I haven't read anyone else's view of Brown's speech to the TUC yet, but I have to say I thought it was the worst delivered speech he has made. It was full of stumbles, hesitancy and repetition. Indeed, I am sure he repeated a whole passage twice. Listening to it in the car on 5 Live I did my usual thing of trying to imagine I was a floating voter listening to it. And there was nothing in it that would have persuaded me that here was a man with a vision for Britain's future. He still used the same tired old phrases. I had thought that Darling had persuaded him not to use the line about saving 500,000 jobs as it couldn't be substantiated, but he used it again in this speech. His criticism of the Conservatives was so laboured that it seemed as if he was just going through the motions. Indeed, it was a little odd for him to criticise Conservative public spending cuts, when his people were spinning that he was about to copy them. It's a major strategic error for Brown to go down this road.
However wrong the phrase "Labour investment, Tory cuts' was, it was a simple message to sell. I challenge anyone to come up with a four word slogan for the current Labour policy. "We'll cut too but it won't hurt as much" or "We'll cut too, but not just yet" is the best I can come up with.
What was most intriguing was the moment when Brown said Labour would spend less on unnecessary things and low priorities. Which rather begs the question as to why any money was being spent in the first place on unnecessary things...
45 comments:
How about: "We spend, you pay"
Or even better: "Not long to go"
"His criticism of the Conservatives was no laboured"
Iain, I think you meant "so laboured".
Harriet will have her stilleto off her foot and in her hand the next time she stands behind him!
Precisely
Brown says: "Labour will cut costs, cut inefficiencies........"
Mandelson would depict Labour as "wise spenders"
Labour's proven track record over the last twelve years is EXACTLY the opposite. It is one of wanton profligacy with our money. Why on Earth should any voter believe anything these people say?
Time to give the other Guys a chance, I think.
"Please vote for us."
I think that about sums up their begging, awkward, uncoordinated stance.
If that speech was the brainchild of Kirsty McNeill, then God is the only one left who has the power to help Gordon after her promotion.
"Your money, our pensions"?
here you go iain: "we'll cut - sort of." then there's "spend? cut? - you pay."
i watched it; brown came across as a tired man holding on by his fingernails, dishing out hopeful trinkets while desperately justifying himself to an untrusting lover.
awful. he also managed to grin inappropriately and unnervingly for no reason during the q&a.
The only 'cuts' Brown will be instrumental in effecting will be...
'Cutting and running' !
What a stuttering shambles of a man.
I cringed, when watching, and listening to his feeble oration to the TUC.
He clearly is unfit to be the PM of this once great Nation.
There is just no one in NuLab capable of being a leader, or even, cabinet member.
Inept bunch.
Laughing stock of the World!
"Labour Policies Are Like Rabbits in Headlights"
sums it up for me
It was a shocking performance. Full of half-truths (at best) and so vague as to be worthless.
I can think of many four-word slogans that summarise Labour, but I can't see you approving any of them.
"Too little, too late?"
I watched the speech and Gordon has the look of a desperate man...he knows the game is up but has to go through the motions...about time someone put him out of his misery..
"cut unnecessary programmes" is that trident,id cards, anything else left of the tattered promises? It will be interesting to see what,if anything, of substance will be in the queen's speech
He's promised to "cut unnecessary programmes". Well I never!
Has he been saying "look, let's fund some unnecessary programmes today"?
Cutter Brown's on the run, one minute he's attacking the Conservatives for being prudent, the next minute he's copying their language.
But I can't be alone in being uncomfortable with Osborne's petty triumphalism. The man's too shrill, too excited by Westminster games.
I listened to about five minutes of GB's speech after that I turned it off as I had the strong urge to hit myself in the face with a spade.
I wonder if anyone else has the same feeling as me when listening to his speeches.
No, dear, it doesn't beg the question; it prompts the question. I don't know why should I expect a Tory to care about the accurate use of language these days, any more than anyone else, but I live in hope.
I doubt there are many floating voters who can mange to listen to Brown any more.
They just want it to be over, and for the process of clearing up the mess Labour have left to be started.
I doubt there are many floating voters who can mange to listen to Brown any more.
They just want it to be over, and for the process of clearing up the mess Labour have left to be started.
I had the chance to listen to the speech but could not bring myself to do so. This man has destroyed the economy, I would like to say single handed but he had the connivance of one T Blair in everything he did. Littlejohn in the Mail today says it all really.
"I could not believe anything he said to me"
This regime promising to cut waste ranks right up there with Dr Shipman claiming he'll save lives if only he can be let loose in the old folk's home with a supply of drugs again - only with more at stake.
Entertainingly, some US neurologists just announced an analysis of how neurons work which related it to their electoral college election mechanism; The Register reported this with a great UK twist at the end:
"In Britain, of course, the prime minister is selected by a variety of different methods. Sometimes there is an general election process where people vote for MPs and this knocks on almost directly to select the PM. On other occasions (as we have now) a leader is chosen by the MPs of one party only without any consultation of the citizenry, as though neurons had lost most of their dendrites - a condition which causes a variety of terrible brain problems."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/15/human_brain_like_us_elections/
There has never been a logical reason for deferring cuts in unnecessary expenditure and to use the recession as the reason is intellectually retarded.
However, there is every reason to use this excuse if you wish to construct a smokescreen around your economic ineptitude and delay the consequences until after the general election.
At least you could not therefore see the 'clawing hand' 3 times a minute which must be the most annoying habit ever. Someone really ought to tie one of his hands behind his back when he speaks.
Gordon Brown?
....no hope
Whats with his left arm, It seems to have a life of its own. Watch again and see that he cant keep it still, and keeps making weird grabbing gestures with his hand.
Hes definitely on something!
Labout Cuts, But Cares
It wouldn't make any difference as the voters have rumbled them. Fourteen years of smoke and mirrors soon to come to an end.
"Wrong man, wrong job"
"We've no money left"
"Anonymous @ 6:49 said...
At least you could not therefore see the 'clawing hand' 3 times a minute.... "
Gordon demonstrating how he has us Taxpayers by the b@llocks
The delivery was actually marginally better than his Afghan piece. That does not make it anywhere near good. But what an extraordinary platform (the TUC ffs) to pirouette and talk about cuts. He and NuLab have totally lost it, but c.30% will still vote for them?
I despair
This is the best I can come up with:
"Cut deep, but cut later."
"Our cuts don't hurt. Much."
Anonymous 6.07
You managed to listen to a Gordon Brown speech for 5 minutes? Take a bow!
After 5 minutes of listening to The Moron, I'd be slitting my wrists.
Nice one Ian. A rather downbeat comment on a rather downbeat speech comes across as sensibly downbeat.
It's the prayer of St Augustine: "Lord make me virtuous, but not yet"
Fur coat, no knickers.
From Wikipedia: Idiom
all fur coat and no knickers:
(idiomatic) (derogatory) (usually of a woman, but may be used by extension on another subject) of superficial appearance and with no real substance beneath
I love it. It's the admission we've all been waiting for. 12 years of Labour government and he admits there are areas of our spending that are either inefficient or unnecessary.
And who was chancellor for most of the past 12 years who allowed this spending?
Absolute gold for the Tories.
Through the 1980s there was a movement that was at the time called 'alternative cpmdey' led by the likes of Ben Elton (who he?). The entire Alternative Comedy movement consisted of one joke that was repeated over and over again - 'Margaret Thatcher. What a C*NT!' always followed by gails of riotous laughter. This single joke led to the creation of the modern BBC and tens of thousands of middle management (cadre) jobs there.
Perhaps today we've seen the beginnings of a new form of British Alternative Comedy that will be based around another ubiquitous joke?
'Gordon Brown. What a CUT'.
Ben Elton may be planning a come-back.
We haven't heard much from Labour's puerile attempt to smear Cameron as "Mr 10 percent" recently. That was the attack slogan in June, and can still be seen here.
Our press really are Labour pets aren't they?
Brown announces: "Labour will cut costs, cut inefficiencies, cut unnecessary programmes..."
And NOBODY says: "Why haven't you already cut costs? Why are there significant inefficiencies after 12 years and WHY are there ANY UNnecessary programmes?
Responsible Cuts, Visceral Cuts
Labour Lies
Thats what we do.
Labour - Lies like a flat fish
sorry - can't quite get it down to 4 words - how about simply :
Labour Lies to YOU
How about "It's what Mandy said"? He really does seem to have lost the plot.
This is a replay of Blair's 'nothing will change but I am going to be really radical' mantra from 1997.
LAbour have no original thought left.
Many years ago when we had a Conservative Government Gordon Brown used to speak from time to time on the Today programme. His voice and speech at that time was reminiscent of Mr Blobby from Noels House party. Nothing that he has done since as Chancellor and Prime Minister has caused me to revise that view. The destruction of personal pension schemes, his first act as Chancellor. The sale of our gold reserves after announcing that he was going to do so thus ensuring that he got a poor price for them. The debacle of the 10% tax rate. His every attempt to help, like Mr Blobby, seems to end in disaster. The sooner he goes the better.
Not original, but how about
"We labour, they party"
?
As Brown's speeches are always crap in both delivery and content there is no reason that anyone should be surprised on this occasion. And as, since he became prime minister, he has had nothing useful to say (in truth, there is nothing left to say; except, perhaps, 'sorry'), surely there was no expectation that there would be anything except the same tired old mantras.
But I'm surprised no one has mentioned the TUC audience: very interesting, I thought. They appeared overly quiet (disillusioned, morose even?). During the speech Brown had to stop, as if he had short-circuited, to prompt the few, half-hearted attempts at applause. Enthusiastic spontaneity it wasn't. And at the end, in spite of Brendan Barber's ostentatious attempts at cheer-leading, Brown's reception appeared muted, even laboured. It seemed almost tragically ironic and a little desperate that the chairman (it's OK to use this term as Brown congratulated her on her chairmanship skills) thanked Brown for his "inspiring" speech.
It seems even the TUC know the game is up.
Have a read of http://www.frankfield.com/blog/q/date/2009/09/15/judgement-of-solomon/
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