For far less than the worsening Megrahi scandal, that is. If this Sunday Telegraph article and this Sunday Times article, which confirm all our worst suspicions about Brown's role in this appalling affair, do not rock his immoral, dishonest government to its very core, I think, as I've said before, that something is very, very wrong with Britain.
Brown, ably supported by his snake-like political double dealers, Mandelson and Straw, has brought shame and infamy on this country thanks to the decisions he took. The Eden government fell because of Suez, ostensibly an honest if flawed intervention which angered the Americans and jeopardised world peace at a time when it was already fragile.
But Eden never lied to the people about his role in the actions of his government; Brown has. Eden never misled the public about the motives for those actions; Brown has. Eden, above all, was a man of integrity and honesty; Brown most certainly is not. We have all the evidence we will ever need to know that fact now.
It is also the reason why, unless he is pursued to the ends of the earth for his lies about the travesty of justice and source of such humiliation for Britain that is the Megrahi release, he will not go.
So yes, there is something very, very wrong with Britain. Its name is Gordon Brown.
You'd think there'd be enough backbench Labour MP's disgusted with this situation to say enough's enough and make Brown and his coterie go, but sadly of the few rebels there are probably only the likes of Frank Field want him out for the right reason and they are too few in number. Labour can say what they like about the Tories at least when they were involved in any scandals their party would make sure they 'walked the plank'.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Bob. It's a matter of integrity. Field has a bit on the right of Labour. So did Claire Short on the left. But very few others. If anything is 'broken' in Britain, that is. And this current crop of Labour MPs, with those few exceptions - most of whom will be gone and forgotton in a few months anyway - have done that to this country. They have poisoned it with their dishonesty and their precious "narratives" (also known as "lies").
ReplyDeleteLegislators putting self-interest, money and secret, muddled ideologies before country, which is what these people do all the time, is not a healthy situation for a nation to find itself in. So, regardless of what further wrongdoing Brown will be found guilty of (and there will be a great deal), they will do nothing.
And they'll won't be forgiven for it for a long, long time.
I'm sort of happy about that, actually. The longer Brown stays, the more harm and humiliation he will do to the country, and the longer Labour will be out of power (they'll come back eventually, though - people have short memories).
But Brown - my God, Brown. What did we ever do to deserve him? It is like a long, painful punishment, this spell of his as PM (which he stole). Blair might be a delusional war criminal and a serial liar, but at least he had a bit of charisma. And he was elected. And he always faced his critics.
See? You can find one or two things to praise even about a self-satisfied moron like Blair. I'll try doing the same thing for Brown...
...
Er...
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Nope. Nothing. Nada.
That's how bad he is. And that's why I am, in fact, praying that something - anything! - happens that will force him out very soon, regardless of the consequences.
Things are getting desperate!
Oh, I'll go as far to say that Blair was one of the four greatest prime ministers we've had in the last 100 years. I may have disagreed with almost all of his policies and he was a slippery sod at the best of times but he could lead and he had enough instinct to know when to drop poorly performing people (With the notable exception of his smearing toad of a chancellor). And he was always prepared to face the public, even when we didn't agree with him.
ReplyDeleteWhen you look at what Brown has done and said it now seems to be impossible to 'bring down' a govt/PM by relying on media exposure of lies or incompetence. As you say the sense of integrity has disappeared, and perhaps worse the public just don't seem to expect integrity in politicians anymore. I'm sure you remember the Mail editorial calling Smith a liar while she was Home Sec, nothing happened, she neither sued nor resigned, just ignored it.
ReplyDeleteArt, you are right. After the expenses furore I'm certain that was the moment when every single MP, regardless of his party and/or whether they were fiddlers or just plain troughers, should have felt it to be an urgent personal duty to go and face their constituents. This is otherwise known as a general election. That they didn't but went into hiding or denied any wrongdoing was the moment they lost credibility - and any support they enjoy now is grudging. What choice do we have?
ReplyDeleteWhat disappointed me from a political point of view is that there wasn't the leadership I expected to see from the Tories, who could quite easily have forced the issue - could have actually forced a general election rather than screaming for one. There was certainly no leadership from Brown. Go figure.
It's quite an abstract point, but it is nonetheless a real phenomenon, that a rotten government spoils everything it touches, including the parliament which it is supposed to serve. Brown-Labour has alienated the population and made us feel powerless and furious. I'm fairly certain that not even the rightwing media really appreciates how deep these feelings run, or have any idea about how really, very angry we are. The leftwing media is so confused that it's just ducking the issue. They will be in for one hell of a shock: forget the polls, come the day, the PLP will be wiped out. I seriously wonder whether it will survive at all. That's how bad the Brown effect has been for it. And hey, I'm not gloating - but they bloody well deserve it, don't they?
It's probably an obvious thing to say, but the general election will have the effect not only of ridding us of the worst government in our history, but the fresh mandate will restore some confidence in the integrity of parliament. It will be reinvigorating and rejuvenating (as long as Labour doesn't win! It won't, of course). It will be a big change.
Brown and most of the PLP (and quite a few Tories, too) will become what they should have been this year: a distant, bad memory.
So that election can't come soon enough, as I am sure you'll agree.
Yes I agree with your point about Cameron forcing an election, now that would have been 'radical' leadership! And yes an election cannot come soon enough.
ReplyDeleteAs a related aside, what does his 'sit and wait' strategy reveal about Cameron? That suggests to me that he is happy with the existing ad-hoc system: Hailsham's elected dictatorship (unelected in the ruiner's case), and wants 'Buggin's turn'. So I'm not optimistic about Cameron, I hope I'm proven wrong. I just feel (and that's all I have to go on) that he's happy with the current 'constitutional settlement.' However, I'm sure he has no idea whatsoever about the problems and worldviews of the vast majority of people in this country (and by that I mean just paying current bills let alone having luxuries like a pension and stepping onto the very bottom of the property ladder).
So how do I think govt could be improved? Ideally I'd like to see constitutional reform, the core being constitutional limits on public spending as a %age of GDP, and constitutionally defined GDP, public spending, inflation, unemployment etc. Increases and changes to be voted on. A whole raft of things that would take too long to type out, but shifting power locally and to the people. If the government was able to be called to account and punished for lies, manipulation of public information, expenses, placing civil servants under duress etc (malfeasance in office), sell the BBC, limits on media ownership, actual professional qualifications and meaningful experience to be an MP let alone chancellor/health minister etc, etc...I think the limits of what these egotistical idiots can legally do should be defined, limited and controlled (change to be electorally endorsed). And punishment (malfeasance in office) for senior civil servants who 'collaborate' with regimes that seek to subvert the constitution. Unfortunately it won't happen.
Unfortunately the middle of the road people who should be doing just don't protest, at least not in my lifetime so far! I think a positive way forward has been suggested - of all places on Old Holborn's blog - as a 'society' hairdresser is pointng out that of his £100 bill for a haircut (WT flying F!!!!) 50% of it is effectively tax. I think a good start would be for some organisation - like the Taxpayer's Alliance maybe - to campaign about requiring taxes to be stated on receipts...Another good one would be paying tax in one hit at the end of the tax year, no PAYE! That would force a lot of people to embrace the reality of the UK very quickly.
Unfortunately I suspect the required remedies will only be considered after an Argentina type economic collapse, and it'll be too late then...
I'm afraid it will make absolutely no difference in practice right now because, as you say, we all knew it already, from this and dozens of other scenarios (election that never was/banking regulation/taxation/borrowing anyone)?
ReplyDeleteIt merely confirms the impression that Brown hasn't the courage to either take unpopular decisions in the national interest and 'fess up to them, or to take morally impeccable decisions and face the economic or diplomatic consequences - instead, he tries to have it both ways and ends up looking like an ineffectual twit.