Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Gordon Brown's World Economic Triumph Gathers Pace


Just seen (and I'm being deadly serious) on the Fox News TV tickertape...

"There are concerns that the nation of England
could be about to go bust..."

UPDATE: They really did say "nation of England" so my friend in the US says.
at

19 comments:

  1. Old BENovember 25, 2008 3:48 pm

    Hardly breaking news...!

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  2. Lord Elvis of PaisleyNovember 25, 2008 3:49 pm

    Women and children first!

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  3. MartinNovember 25, 2008 3:52 pm

    Without a vid it didn't exist!

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  4. AnonymousNovember 25, 2008 3:53 pm

    Hardly a surprise!


    Word ver: Schorm

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  5. UnknownNovember 25, 2008 3:57 pm

    Oh come on. Fox? I mean, I see the case, but that's the channel that said "there are concerns that Presidential Candidate Barack Osama could be about to implement a communist black nationalist secret police modelled on the inquisition", or words to that effect.

    Show me it on CNBC, and I'll listen. Also note that the £ has soared against the $ today :)

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  6. .................................November 25, 2008 3:57 pm

    tut tut Iain, we're not supposed to mention the recession, you know - apparently it's unpatriotic.

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  7. JourneymanNovember 25, 2008 4:06 pm

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. grayboNovember 25, 2008 4:08 pm

    This isn't news, Iain. Ambrose Evans-Pritchard blogged about this last night on the Torygraphblog. And it got a link on the Torygraph website front page this morning.

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  9. Iain DaleNovember 25, 2008 4:13 pm

    graybo, well it was news to me!

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  10. Brave Sir RobinNovember 25, 2008 4:19 pm

    The books are in an even worse state than it has appeared, thanks to wheezes such as PFI and the like. I think yesterday gave a hint of that, and many people are now shocked. The proposed debt burden is madness of Operation Barbarossa proportions.

    18 months to go. Unless...

    Word verification is (I kid you not) "resingn". Go on, Gordon. You can't rescue your (ill-deserved) reputation for being a financial genius, not now. You could, however, go part way to being remembered for some level of decency. It worked for Harold Wilson.

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  11. BooNovember 25, 2008 4:20 pm

    How exactly do you go about repossessing a country?

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  12. hatfield girlNovember 25, 2008 4:26 pm

    Maverecon, Willem Buiter's Financial Times economic blog gives a beautifully measured, economic assessment of the likelihood of the United Kingdom defaulting.

    It is worth thinking, too, about the contribution made by the UK's political deficit - unelected, fag end Prime Minister, democratic centralist GDR-style ruling Party, widespread disaffection of the populace, refusal to hold a general election in the face of unmitigated fiscal and economic disaster, clear indications of social breakdown, extremely contentious public statistics and accounting, etc. - to the risk assessment that will be made by any potential international lender. And the cost of that risk, charged to us all, resulting from the political illegitimacy of New Labour.

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  13. PIENOMICSNovember 25, 2008 4:31 pm

    The documentary on BBC2 yesterday about the National Debt in the USA was frankly terrifying.

    The UK is no better placed when you add in all the obligations the government likes to exclude.

    For McWaste to compare us to a basket case like Italy is a joke. In fact, any comparison with the our over indebted continental cousins is a pure cop out.

    Iain, can you tell us what the national debt figures for our principal competitors include/exclude.

    The UK is over it's ears in debt. No part of society can be free from the scalpel. Most particularly the monstrously wasteful public sector.

    I note that France and Germany are not reducing VAT. So much for McWaste's assertion to be leading the way. I suspect many other leaders are quietly thumbing their noses at McBroon.

    Time for an election.

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  14. Aston Read LimitedNovember 25, 2008 4:33 pm

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  15. AnonymousNovember 25, 2008 4:35 pm

    There is to be a debate on the "budget" tomorrow.

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  16. strapworldNovember 25, 2008 5:28 pm

    Boo said...
    How exactly do you go about repossessing a country?


    Ask Putin!

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  17. WeygandNovember 25, 2008 5:32 pm

    This is Fox News and as such not to be taken seriously.

    It is obvious that Rupert has decided to abandon Labour, now Dear Tony has gone.

    This is far more significant than this particular piece.

    Indeed, we can look out for lots more like it.

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  18. AnonymousNovember 25, 2008 5:49 pm

    In the Evening Standard Headline, there is comment from the Institute of Fiscal Studies on Darling's tax hike start hitting earners above £20,000. The genius Brown's fiscal stimulus is unravelling already. Except Polly T, Steve Richards, Hattersely (whose collegue went cap in hand to IMF)and Michael White etc.. no one believes in Gordo who messed up the economy in the first place.

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  19. LolaNovember 25, 2008 8:33 pm

    Whaddatheymean 'about to go bust'. We are bleedin' bust!

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