Preparing to herd cats

wonder if we'll get some RIOTS ??

No wonder the Prime Minister now says that the way to judge next week's summit is not the day after it is held, but in the year after.

Hang on a minute

Brown might not even be in Downing Street in a years time, and if someone else is implementing policy how can Brown lay claim to any outcome?

Countries all talked together over tea and biscuits and therefore Brown did good?

If Merkl is saying it will need more than this summit, are we saying that the groundwork hasn't even been agreed yet?

A bad person isn't as dangerous as a foolish one. If Gordon Brown was as bad as the results of his leadership of Nu Labour, he would be truly vile. Alas, he is full of hubris, but that is only one of his 'fatal flaws'. He is also unworldly, and completely out of his depth mixing with these scheming, crafty and often demonic world leaders. He is foolish to believe he can represent Britain and we who think he can are equally deluded. Go, please, you were never democratically elected, and you are not wanted.

Nick is it protectionist for you or I to stay in our jobs, when there may be others who could do them better, cheaper or elsewhere? Is it protectionist to ensure my family have food on the table before I start getting concerned about friends in Eastern Europe or Africa?

When you examine it, "protectionism" is just a label. In hard times, it is the natural inclination to put ones closest first. In short, "enlightened self-interest" is better for a greater number of people than "anti-protectionism" serving a "globalist" (= "global elitist") agenda. Those countries "guilty of protectionism" have leaders that understand that they are their to represent their peoples.

It is only where countries can compete freely and fairly that a new, fairer economic order can emerge from the rubble of the present crisis.

"Herding cats" speaks of control. Herd animals - cattle, sheep, wildebeest - are not noted for individuality or their intelligence.

The former Chancellor doesn't get it (and being a control freak, he never will).

Talking of "cats, dogs and mice" is actually quite offensive - from those kind of remarks, I suspect certain reporters don't either.

This is absolute drivel from a lobby-hack lick-spittle who cannot give a forthright view in case he should jeopardise his place on the Prime Minister's plane and lose his authority at the BBC.

My cat could write better copy.

"Will that, though, be enough to reassure those protesting on the streets of London today? I doubt it."

Sheeesh! What insight! Thinly disguised sarcasm. Very clever!

Write for adults you clown.

'Global'(as we must all call him) Brown has roamed the world like a bear with a sore head over the last few days.
He is unable to accept that people take little or no notice of him & are laughing at him both to his face & behind his back - just look at the comments from the heads of Brazil & Chile.
He set the scene with his inane reaction to the speeches in the European Parliament & has succeeded in making us into a 3rd world country.

This is a global crisis which all started in America. Gordon Brown played absolutely no part in causing it or in allowing its effects to impact the UK.

But wait! A solution is being developed which started in UK and is all the work of Gordon Brown.

An unlikely scenario? Seemingly not too unlikely for you Nick. What happpens when you guys travel with the PM? Do you go native and join him on Planet Brown ?

"Will that, though, be enough to reassure those protesting on the streets of London today? I doubt it."

Nick,

What about the rest of us poor unfortunates? Don`t we matter?

Personally the only thing that will satisfy me is for Brown to do the honourable thing and go to the country as soon as possible. So a government, with the support of the majority, can move forward and sort this mess out. We have a government in paralysis which we all know has at best 12 months to run. Any long term plans, suggested by Brown, are meaningless.All he is doing is spending our future now, so that he can survive in power as long as he can without facing up to the dire consequences of his past and present policies. Pity NuLabour did not have a much smaller majority in the House or we might have been in the area of a vote of no confidence.

As far as protectionist policies are concerned don`t we have one of our own, "British jobs for British Workers" so Mr Brown might find it somewhat difficult to lecture others at the G20 meeting.

Any speech by him at the G20 will be interesting, as this time it will be for UK consumption. The content of which will be at very much at odds with the content of his speeches on his tour. They were tailored for whichever country he was visiting; but the previous recipients will be here in the audience to hear it. Oh my, what a wonderful web we weave.

You seem have drawn some sort of concusion mr robinson that the Prime Minister has "only one message".........I suggest to you that your conclusion seems to be based on your track record of minimising and adding great chunks of negativity to every move the government makes.....I feel your past tory association makes it impossible for you to report on a NEUTRAL basis

Isn't the truth of this conference that Barrack Obama is not really committed to it and considers it an irrelevance. If the Americans don't buy into the proceedings the whole exercise is futile.

Everyone is looking inward at the moment and no globe trotting deluded buffoon is going to change that.

They will achieve great goals next week, gulping loads of bottled water and emptying loads of bottles, we'll get a load of waffle and see big smiles... and thats it folks.

Got an idea, lets make cars, fridges and telly's etc. that go wonky just after their warranty expires so folks will have to buy a new one.

We need to produce goods so that we can sell them and make money, then to need to convince you and I to buy them, but theres a big problem the government is taking all our money before it hits our pockets.. and this includes the council tax and the water rates, gas and electric bills as well as an extortionate TV license fee.

Why bother with the G20? If they can't do that with Emails and Video conferencing then they will certainly get no where next week, will they be claiming travel allowance I ask?

#4

Agreed

I would add that we are taught protectionism from an early age; family come first, blood is thicker than water, charity begins at home etc.,

From this strength and unity we are able to fairly trade and barter our skills and products.

I know this is a simplistic argument, but, hey it works fine!

Nick,
Any chance Daniel Hannan doing a turn at the G20 meeting?!!

"No wonder the Prime Minister now says that the way to judge next week's summit is not the day after it is held, but in the year after. No wonder he claims that the very existence of the meeting in leaders' diaries has concentrated minds and produced results before anyone gets on a plane."

So if the planned meeting had already concentrated minds, why did we tax-payers have to pay for him and all the attendant lackies to travel so much? How many "government" people were involved? How many BBC people had to be along?

Surely to goodness, G20 leaders always do a bit of thinking before they pop up at a meeting.

I agree with the idea that you have to give it a while to see whether any measures work. It would be nice to see a little more concentration on how measures taken by the UK government was actually being implemented rather than worrying about Chile.

Back to my old theme - DELIVERY.

It ain't what you say - it's what you do that gets results...

Sorry Nick, remind me exactly who was at the "Progressive Governance Conference" of the world's centre-left leaders?, to the best of my knowledge only Norway and the UK sent their leaders, the rest of the centre-left leaders stayed at home to try and fix their internal economic woes.

Your reporting has been inadequate regarding Browns world jamboree, I suggest that you start reporting the facts, or hand the baton over to someone prepared to ask Brown serious questions.

A very poor week of posts by you Nick, and as has been mentioned again and again, why did you not discuss a certain speech which has so far been viewed 1 1/2 million times on You Tube, as I said before, as the so called political correspondent for the BBC your output recently has been useless.

Nick,

"the Finacial Times"! Again you post poorly checked material. There is no justification for you not to run your blog posts through a spell checker (it would take 30 seconds at most). People may think that blogs are less formal, but your blog is read by thousands of people, and helps to represent the journalism of Britain. It should be a matter of professional pride that you wouldn't post material with such basic errors.

It is a shame because your articles are fine, but I think this whole "on the go reporting" thing has become mixed with an arrogant attitude that you are therefore above general standards of journalism.

"They will achieve great goals next week, gulping loads of bottled water and emptying loads of bottles, we'll get a load of waffle and see big smiles... and thats it folks."

No! We'll get what comes out the other end.

#6 myteam-0

I have to object to your elevating Brown to a position of distinction.

He "has succeeded in making us into a 3rd world country"

Slight exaggeration - but he couldn't have done it without every PM from Churchill (1951) onwards contributing to that, by pretending that the post war UK was anything other than a middle-ranking European state.

I guess someone had better explain protectionism to me.
People I work next to have been told they are redundant because their jobs can be done cheaper in India.

A country we supply aid to, but which has spent it's money developing an atomic bomb.

Until there is a global government - and a global minimum wage, there cannot be a global response. Will General Motors shut plants in America ? I think not.

Nick,

You are on the wrong junket, just as you have backed the wrong horse.

Your reportage is neither insightful nor sympathetic to the prevailling mood.

You still have time.

Brown does not.

tenmaya @ 13

Any chance of Derek Hannan doing a turn at the G20 meeting?

yes, I hear he's serving the canapes ...

fom @ 14

Back to my old theme - DELIVERY

well, Mind, you can be a bit of a sourpuss (and it's not really politics, is it?) but I think you might be slowly getting to me ... drip drip drip ... if I'm not careful, I'm going to end up thinking through the practicalities of an idea before I shoot my mouth off

Nick, you report Brown's message that "global problems need global solutions".

What Brown fails to understand is that domestic problems require domestic solutions. We urgently need an election. This tired, inept government lurches from crisis to crisis,

The other G20 leaders will take no lectures from Brown. The idea that Brown has the answers if only he can 'herd' the other leaders is laughable. If he is so sure he is right, let the people decide.

find myself agreeing with much fairlopian_tubester says in #4.

in addition, the Anglo-American way of "doing business" is perhaps overvalued in this debate (and others conducted mainly by native speakers).

traditionally, European-style capitalism is less injurous to "the many", and perhaps both the UK and the US should pay more attention to the concerns voiced on the continent.

#23 DistantTraveller

"This tired, inept government lurches from crisis to crisis"

Clearly we need a change. I imagine your solution is to swap roles between a tired inept government and a tired inept opposition. It will make no difference. The UK will lurch from crisis to crisis anyway. It is your destiny. Embrace it!

I'm still yet to notice anything of value or of interest in Gordon Brown's publicly-funded ego-trip round the world, nor have I noted any observations of worth being put forth by Nick.

However, there has been another interesting piece done on Gordon's role in our downfall - from an actual economist as well. Someone who actually understands economics, as opposed to, say, a history student pretending to understand economics whilst ironically learning nothing from history:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9sO25aFjDs

# 25 oldnat

"It will make no difference. The UK will lurch from crisis to crisis anyway. It is your destiny. Embrace it!"

Well, I think the crisis-lurching is bound to continue for some time to come because Brown has not only spent all of our money, he has spent the next generation's too.

But I don't agree that a change "will make no difference". It's not as if Brown has done some minor damage to the economy then stopped. He's still doing it now. Every day he remains in office, the worse it gets. The sooner the engines can be thrown into reverse, the sooner we can begin to turn things around. Given the sheer scale of devastation, there won't be a quick fix, but it has to begin with a change of government.

#27 DistantTraveller

Well the waste of money hardly started with Brown, and it won't end with a change of government in Westminster.

The reality is that the UK was bankrupt at the end of the war. The Empire finally disappeared then, but successive Governments continued to spend as if the revenue from world domination still existed.

When the windfall of North Sea oil appeared, successive UK Governments (both parties) refused to follow advice to set up a sovereign wealth fund (as Norway did), but simply used it as a slush fund for their demented spending policies. If you think Cameron will be any different, then you are living in the same cloud cuckoo land about the UK, as all your PMs since Callaghan lived in.

Sorry to be such a party pooper Nick but can you clarify something, is the country almost Bankrupt ?

Just askin...

Keep focused on the essentials people !

#30 labourwipeout

"Keep focused on the essentials people !"

More than happy to oblige you, but I've already prepared tomorrow's meals, and paid the bills.

What else do you want me to focus on? I admit I've been ignoring the garden recently, but do I really have to think of weeding the side border as "essential"?

public domain


If only we knew in advance what was coming.

Someone did. Here is a quote from David Blunkett, from his diary of July 2004, in Cabinet, talking about Gordon Brown:

“He painted a picture of what would happen from 2008 onwards, of 1.9% average growth, how dreadful things were going to be and how everybody needed to wind down what they wanted to do.”



So, whilst central government has known for over four years what was coming, it did nothing to alert us, or even put in place prudent steps to avoid what had been predicted, whilst pretending all was well for as long as possible. The secrecy, deceit, arrogance, complacency, lack of openness and transparency and accountability, have all been breathtaking.


Yet at the forthcoming G20, the brown stuff pretends to be an authority on providing a solution to the crisis

# 28 oldnat

I agree that Brown is not the only waster of money, but in terms of scale he is in a class all of his own. Britain was certainly in debt at the end of the WW2, but there have been periods of good recovery since then! For a while in 1957 some people even thought they had never had it so good - but of course people's individual circumstances can vary hugely even when the majority are doing better than before. Unfortunately, things usually go badly wrong after Labour have been in power for a while, but even 1979 pales into insignificance compared to what we have now.

Part of the problem is the culture of unrealistic expectations and instant gratification. "I want it all, and I want it now". That is part of the malaise of our society. People spend money they haven't got on luxuries they don't really need, but hey, it all keeps the economy going. Just visit a local 'recycling centre' (AKA dump) and see the stuff people chuck out. Also, when customers expect to buy a pair of jeans in a supermarket for 3 quid, it must tell us that something is going wrong with the way we do business with poorer countries around the world.

So no, those problems are not all of Brown's doing. But he has certainly helped to fuel the situation - and his response to the crisis is to borrow his way out of debt and spend his way out of recession. He boasted "no more boom and bust", but the truth is he wouldn't recognise a boom if it jumped up and bit him on the backside.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "all your PMs" - are you disowning them on grounds of party or as part of the UK to which you would rather not belong?!

Certainly Cameron would be different - but the point is we urgently need a change, Any change.

It's a sign of how desperate things have become that some people (with short memories) are even remembering the Blair years with a sense of nostalgia....

# 31 oldnat

"do I really have to think of weeding the side border as "essential"? "

One person's weeds are someone else's wild flowers...

Give bees a chance. (That's my excuse)

It's natural for National Leaders to be looking after their own interests in the form of their voters who keep them in power. A global response to our present problems is therefore a distant dream in spite of Gordon Brown's protestations to the contrary. No doubt fine rhetoric will come out of the G20 but very little subsequent action on a global scale. Protectionism is bound to win the day and that very fact will prove to one of the final nails in the PM's coffin.

G20 is a pretty pointless excersise. I'm sure the leaders of other countries can well do without Brown telling them how to kickstart their economies, particularly when they look at how things are rapidly going down the gurgler here.

More to the point, how much is hosting this grand meeting going to cost the already cash-strapped British Taxpayer?

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

I thought this comment in Th Sunday Times today was rather pertinent:

Brown reveals the main problem, himself, in that he said that he was going round the world talking TO leaders rather than talking WITH them. The man is egocentric, obsessed, won't listen. If the G20 ever had relevance, Brown has wrecked it with his arrogance. Outcome= G18 + G2 + spin. What a waste.

DavidK, London, UK

Just a thought does G.Brown have any savings (or more likely loans given his spending record) with his local crashed building society.

If so did he declaire an interest before making his promis yesterday?

Junkkmale

It just goes to show that nobody in Parliament is accountable for the expenses. There are no checks, no rules, and no independent and imparshial body to check them.

Forget the fact that it's pornography, althought it's very embarrassing for Jackie Smith. The bigger issue is why we are paying for any television subscription. We already pay for the TV. Now we're being asked to pay for what's on it! They clearly can't make do with the free to air channels, like the rest of us have to.

What else can these parasites do before action is taken? At the moment, it looks like anything goes.

You says, Nick, that Mr Broon can see a consensus emerging.

Is that using his "Nelsonian" eye ?

How does Brown keep getting away with it. Is there no decency left in the labour party.
Nick, Is Alistair Darling o.k., it appears that the whole financial crisis as hit him hard, soon to be replaced?

22, sagamix wrote:

"fom @ 14

Back to my old theme - DELIVERY

well, Mind, you can be a bit of a sourpuss (and it's not really politics, is it?) but I think you might be slowly getting to me ... drip drip drip ... if I'm not careful, I'm going to end up thinking through the practicalities of an idea before I shoot my mouth off "

Saga,

That was sweet. Nicest description I've received for a while! Most would be too rude to get past the mods...

....(and it's not really politics, is it?)...

Actually - I think that delivery is the ONLY point of politics.

I really don't care if a good political point is made from right, left or centre - whatever that means...

If no positive outcome - i.e. delivery - occurs, it's just wind.

What I object to is the competing hurricane of political ideas that get rapidly turned into half-baked laws or regulations, but then peter out in expensive and often wasteful ineffectiveness.

I've mentioned before that, sometime soon, statistics will emerge to "prove" that child poverty has been reduced yet again.

Why? Because it is not a measure of poverty, but of "relative poverty". So, as private sector jobs get lost and some people take a pay hit, those low-income folks dependent on state income will appear to have gained ground on others...

Doesn't mean that real poverty is disappearing.

That's the sort of political stuff I find plain irritating!

Sourpuss.

Herding cats! It's all too much for an old codger. What's this now, Jackboot Jacqui's old man watching Bunny Girls or worse on our expense? Just wonder if they wore wellington boots?

What now, pussy cat?

Nick,
Clearly you and the BBC wasted the licence payers' money by going on this Brown ego-trip. It is very disappointing to read reports from the POLITICAL EDITOR of the BBC which read as little more than a press release from Brown's Press Officer. We are entitled to expect better than that for our money.

"By the way, there's an amusing photo of all the other leaders hanging around waiting for the PM who, how shall I put it, had to make another urgent call"

The man's arrogance knows no bounds. Not surprisingly, in the same way that Brown has lost whatever credibility or respect he ever had from the British people, world leaders undoubtedly think the same way. The remarkable thing is that Brown is perfectly oblivious to how people think of him. That, at root, is why he is such a failure as a politician. He is totally incapable of connecting with people. How did he ever get to hold high office? Look to Machiavelli.

The G20 summit was also going to deliver very little (these sorts of gatherings of politicians are always largely huff and puff), but with Brown in the vanguard the G20 was doomed from the start (just like the UK economy with Brown at the helm). How can a bloke heading up a country heading rapidly for banana republic status command respect?

Gordon Brown is a pitiful joke and the sooner the electorate is allowed to tell him that, the better. He's getting more embarassing with each passing appearance in public. Snubbing his world leader colleagues like that makes my point; it is shameful.

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

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7970492.stm

You cannot make this up.....what on earth is she still doing in her job. This brings every element of our political fabric into question. The Sunday Mail reports today on tories filling their boots as well. This simply has to stop. It is a tricky path we head along if our political leaders cannot be seen to offer some sort of role model.

#5 "This is absolute drivel from a lobby-hack lick-spittle..."

This kind of offensive language says more about you than it does about Nick R. It's the kind of language used by the agents of fascism and Comintern in the 30s to denigrate those who did not follow their preferred line.

However imperfect our democracy is, it's better than civil war. Maintain some courtesies please.

fairly @ 43

it is not a measure of poverty, but of relative poverty

slightly disagree with you there - I'd say the best measure of poverty IS a relative one - like, for example, if every adult in the whole of the country takes their annual holiday in the form of 4 weeks in a five star in Venice whereas you can only stretch to a week of B and B in Bognor, then you are very poor aren't you? - or, to flip that around, if you get a full week's B and B in Bognor every summer, when everyone else has to make to with a couple of day trips to Hastings, then you are a rich man indeed

that's why (forgetting affordability for one second, just for the sake of this point I'm making here) pensions should be linked to Average Earnings, not to Inflation

The only headlines from this week will be , the street riots, the arrival of the Obama circus and the fact that nothing was achieved except of course that as host of the summit , Brown got his photo taken standing beside Obama , with his face twisted into a parody of a smile , looking like he had a bad case of indigestion.

sorry moderators...I await your email

Are we to believe that JB Jackie's husband watches Porn whilst she is staying with her sister?

Maybe she "needs to spend more time with her family"...which I believe was once the correct spin for resignation

Did she even look at the receipt before she claimed the expense?

Surely all the news channels are on free to air digital channels? Are there any which are not?

America wants Daniel Hannan!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc9TVlzdEsc&feature=related


Put this main on main BBC and ITV news for heavens sake!


The G20 and Gordon's futile tour (costing what in money and carbon footprints?) is a waste of time.

HE CAUSED THE CHAOS HERE WHILST HE WAS CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER. HE CREATED THE CHAOS SO THAT HE COULD NOW OSTENSIBLY CAUSE THE "ORDER". THE NEW WORLD ORDER, AKA "GLOBALISATION", AS A SOLUTION.

I wish David Cameron would stand up strong and deliver a massive antidote to Brown. Main issues being Immigration and Economy.

Faiure to do this will result in a massive vote for the BNP.

"No wonder... No wonder...".

Nick! Quick! Flee before it's too late. You've spent so much time in the company of our Great Leader that you're starting every sentence with the same phrase as the one before.

Mr Brown is off to S America to save the world, while back at home, the whole gravy train rumbles on and on, draining our money every day. This Smith stuff is ridiculous. She says, with a straight face, that her main home is her sister's back room in Peckham - taking everyone for fools, since we all know that it is not in any sense her "Main Home". However, if she is right (no, come on, let's humour the poor thing), why do we have to pay for her to have an internet connection in her "second" home - where she clearly thinks she doesn't spend much time anyway? If Hubby (who we also pay for through her office allowances) wants to have the house on t'internet, so he can brows Youtube and download whatever rubbish he wants, he should obviously pay for the whole lot himself (inlcuding the TV). In case it's not obvious to the Smiths, I do not want to pay for it.

As another MP has said, Smith is clearly too stupid to be Home Secretary if she believes that any of this is acceptable - but Brown is at fault for condoning her behaviour apparently without question.

5. Donnelt

The response of 50, #sashaclarkson to the above, appeared as pot calling the kettle black. Moderation (not moderators) please ladies/gentlemen.

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

#50. sashaclarkson
It's the kind of language used by the agents of fascism and Comintern in the 30s

This is a bit OTT isn't it?. Donnelt@5 didn't use any obscenities, just exercised his right to freedom of speech and expressed his opinion - and reflected the views and frustrations of many on here I suspect. May not be entirely to your liking but hardly fascist.
You'll find far worse on CiF @ The Guardian, for instance.

Just when you thought it couldnt get any worse we now have "Carry on Gordon" .

oldnat#31 nice one, made me laugh almost as much as todays headlines ; )

Just to go off subject for a moment. On LBC Radio this morning Andrew Pearce was taking calls from people who said they would dance on Margaret Thatcher's grave when she died. There were many much ruder comments from callers. (This was in response to a play opening in London in which a new Labour Government affords her a State Funeral). When you juxtapose this with Jade Goody being revered in many quarters as some kind of Saint allied with calls to change the name of Mothers Day to Jade Goody Day and the cervical test to be changed to the Goody test I don't think it says a lot for a significant section of The British Public.

#57 "Pot calling kettle black" was it? I challenge you to find a single case where a democratic politician uses that kind of insult. In my historical reading, I have read the kind of propaganda I referred to, so I know what I'm talking about.

Nick,

Can please you sum up Brown's world tour?

Benefits: what - if anything - has really been achieved?

Cost: how much has this shindig cost us taxpayers?
(A figure to the nearest 10,000 pounds will do. Please don't forget that BBC costs should be included as well - we pay for it all).

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

51, sagamix wrote:

"fairly @ 43

""it is not a measure of poverty, but of relative poverty""

slightly disagree with you there - I'd say the best measure of poverty IS a relative one - like, for example, if every adult in the whole of the country takes their annual holiday in the form of 4 weeks in a five star in Venice whereas you can only stretch to a week of B and B in Bognor, then you are very poor aren't you? - or, to flip that around, if you get a full week's B and B in Bognor every summer, when everyone else has to make to with a couple of day trips to Hastings, then you are a rich man indeed

Saga,

If you can afford to take a holiday awat at all, then you are not in poverty!

People with less money have less choice. I accept that.

Fact is that some people are good with money and others aren't. It makes me cringe when I see TV reports from "poor" children, where there's a massive plasma TV screen, laptops, mobile phones and the little ones "have to get the best trainers and clothes to keep up"... Why?

You earn a bit (or receive a bit) and you're free to spend it as you like. Some folk actually save a bit, as well. Either towards a target - or as protection against that "rainy day"...

I'm all in favour of getting people out of educational poverty - which I'm afraid to say hasn't been happening for a decade.

And combating genuine poverty.

But I can't see any society within which "good" equality of outcome has ever worked. Some of those societies, based on theoretically wonderful political ideas, ended up with 1 percent rich and 99 percent equality to share in the poverty.

I can't get worked up because some people have bigger and better houses, cars, technological bits and bobs, clothes, holidays, etc that cost more than I spend.

I can get worked up about some people being abandoned by a society that's lost it's heart.

Nick,

I seriously hope that you are enjoying your world tour. It must be great to be away from the white heat of parliament.

I hope that the Prime Minister is not going to be too busy meeting all the world leaders for him not to attend the final PMQs before the Easter recess which starts on the 2nd April. He won't be able to report the results of the G20 meeting until after the recess on the 20th April which is around the time that we are going to have the budget.

The breaking news today concerns the Dunfermline Building Society. What is interesting is looking at the parliamentary timetable for next week because guess what is down to be discussed, in parliament, is 'Future of Dunfermline Building Society, put down by Willie Rennie. Now isn't that amazing, that something has to be done in the last week-end before it is discussed in the House.

Now the Northern Rock was saved. Why not the Dunfermline? I wonder if the chancellor would like to confirm yet again that he actually had a mortgage with, yes the Northern Rock! Funny that.

#57 In fact, I am very much in favour of "Parliamentary Language". It may be hypocritical, but it keeps the emotional temperature down.

For example, I would not have used your term "Jackboot Jacqui" about Ms Smith, because although I agree she has authoritarian tendencies, I am not aware that she has any predilection for such garments. The metaphor is also a gross exaggeration, as anyone who has lived under a truly authoritarian regime would tell you. The fact that neither you nor I are fearful of the knock on the door in the middle of the night is proof of this.

Again, as someone who has had family members murdered under both communism and Nazism, I know what I am talking about.

#62:
I merely juxtaposed LBC Radio's listeners overwhelmingly negative reaction to a State Funeral with The Public's installing of Jade Goody as a latter day Saint and posed the question 'What does it tell us about the people?'

"50. At 09:48am on 29 Mar 2009, sashaclarkson wrote:"

I'm paying for Robinson's drivel through a government-imposed tax.

Fortunately I don't have to pay for yours.

#58:
Being an avid watcher of blue movies myself I can hardly pass judgement on Jacqui Smith's husband. It was however a rather silly oversight to include the rental as part of an expenses claim particularly in the current climate. I'm sure he will be spending the next few nights in the spare room where he will be able to indulge his fantasies unhindered.

Nick .Any truth in the rumour that Brown was so upset about M King seeing the Queen he put out the story about succession to the crown to annoy her Majesty.It did seem kind of odd to release the story from a 747 somewhere in south america

#63. sashaclarkson

#5 #50 etc.

I'm assuming Donnelt@5 is not a politician. I'm also assuming he pays a BBC licence fee. Which gives him the right to critise Nick. Granted his tone was harsh, but the moderators saw fit to publish it. A few contributors here criticise Nick for being anti-Labour(!!)and several praise him for being fair in his reporting. Their tones, together with their comments, vary. They are all valid if they come from people who pay their licence fee and contribute indirectly to his salary.

I'm sure if you looked hard enough you could find an example of equally strong language used in a democratic political forum.

#69:

I'm sorry that doesn't make any sense. It should read a State Funeral for Margaret Thatcher (prompted by a play opening in London which has a new Labour Government sanctioning a State Funeral for The Iron Lady).

Listen you guys you are not seeing this Jacqui Smith thing from a young girls point of view. The thought of some middle aged man sitting in a back room watching adult movies on tax payers money, does not play well. Do these people have no shame, if I were Jacqui Smith and my private life was open to the public like this, I would be deeply embarrassed. Furthermore she is in a position were she should be setting an example to the public, especially the young. I think personally this is disgraceful, how low can the standards go in public office.

I sincerely hope this is the end of her career. I want this waste of tax payers money to end now, not after Brown has another one of his reviews.

"No wonder the Prime Minister now says that the way to judge next week's summit is not the day after it is held, but in the year after".

During the run up to a General Election then.

Look people, I did save the world after all. Vote for me!

What I find especially disgusting about the Jacqui Smith affair is that this woman claims that the films were seen 'at the family home'. For one of those who continually puts her long Nanny nose into our affairs, how dare she continue in her government position? Hardly family entertainment! Lest I should be accused of only condemning Nu Labour, the Tories when in government were not perfect. Concerning cabinet members' spouses, Edwina Currie's husband never put his foot in it, whereas she made up for both of them!

I think everyone is being a bit harsh on Mr.Smith's viewing habits. The poor man probably just wants a better understanding of what his wife and her colleagues are doing to the country.

63. sashaclarkson

It's only a harmless game, dear.
Seriously, I find these politicans so gross and without the slightest intellectual edge, that I enjoy mocking them. I am certainly not mocking you, but between two intelligent adults how can we take them seriously. Unfortunately, dull brained people, can also be dangerous, and the time is coming when we should all be nervous for the knock at the door. Many of my relations suffered from both the Nazis and the Communists, and at the beginning they (the police and politicans) were dismissed as fools and uneducated rabble.

Sicilian 69

It tells us that our morals in this country have gone down hill, when someone who has been of service to this country is judged against someone who has predominatly looked after her own interests.

Thatcher love her or hate her, worked hard on behalf of this country and pulled our economy round at a bad time. Yes she made bad decisions, to err is human, but so did our greatest PM Winston Churchill who got a state funeral.

There are too many people in this country being rewarded for just being a celebrity, and are famous for nothing and contribute nothing to our society.

Also this Government has too readily jumped on the bandwagon of popular opinion, and praised people who are not worthy of that status. No wonder our kids do not aspire to be a doctor, teacher etc when the example set before them for self worth is a celebrity.

Our Lords is now full of people made up by Labour who have no right to be there, everyone you see representing the Government is now Lord this, or sir that. They have given nothing to deserve this, Mandelson is a fine example.

75. Susan-Croft

Susan, you sound a fine young girl, and give me hope for the next generation who will run things.

SO GORDY'S BEEN SO BUSY,WHILE JAQUI BOOTS GETS A COUPLE OF BLUE ONES?


NEW LABOUR? WHO ON EARTH WOULD VOTE FOR THEM?

ITS LONG OVERDUE THAT BROWN EITHER PUTS HIS CASE TO THE NATION OR JUST

PACKS HIS CASES.

TIME TO GO GORDY!!

Hi Nick

The truth is that Gordon Brown has been placing great store on the G20 meeting. However his "world tour" has reduced his position as the leaders he has met have implicitly and indirectly criticised him. Further more he has come under fire from the Governor of the Bank of England.

So he now has to down play expectations for G20....

Whilst at home his Home Secretary is in the middle of another expenses scandal. In my job if I had been so lax with expenses I would be sacked and yet no-one seems to be suggesting it for her or her husband. This laxity contrasts with her usually authoritarian stance as Home Secretary.
It escapes me how people can support her.How long before burglars say its a fair cop but I'll repay it so its ok really?

SO MANY PEOPLE I TALK TO ARE THINKING OF VOTING BNP!!

O M G?

WELL DONE GORDY & THE GANG YOU MUST ALL BE SO PROUD!!!!!

If one of Ms Smith`s police officers had submitted a false expenses claim they would have been sacked.

It seems however those in charge in the government live by a different code of what`s right and what`s wrong. The CEOs of the failed banks have fallen on their swords; but Gordon rather embarassingly carries on. Ms Smith`s conduct is totally unacceptable; but unless it is "chairman of the football club speak" the PM has given her his fullest backing and so she will remain at the Home Office.

All this ahead of the G20 meeting. Gordon is making this country a laughing stock of the world. Its just one bad headline after another.

Susan Croft at #75 and #80. Thought of standing for parliament? Spot on. Time these sleezes went. I have had enough of them. They are a total disgrace. little wonder the younger generation have no time for authority nowadays.

#75, Susan-Croft

I cannot help but agree with your sentiments. Our Home Secretary is well past her sell by date and needs to go.

How can she command respect for law and order when she blithely signs off expenses in such a cavalier fashion and makes such ridiculous claims about our main dwelling? No attention to detail there then!!

As a psychologist I can tell you its indicative of a wider approach to life and malaise that means she is unlikely to be on top of her brief. Nothing I see in the way things are run at the Home Office suggests to me that analysis is incorrect.

I believe she only got the job as our Prime Minister believed he could run the ship and she would not stand up to him. I found the Foreign Secretaries comments today on the affair today evasive.

Surely Ms J Smith has to go ? its just one disaster after another.

#82 alexandercurzon wrote:

"New Labour? Who on earth would vote for them?"

No-one, clearly!

The fact that McNulty and Smith haven't:

1. resigned
2. been sacked

indicates that McBroon will brazen things out until he and his useless (a grossly inadequate adjective) Government, MPs and Party are voted into oblivion next year.

According to McBroon, Smith is doing an excellent job of protecting the British people. We need protection from being taken for a ride, if not being swindled, Gordon.

Smith, when making her expenses claim, signed to the effect that they were 'wholly and necessarily' incurred in her duties as an MP. Her husband is paid forty thousand a year to be her assistant, that is quite a bit more than a highly qualified teacher or nurse gets, yet we are expected to pay for the household entertainment of her family. She didn't come clean with the mistake herself, so an apology and repayment after being found out is of little use. We would have paid for her husband's pornographic predelictions otherwise - in any case, how are we to know if this hasn't happened previously?

How can anyone have trust in this woman to be responsible for the police forces of the country?

We need scrupulous honesty in public life, and the severest penalties for those who do not live up to those standards. The constitutional system of Parliamentary sovereignty stinks. An entrenched written constitution is needed which prevents MPs having vitually unlimited powers over their own standards and conditions of service.

#79 phoenixarisenq

I certainly agree with mocking, especially from a tactical point of view. Humour drives the barb home, whereas a mere insult rebounds upon the firer. This makes AC's "Jacqui Boots" the perfect nickname.

:-)

Regarding the said lady, Far more than the blue movie, I personally object to the nearly 50 grand she pays her husband out of the public purse. To me, he IS living on immoral earnings (of a sort).

Unfortunately, dull brained people, can also be dangerous, and the time is coming when we should all be nervous for the knock at the door.

I agree with the former, not yet with the latter, but I don't like the surveillance/database state they're creating. That is why I would vote against them no matter what their record on the economy.

"The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance;
which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime,
and the punishment of his guilt." John Philpot Curran.

Have a nice evening everyone!

Flamepatricia 54

I have stressed this on a number of occasions; Cameron cannot say the things Hannan said. If Cameron did take this stance and attack Brown, the public would only see this as a personal attack rather than on Browns Policies. This would not play well with our electorate.

Our politics are not as harsh as in America. Cameron has to wait until it dawns on the voters that our economy is going down the tube before he can be too vociferous.

There is a high percentage of public sector workers in the country who have not really been affected in the downturn as yet and these voters are yet to be convinced how dire the economy has become. This is why I believe Brown is still increasing the public sector so as to keep votes, even though it is bringing the country further down the road to IMF intervention.

The Conservatives have to build their case very carefully with the pubic, over cut backs in the public sector. Otherwise what happened to them in the last election will happen again. Labour will shout “cuts” and the public will think immediately about the NHS and education, and not where the cuts will be actually made.

IS THIS THE WEEK FOR A VERY BRITISH REVOLUTION?

MARCH ON WESTMINSTER AND FACE THIS DEVALUED GOVERNMENT DOWN!!

Just saw that ardent defender of Nu Labour, Polly Toynbee on TV. She said how little corruption and greed there was in British politics, compared to the rest of the world. She said British politicians were not venal. In this case, she didn't say venereal.

being cynical I believe that the porn-expenses thing was published to take the heat of the second story -- the reversal of first & second homes.

the expenses thing, well, it can be portrayed as an oversight, and it make us rub our hands in glee.

the homes now -- different. I heard an interview alleging that she changed her family home of 15 years ("where husband and children live") to her second home, promoting her sister's house to primary. that could never have happened accidentally, could never have been an oversight.

90. sashaclarkson

The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance;
which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime,
and the punishment of his guilt." John Philpot Curran

Thanks, that is beautiful. The grace which can also be a punishment if free will, is abused.

EXPENSES THIS EXPENSES THAT?


WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT FROM A BUNCH OF POWER CRAZED DELUDED

INDIVIDUALS.

THE WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME BRIGADE!!

"SO MANY PEOPLE I TALK TO ARE THINKING OF VOTING BNP!!"

Alex - you should choose yur friends more carefully - though I suppose given the lack of a realistic Opposition these past 10 years...

92 - Are you really proposing a revolution? And what would happen then?

Gordon Brown must come back to earth and realise that ideas can be suggested but not forced upon an unwilling audience.

There is no such being as the man who saved the world.

It will take many people to come up with the right ideas and many more who will have to find ways to implement them.

One size will never fit all.

All the G20 can possibly come up with is that they will co-operate with each other as better ideas for clearing up the mess continue to develop and the murky waters and what is still hidden in them begin to clear.

They need to be more honest with the people and tell them there will be a lot more hardship to bear for many and esure that no-one falls through the safety net. It is ignorance and fear that causes social unrest.

"80 At 3:01pm on 29 Mar 2009, Susan-Croft wrote:"

Puh-leeeze! An administrative error over a £10 invoice. Unless of course you are passing moral judgement on an unelected assistant who is unaccountable to you or I?

Save your anger for an unelected-party-leader who became an unelected Prime Minister whose patronage delivers other unelected law-makers such as Lord Mandelson of Foy and Hartlepool as the Business Secretary.

Wake up and watch democracy die in front of your eyes.

Is anyone awake on this board or does the anodyne ramblings of Robinson attract only the brain-dead?

The Metropolitan police seem to be very good at predicting violent demonstrations next week at the G20 shindig on London's streets. Could they possibly tell us what next weeks winning Lottery numbers are going to be as well?