The Dark Lord Speaketh

I just flipped over to Sky News to see if anything interesting happened at Gordon Browns meeting with the Parliamentary Labour Party tonight (answer, no nothing interesting did happen...)

Then I spotted this quote attributed to the Dark Lord himself:

Lord Mandelson responded by emphasising the need for unity, saying that they would not allow others to "drive wedges between us".

To whom was he referring?

Was it Geoff Hoon? Patricia Hewitt? Hazel Blears? Frank Field? Charles Clarke? Caroline Flint? Harriet Harman? Ed Miliband? David Miliband? James Purnell?

My 2010 Predictions

1. David Cameron will be the UK’s next Prime Minister

2. The UK General Election will be on Thursday 6th May 2010

3. Economic recovery in not be achieved in Q1 2010

4. Guantánamo Bay will not be closed in 2010, though it will continue to gradually reduce it’s inmate population

5. The key political and economic concern in Q3 and Q4 2010 will be Inflation… “Hyper Inflation” will be the prophesised buzz words of concern in the media and blogosphere

6. At least two Labour MP’s will be exposed in the tabloids as having affairs in the lead up to the General Election

7. David Miliband will secure the backing of Peter Mandelson and become the next leader of the Labour Party

8. Vince Cable will become Liberal Democrat leader in 2010 with the backing of Charles Kennedy and Ming Campbell.

9. Nigel Farage will unseat John Bercow

10. Here is my very early attempt at some serious Nostradamus forecasting as I predict the GE result in terms of Parliamentary seats.

Conservative Party / UUP – 349 Seats
Labour Party – 212 Seats
Liberal Democrats – 49 Seats
SNP – 12 Seats
DUP – 8 Seats
Sinn Fein – 6 Seats
Independent – 5 Seats
Plaid Cymru – 3 Seats
Social Democratic and Labour Party – 3 Seats
UKIP – 2 Seats
Respect – 1 Seat

An Interesting Thought

With David Miliband not taking an EU job there were unsurprisingly a few whispers that there might be another coup attempt in the offing somewhen before the next elections.  I personally do not think an attempt will now be made to usurp the Prime Minister.  The plotters have already failed to remove the least most popular Prime Minister in recent history, which really shows what little strength they truly have.  Besides, any challenge would almost certainly now trigger an early General Election rather than a leadership contest and too many Labour MP's stand to lose too much money if they get sent home early.

Anyway, the keen eye is on Ministers and ex-Ministers to see who will move first, and who is posturing now ready for a post General Election Labour leadership bid.  There is one candidate that no one has yet mentioned as a future leader of the opposition.  Gordon Brown.

It seems to be assumed that following an electoral drubbing Gordon Brown will step down as leader.  But why?  The man is quite delusional when it comes to his outlook on most things.  He swore that the UK was best placed of all EU and G8 countries to weather his recession.... look how wrong he was, but look also at how he believed it to be true.  He also thinks he has saved the world, and that only he and his mroal compass know what is best for country and party.  Labour failed to step up and remove Brown when they had the opportunity to.  They listened to Gordon's tears rather than what the country wanted.  With a reduced number of MPs in the next Parliament, possibly under 180 seats in total, the task of forced removal may actually be even harder than now under Labour Party rules.  Gordon Brown may just see it as his duty to stay on, he will probably assert that he is the only person who could lead the Labour Party back to past glory, and it may be old hands in safe seats that control that balance and allow him that opportunity.  How will messers Miliband, Straw and Johnson react to that?

Just something to think about.

On The Side Of Angels

A false apology or non-apology for wrong-doing is about all that is offered these days, and generally we take these as we are so accustom to no apology at all.  There was a time when people took responsibility for their own actions and the actions of those who work for them.  This has not been the case for some time.

Day after day we wait for apologies, we bemoan these insincere non-apologies. Expressions of "regret" have too become seen as almost the same as an apology. But, they are not.

Today The Chief Rabbi of Poland had issued this statement:

“There is no doubt that Kaminski is a strong friend of the State of Israel. He himself has spoken out against anti-Semitism on several occasions during the past decade. It is a grotesque distortion that people are quoting me to prove that Kaminski is an anti-Semite. Portraying Kaminski as a neo Nazi plays into the painful and false stereotype that all Poles are anti-Semitic. I would also like to clarify that the headline of James Macintyre article of July 29, 2009 entitled: “Jewish Leaders Turn on Cameron’s Tories: Poland’s chief rabbi and others call on Cameron to sever ties with Polish MEP” does not represent what I said to the author. I made no political statement and this headline is misleading and untrue.”

Be honest, when you saw this you knew as well as I do that there will be no apology from Miliband and there will be no apology from Macintyre. Despite the vulgar implications of their words and actions, and the tarnish caused to role of Foreign Secretary their opinions shone through and could not be contained, no matter how false and worng that these opinions were.  They both see it as their role to bash the Tories, and there is no method that is out of bounds. They see themselves as on the side of the Angels, and as such the ends justify the means.  They are aiming for loftier goals, that progressive lurch to the lefties ideal society; there will be no Tories in their utopia.

But that is the problem, with our Government in Westminster, the one in Brussels and with our Media. There is no longer even the pretence that they are there to do anything other than pursue their own agendas.

That sick feeling we all share is the knowledge that there is very little people can do about it. That even when misdeeds are exposed they are not punished as you and I would be, they get to just keep carrying on. Like I say, the bext we expect now is a non-apology and we feel bad when we do not even get that.

That does not mean that we should stop trying though.

Voting = Bad, Terrorism = OK... Got That?

In August, The Foreign Secretary was speaking on BBC Radio 4 Great Lives programme about South Africa and the ANC when he said this in regards to terrorism:

“Yes, there are circumstances in which it is justifiable, and yes, there are circumstances in which it is effective.”

I was a bit shocked when I read this quote as were many others, but there was no furore, it didn’t make the really make the papers or TV news, and another of Miliband’s student politic moments passed largely unnoticed to the wider population.

So, it’s lunch time today and I thought I would pop over to the DT blogs, as I usually do when I saw this post from Ed West, which linked to an interview from David Miliband with the DT where David Miliband has criticised David Cameron and the Conservatives for surrendering to:

“Euro-Extremism”

And goes on to quote more fully that:

“I honestly believe that the Conservative Europe policy is a massive strategic weakness for them as they try to persuade sensible, moderate ordinary people that they are a serious party of government”

[my emphasis]

So let’s get this straight; it is, in the Foreign Secretary’s mind sensible, moderate and ordinary to think that

“Yes, there are circumstances in which it is justifiable, and yes, there are circumstances in which it is effective.”

But it is Extremist to want a referendum on a treaty that his own political manifesto offered?? Seriously, WTF?

The interview and the Foreign Secretary’s position is specific to the Conservative position on Europe, which to be quite frank in not a strong enough position for most people tastes – So if the Foreign Minister actually saying he thinks that more than half of the people in Britain are extremists for being against the current Governments position on the EU, whilst accepting that Terrorist Acts are acceptable to him, as long as he agrees with the perpetrators politics? … That’s what it sounds like to me.

Worst Coup Ever?

Sky News have interviewed a couple of Labour MPs today (maybe more when I was not watching), who have been critical of Brown but have said that they have had no letter put to them.  Both did not rule out signing the letter.

Well firstly, this has to be one of the most poorly executed coups of all time, it does not have a figurehead and some of its potential supporters have not even been contacted.  What exactly is the plan here, ask people to send a response whilst not putting up an alternative?  All the while, Brown and his henchmen have been able to cajole senior figures into backing him publicly.

Secondly, we have all seen the letter, I published it here, so if you are a Labour MP, who wants to sign it, just print a copy on your letterhead, sign it, scan it and email it.  Simple.  I am not sure what the benefit is of being interviewed on TV news and supporting the need for a change of leader, and then not sending an email will achieve?  The whole world knows the email address.  Or is there some kind of etticate and engraved stationery required with leadership challenges?

With Alan Johnson becoming Home Secretary, and David Miliband keeping his job in the Foreign Office have the email plotters lost their chief candidates to replace Gordon Brown?  And if not, who is there left who is both credible and willing?

Who Is Backing Gordon Brown?

Gordon Brown Quotes:

"at root our economy is better placed to weather the global storm than it was in
the seventies, the eighties and the nineties". – To North West of England
Business Leaders (see here.)

"It's a financial global recession everybody knows and started out of America,
we are having to deal with the fall out. We are better placed in Britain than we
have been in the past and are better placed that many other countries" – BBC
Interview (See here)

So, do people share your views Gordon?.....

What about Ed Balls? Well, let’s look at who he is first. He worked for the Financial Times as an economic leader writer (1990 – 1994), before going on to work for Gordon Brown in 1994 in the then Shadow Cabinet. After Labour won the 1997 election he worked for the then Chancellor (again, one Gordon Brown) in a position called “Chief Economic Advisor” where he allegedly earned the title “The most powerful unelected man in Britain”.

It would be fair to say then, that Ed Balls is intimate with Gordon Brown, familiar with the internal workings of the treasury department, the Government and of the national economic position.

Last night, Ed Ball told a Labour conference that these were "seismic events that are going to change the political landscape". He also said the current economic situation is "more extreme and more serious than that of the 1930s" (See here.)

Oh dear. That doesn’t sound very supportive of Mr Brown or this Labour Governments official position.

Ok, well let’s look at someone else then… how about Nikolas Sarkozy. Well again let’s look at who he is. He is the democratically elected President of France (means he won an election of the whole country, Gordon may not be familiar with this concept).

Any way, what did Mr Sarkozy have to say on Gordon Browns Economic competence? Surely as a European leader, he will look at what Gordon brown was quick to do, and follow his leadership.

"The British chose a recovery plan by boosting consumer spending, notably by
cutting VAT by two per cent. It is plain to see that it has brought absolutely
no progress. "

Doesn’t sound very supportive, maybe we should look at what else he said…

"The reason is simple: because it's in people's heads. If the consumer no
longer consumes, he won't change just because we add or subtract one VAT point,
it's because he's scared for his future, he's scared for his job and says to
himself: 'I must save, because bad times are coming'.

"In France, we chose investment because when we put France into debt by
taking money to invest, in return we have assets, infrastructure. When you put
your country into debt to pay for operating costs, you have nothing in return
for your debt and you ruin the country.

"If the English did that it's because they don't have any industry
left. Gordon Brown cannot do what I am doing with carmakers [giving them up to 6
billion euros]... in construction and other industries, because they haven't got
any left."

Oh dear. Well let’s look at the IMF then. They have effective control on the world’s supply of money, they must recognise that “Gordon Brown has not only saved the world….” Ooops, he didn’t mean to say that did he.

Anyway, the IMF know what they are talking about, they must agree that the UK is well positioned economically. They have a report here. Oh, I forgot, they placed the UK at the very bottom in their outlook of developed nations, and are predicting that the UK economy will shrink by 2.8% in 2009.

Ok, maybe these are too specific. How about House owners?

No, wait, house prices have fallen an average of £22,000 per house hold in the last year or so.
What about the Unions? They love Labour Prime Ministers.

Hmm, forgot, they though when Gordon Brown said “British Jobs for British Workers” he was going to do that. He didn’t thell them that the EU won’t let him.

Labour voters?

Well, admittedly they might be hard to find now, as only 28% of the electorate is considering voting for Labour.

Polly? Getting mixed signals from Pol. Best not disturb her today; she is getting a bit of a kicking today from her readers.

My Blogs readers… No, wait, this is getting embarrassing… I almost forgot, but 92% of them want Brown to resign.

What about Gordon Browns Cabinet, they must support him and his claims on the economy…

Let’s see, The Foreign Secretary? No, that’s David Miliband, he was going to run a campaign against Gordon Brown Last year. Nobody, not even Gordon Brown thinks David Miliband trusts Grodon Brown.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary? Well she is supportive, but then again she is making massive amounts of money from the position Gordon put her in, she would have to back him, he is probably keeping a public enquiry from her door.

Jack Straw? haven’t heard from him in a while… hmmm, wonder where the Justice Secretary is?

Ed Balls? No, done that one already.

Labour MP’s. They will of course support their leader. They have to, it’s their job to, and they wouldn’t want to make dear Gordon cry again. Come to think of it, a lot of them will be out of a job soon, they are probably less happy..

I t seems I may am struggling to find a credible example of somebody who will back Gordon Brown’s economic policies, and actually for him to remain as Prime Minister. Is there anybody left that does?

Oh wait of course there is. I forgot, there is the BBC and the EU.