You'd have thought that Gordon Brown would have learnt his lesson with the media, after the disastrous Basra visit and the interview with Andrew Marr. But yesterday, Brown was at it again, overtly lying at his press conference, when he said he had no plans to meet David Beckham. A few hours later, there was Beckham's Bentley, pulling into Downing Street for Goldenballs to have a quick chat with the Prime Minister about our World Cup bid. And as if to pour even more fat onto the fire, instead of telling all the media this is happening, he invites his Arselicker-in-Chief Bob Roberts (remember him?) round to grab a quick chat with Beckham, to the exlusion of the rest of the media. Ben Brogan and Sam Coates (who has started a new blog for The Times called Red Box) have started to pour the "brown stuff" over Brown. Expect the rest of the pack to follow suit.
By the way, I thought Gordon Brown has eschewed the culture of celebrity... Sorry, I forgot this was the man who, a few days before saying he was going to do just that, had had dinner with Kylie Minogue. And they reckon spin is a declining art in the Brown administation. You're 'avin a larf.
25 comments:
Check your facts. Gordon Brown did not say "he had no plans to meet David Beckham". He said "if David Beckham could help us in the future on some of the other big national projects [encouraging young people to get involved in sport], that would be to the benefit of the country as well. But I have got no specific plans to talk to him about them."
Gordon Brown was not denying that he was to meet David Beckham, but denying a specific suggestion about the topic of the meeting. It was not about Beckham's soccer academy but about the bid to host the World Cup in 2018. (I suppose David Beckham may himself have raised the soccer academy but that's up to him, isn't it?)
You've just made a provably wrong assertion that Gordon Brown was lying which you should withdraw.
Er no...
Question:
I think you are meeting David Beckham in the near future. Can you tell us why? Do you want him to have some sort of role in encouraging youngsters to get into sport?
Prime Minister:
David Beckham did a brilliant job helping us win the Olympics. He was one of the team that helped us win the Olympic decision for London for 2012 and I think the whole country was grateful for the work he and others did to make that possible. And if David Beckham could help us in the future on some of the other big national projects, that would be to the benefit of the country as well. But I have got no specific plans to talk to him about them.
http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page14198.asp
Are we supposed to believe that this (one of many McLabour) anti-English communist Jock Broon actually "supports" England in any way shape or form?.
Becks visit wasn’t announced. There’s a tinge of jealousy in you voice Ian. Calm down dear. Brown hasn’t dropped a Golden ball. But Cameron’s whole hearted endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Senator McCain is a whopping clanger.
Spin is another word for lying. Brown is a LIAR. Why don't the journalists challege him on this? If ONE journo had the guts to make this accusation I'm sure Brown would implode.
And another thing..... Brown meeting Beckham to discuss "our" World Cup bid (as you put it Iain) will really go down well in Kirkcaldy and the rest of Scotland. The guy is just a complete a******e.
In March (I think) Scotland play England at Murrayfield. Alex Salmond will be there, supporting Scotland. Will Brown attend and if so who will he support?
I suspect he will have "another engagement" that day--probably at some school or other, inflicting his rictus smile on some poor kids who have been press-ganged into attending.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is PM
Actually, I don't think he did say he had no plans to meet him. He said that he had no plans to talk to him about a particular topic that a jounrnalist raised.
He's still a scumbag, though.
No Iain, spin is a declining art in the Brown govt; but that doesn't mean they aren't trying.
The old AC / Price team would probably have handled it much better, and come up with a specious reason why it wasn't 'lying.'
It's not the mendacity I mind, it's the incompetence...
are you sure he said he wasn't going to meet him? i thought he said he was going to meet him and was a fan of his work with the olympics but had no specific plans to discuss when they met...?
Brown's copying Hillary, he nearly cried at PMQ's!
Beckham may be 'sex on legs' but he has no brain! What he is doing fraternising with 'the enemy' God only knows. Brown is Scottish through and through!
Arise Sir David obviously. Vikki always wanted to be a lady
Leadenballs meets Goldenballs.
[Leadenballs sold all his gold].
Victor
Simon said:-
"Beckham may be 'sex on legs' but he has no brain! What he is doing fraternising with 'the enemy' God only knows. Brown is Scottish through and through."
Yes Simon-but until you sassenachs get your act together and produce folk with the calibre to run your country, we Scots will have to continue to do that for you.
The quicker you do that, then the quicker we can head north again and leave you to it!
Isn't "bollock" a swear word, Iain?
Dustybin, Perish the thought.
Anon 12.43, Nice One
David Boothroyd, 34000 playing fields have been sold off for redevelopment under NuLabour and the previous Conservative administration. I don't believe Broon or any other politician gives a hoot about sport in this country. If they did, we wouldn't have the one dimensional education system we currently have.
David Boothroyd must be working for Brown. Who else would lie, as he did, to suggest that you, Iain, are incorrect. As confirmed by Anonymous at 10.41.
It it really is time that Boothroyd and his infantile comments and lies are removed. He is obviously working for Brown so let him rot there please.
David Beckham used to be sexy when he was just a star football player and hadn't begun gelling his hair and posing in his underwear.
I would say that to women, David Beckham doesn't have any appeal at all any more. (I'm glad he's supporting McCain, though, which demonstrates there is a little glimmer of a brain in there.)
Anon 2.26pm
As someone who most definitely doesn't work for Brown I have to ride to David Boothroyd's defence - he's 100% spot on. And the Anon comment you refer to directly below David is, I suspect, directed at Iain when it opens with 'Er no...'.
As I've pointed out elsewhere this really is a non-story....
Dear cassilis, read the last line...he denies having any plans to mee Beckham!
It is a no story but just emphasises what a bloody liar Brown is.
Remember if people can lie about small things like this then they can also lie about bigger things. I do not want that in a Prime Minister.
Iain
You are in serious error. Brown did not lie about meeting Beckham and the transcript - as others point out - bears this out.
I hope you will withdraw the allegation of lying.
Anon 4.28pm
The last line is:
"But I have got no specific plans to talk to him about them"
That's not a denial of plans for a meeting - it's a denial of plans to discuss a specific topic.
Jeremy Jacobs said...
"34000 playing fields have been sold off for redevelopment under NuLabour and the previous Conservative administration."
The total number of playing fields lost is much less than 34,000. That figure refers to sports PITCHES.
Why didn't Gordon Brown say, "As a matter of fact I shall be meeting David Beckham later today when I hope we can discuss ... [etc]."
Why so cagey, so inept? My theory is that hedging his bets, and never, ever, making a straightforward statement which might have unforseen implications has become second nature to him. It's a personality disorder.
Is Gordon Brown's interest in meeting David Beckham in any way connected with the recent Armani advert?
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