election..there already is one...a very expensive one at that.

# U9461192

# 60 getridofgordonnow

Huw Pym had just acknowledged on the one o'clock news that the size of interest rate reduction signifies that the British economy is in a much worse state than has previously been admitted.

it does show that the Bank of England doesn't buy Gordon's we are "uniquely placed to weather the financial storm" line.

The UK economy is uniquely placed to weather the financial storm. In the sense that it's dead and buried. The only way the economy could be any more wrecked is if it was exhumed and hung out in a gibbet like Oliver Cromwell's corpse in a hurricane.

We're just waiting for the storm to pass now so we can erect the headstone.

Apart from that the UK economy is utterly, utterly destroyed. Nice one Gordon.

Everyone is talking about the first black president.

What about his mother?

If someone of mixed race parentage became president of Kenya - would we would be trumpeting the first white president?

I am concerned that racial extremists (on either side of the divide) may be desperately trying to spin the colur aspect - and not focus on the fact that the US are turning to the next generation to get them out of their critical financial situation.

# 61 oldnat

Yes, but the house rules do not cover BBC news bulletins, do they?

Perhaps all the cameras are all in use in the US! I seem to remember interviews on streets in the build up to and on the day of all previous by-elections, even those with no impact on the government of the day. There was always some comment with a list of all candidates standing.

64. jonathan_cook

Devious, Devious, surely not, Eatons beloved leader would never stoop so low.

Hes whiter than white.

Lenders "will not rush" to announce a drop in the cost of variable rate mortgages after the Bank rate decision.

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee cut interest rates by one and a half percentage points to 3%.

Michael Coogan, of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, said lenders would take their time given the hefty cut.

Theres one in the eye for Mandy

Huw Pym had just acknowledged on the one o'clock news that the size of interest rate reduction signifies that the British economy is in a much worse state than has previously been admitted.

My Kung Fu is strong. Grasshopper.

Thing is, it didn't take an emergency 1.5% rate cut to tell me the economy was in the toilet. The figures have been telling us that for years.

Gordon crowing about GDP 'growing' by 2.5% a year. Woop-de-do. And suppose our government wasn't borrowing 3% of GDP just to pay off our national debt. What would GDP have looked like then?

Anyway, we'll all get a real clear picture of how Gordon Brown has utterly destroyed the economy in Spring 2010. By then we should be well and truly into this Gordon-begotten depression. I'm going for a figure in excess of 100bn of government deficit for the year 2009/10.

'For investment' no doubt.

"The real Brown government only began a month ago"

You really are swallowing hook line and sinker the newlabour spin doctors.

Well if the real Brown government only began a month ago can the tax payer please have the money back for the previous eighteen months of Brown non-government. All the money wasted on advisers, the 10p tax disaster, Iraq, 42 day detention; the whole lot of it.

If newlabour spin doctors want to cpome up with this nonsense they should pay us back all the money they wasted while they were waiting to be the real government.

This really is an adminsitration running out of rhetoric about itself. It sounds dumber and dumber.

Which government is behind the biggest fall in house prices in syuch a short period? now down 15.7% from the Aug 2007 peak beating the decline of 13.2% recorded from peak to trough in the early 90s? Was that the real Brown government or was someone else in charge?

The real Brown govenrment only began a month ago - I have never heard anything so self regarding in my entire life.

This lot are a shower and should call an election.

Huw Pym had just acknowledged on the one o'clock news that the size of interest rate reduction signifies that the British economy is in a much worse state than has previously been admitted.

...

The UK economy is uniquely placed to weather the financial storm. In the sense that it's dead and buried. The only way the economy could be any more wrecked is if it was exhumed and hung out in a gibbet like Oliver Cromwell's corpse in a hurricane.

So once again the alleged close relationship between Harold Macmillan and JFK is used to justify a presumed close association between a UK Prime Minister and an incoming US President.

I think `Beyond the Fringe' had the last laugh on that topic when the made a joyous play on the word `broker'. Alan Bennett can be such fun!

There is something fairly indecent going on at the moment.

Obama has only just been elected and already people are dumping their hopes and dreams on his head. Whilst I have no doubt he would appreciate supernatural powers but he is not King of the Leprachauns and he does not live at the end of the rainbow.

The United States always acts in the perceived best interests of the United States. The current incumbent at the White House has had problems with his perceptions and so his party is to be replaced. Yet this will not mean sudden change for the better.

Any new direction that the USA is to take is in the future and subject to decisions yet to be made. I can appreciate that foreign governments would wish to influence those decisions but they will just have to accept that the needs of the American people will inevitably come first in any such equation.

All this speculation is quite vulgar and opportunistic. Let the guy get the chair warm first!

67 U9461192


The phrase "uniquely placed to weather the financial storm" has always struck me as one of those "half-lies" that Gordon specialises in i.e.

He can use the phrase to sound positive about our finances, although if challenged in a court of law, he could claim that he hadn't mislead the public, since we are in a unique (uniquely dire) position compared to other countries.

What happened the other night as Barack Obama become the new president of the United States mean? I will never forget the moment in January 1961, when John F. Kennedy was sworn in as president. ...Hopefully it will also mean that our own Gordon brown will and can learn a few things from him and also it's the end for conservatism and all of the selfishness and greed that goes with it. Hopefully one of our younger generation will grasp that anything is possible and go forward and take on the many failed politician's who have failed over many years in this country and succeed like Barack has done as we sure could do with a complete overhaul of this country. Yes i to have a dream!!

nick
bank of england (retired)

If they were some squaddie flapping around the trenches in a similar panic they'd be shot.

If Gordon Brown were a Lieutenant in the army he'd have been 'fragged' by his own troops in 2001.

#41 Pot_Kettle

Blears = CEH....dont be daft, she probably thinks Zen is the German word for ten!

Blears = Ugly nasel voice, ugly beady eyed face and generally just a short ugly woman .....and who had the audacity to call herself a 'poor' public servant on Radio 4 yesterday evening.

You're kidding no one dear (that's if your still reading these blogs!)

@74

I was a squaddie, and let me tell you hogwash if our unflapable squaddies flap there is a good reason for it.

In Blears case she would have shouted a loud "follow me over the top boys", we would have yelled OK and promtly shot her in the back.

H.Jones anyone

Ref the interest rate reduction:


Is this an early sign that we are about to hit "peak-snake-oil"?


'Peak-snake-oil' being the day that Labour can longer maintain its spin that they have managed the economy well.

#66 jonties
#72 U9461192

I agree with U9461192 that the economy has been in a great deal more of a mess than the government have been telling us. A glance at almost any salient economic indicator over the last year has made very uncomfortable reading.

Nick writes: "diplomats are angsting about whether their leader will be the first to meet the president-elect"

If Obama is interested in meeting someone with real influence in Europe, his best bet would be the unelected president, José Manuel Barroso.

Unlike the USA, we don't have a true democracy here, and many important decisions are made by unaccountable officials who cannot be removed from office by ordinary citizens.

A meeting of the American President Elect, and the Unelected President of Europe would prove insightful.

74 CEH


"... bloggers who are obsessed with themselves...."

Your complete lack of self awareness is quite breathtaking.

God Bless America.

Gold help the UK.

Come on SNP - win Glenrothes so that we can start to ditch Brown and then his government of all the non-talents

Heres a few other memorable quotes or as one PRIME minister puts it MEMORABLY:

"We will negotiate a withdrawal from the EEC which has drained our natural resources and destroyed jobs" - Election address, 1983.

"There will be few politicians standing for election next time on a platform advocating free markets" - October 1987.

"Penal rates of taxation do not make economic or political sense. They are gone for good" - Speech to CBI conference, November 1995.

"New Labour is not an old-style tax-and-spend party but wants a tax system that is fair, that rewards enterprise, at the bottom as well as the top income levels" - Speech to Time Magazine dinner, November 1995.

"Ask me my main three priorities for government and I will tell you: education, education and education" - Labour Party conference, October 1996.

"Labour is the party of law and order in Britain today. Tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime" - 1993 as shadow home secretary.


Oh well... hay ho...ever onwards...

Batman's sidekick's guide to posting:

1. Criticise Nick Robinson for choosing to blog on a subject that is unimportant.

2. Move onto something unrelated to the blog post, which he thinks that Nick should be blogging on (why not instead comment on x, y and z)

3. Make up some facts to support point 2.

4. Criticise anyone who dares disagree with point 2, or challenge point 3 by providing some facts.

5. Call an election

#79 BankslickerminustheR

My word I think there is someone who hates Hazel Blears as much as me.

I didn't think that was possible!

Shock news!

The Home Secretaries finger prints have been found at a petrol station that was ripped off last month:

Ministerial Crime Scene

@78

Sorry same opinion 4 minutes apart

Could I suggest Nick's next blog gives us a chance to discuss some of the things which are implicitly assumed in this entry?

For instance what is this detailed global economic plan which Obama will apparently be desperate to be a part of? Because I certainly haven't heard anything of note.

For that matter what is Brown's plan for the UK? He's made bold claims about spending our way out of the recession which have been denied the very next day by the Chancellor. The only other policy he seems to have is eroding the independence of the Bank of England which he lauded for so long.

What I'm really getting at Nick is when you're given lines by either a "Brown ally"
or a "Whitehall figure" maybe there should be some qualification before being published verbatim.

#13 MaxSceptic
"Why aren't youwriting about Glenrothes????"

Possibly because he's also bound by the special house rules for polling day. See:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/messageboards/newguide/elections.shtml

That's the reason so many ordinary posts are being referred.

89. jonathan_cook

LOL..

Best link today.

Thanks.

#6 Trimmtab.

Whilst I think ditching the licence fee is an interesting and sensible proposal, I can categorically confirm that the UK hasn't become the 53rd state.

87 Balhamu

SuperTed's sidekick guide to posting:


1. Assume as a starting point that the government can do no wrong (apart from Iraq)

2. Defend government no matter how ridiculous the Labour clanger.

3. In case of emergency: Break out words "Toff" and "Bullingdon"

4. Moan about people who criticise the government.

5. Post 'helpful' quizes and guides like this one to make a point.

6. Use of Zen is optional

7. Repeat




Afternoon ;-)

BROWN SPEAK WITH FORK TONGUE....

In public he says the banks should pass on any BoE interest rate cuts....but then conveniently gives the nationalised banks carte blanche to do what they like!

BLEARS.....do you really believe these blogs undeservedly do your precious down......or is just that you really believe we are all just too stoopid to see through your lies???

Does anyone else find the idea of using supermarkets to collect fingerprints hilarious? It's like Carry on 1984!

Gordon Brown is doomed to fail in his quest to gain kudos and respect by association with Barack Obama. It's not as if he's just come onto the scene after all. Rather he will be lumped together with George Bush, the bankers and the financial analysts who all failed to see the impending credit crisis coming and neglected as a result to take the necessary steps to mitigate it. Barack Obama and David Cameron share the role of blameless bystanders. Both will now be charged with the task of clearing up the mess that has been partly made by their opponents. It's an enormous ask and to be honest I think it should have been down to the present negligent encumbents to clear up their own mess and then if necessary die by the electoral sword if they failed.

#45.

That's a bit odd. My link to a Government website shwoing the number of bankruptcies and individual insolvencies has been removed as unsuitable.

Since it's central to the comment, to get to it visit the Insolvency Service website, click on Statistics and look at the Historical statistics.

I think Blears assertion that blogs and writers of them and contributers in them dont reflect public opinion just demonstrates how out of touch and behind the times this government is.

I will grant you that some of the conspiracy theory blogs have no value but comic value.
And that some blogs on some of the politically motivated sites can be biased to one side or another.

But love them or hate them, the mainstream blogs where two sides of an arguement are put, are exactly where the pulse of the nation resides these days
she and the rest of her incompetant (oops sorry, incumbant) government would do rather better if they took some notic eof what is being said in them.

She should disregard the Zen stuff though, its completely irrelevant to Great Britain.