Remember when Margaret Thatcher got some rather adverse press reaction for declaring that she would go "on and on and on"? Gordon Brown just did the same thing during a lamentable performance on Woman's Hour. He was asked by Jane Garvey if he would resign if he didn't get a majority, he replied that he would "go on" till he got one.
The Labour Party might have something to say about that, of course. Although if they run true to form they'd wimp out of getting rid of him and let him lead them to the next disaster.
18 comments:
I fear that the next "horrible disaster" is going to be a Labour victory in a couple of months time.
How "iDave's Conservatives" will have managed to miss an open goal of truly biblical proportions will doubtless be the subject of "Poli Sci" theses for decades (always assuming that in twenty years or so the average Masters candidate is still capable of reading and writing).
He's like Dougal from Father Ted isn't he, Mrs Doyle?
You could be right - I can see him digging his heels in and refusing to go after a lost GE and then Labour MPs unable to find a replacement sticking with him.
Mind you, when you look at both the Labour and Tory parties, the paucity of possible alternatives to their current leaders stand out. I suppose the Tories could just about manage with Hague, who has improved over time, but is he electable? I doubt it. Ditto Milibland who the public would hate and Hilary Benn (oft touted) who would probably come below Footie in the public's estimation.
So we are stuck with these two reprobates for some years to come!
I'm predicting that Cameron will win with a majority. If I am wrong then I will take that as a disqualification from any future public prognostication.
I wonder: will those predicting a Cameron defeat exercise the same self-constraint?
They should have asked him "What after 12 years in government have you learnt from your mistakes?" He would either have to reply nothing because he doesn't make mistakes or finally admit that he had made one.
Mrs Thatcher never actually said she'd go 'on and on and on'. She actually said she'd go 'on and on' - which got transformed into a 3 part list by the media (and Neil Kinnock). It was featured a few months ago in my paper on the 'snakes and ladders theory of political communication' (http://su.pr/25p1DB), which gains further weight from Brown landing on this particular snake today.
For anoraks inerested in seeing the original Thatcher video clip (and Kinnock's response to it), I'll be posting them on my blog later today.
I, for one, still think that Cameron will get a working majority at the GE. But what about Brown's future? In reality I'm not so sure that he would continue if for instance he had to depend on the LibDems. At the moment he has a good working majority even if we have the Prince of Darkness pulling some of the strings to keep him going. But bearing in mind his control freakery and outbursts of temper would others such as Vince Cable tolerate being able to work with him? I do have doubts.
If Brown should by any mischance win the next election I suspect that there will be increased business for the Digitas Clinic in Switzerland.
And when asked if this was going to be a dirty campaign and whether he would mention where Mr Cameron went to school? He replied he could not care less where anybody went to school. What a mendacious malevolent incompetent basket that man is.
Why the Tories have not torn him and his coterie of sycophants (Whelan and Balls), toadies (that Nye woman and her husband + McShane, McFall, Devine, Martin, Uddin, Scotland etc) cronies (Robinson, ‘Lord’ Paul PC (!), McBride, et al) to pieces is an outrage. And folks quipped Mrs T’s cabinet were vegetables. Look at this lot!
Have you guys considered how the UK might fare under MMP, the electoral system we have in New Zealand.
Cameron would win with UKIP at his side. Gordon brown would be history.
http://fairfactsmedia.com/?p=67
Vote Labour, vote Rasputin
The thought of an indefinite Brownite reign to too horrible to contemplate!
The price for Jeremy Thorpe's liberals to support Heath's Conservatives in 1974 was Thorpe as chancellor and Heath to go.
I suspect the same choice will be offered to the Brown one.
Like Heath, of which there are some very strong similarities, he will decline the offer.
What’s the problem you all have with Gordon’s remark? He only means that if the electorate vote the wrong way, he’ll carry on until they get it right. British ballot papers are all uniquely numbered, so The Party will easily be able to find out who didn’t vote correctly.
This accords perfectly with his policy of considering electoral reform. “The votes are less important than the system that counts them.” as I think Gordon once said.
(Iain, if Cameron can't beat Gordon, then seppuku would be the very least I expect of him)
ANORAK NEWS: I've just posted the original video of Mrs Thatcher not saying "on and on and on", plus BBC news report thereof, plus Kinnock's reply, plus Mrs T eventually using it in a different context: http://su.pr/4Jwwy7
I think everyone has misinterpreted this. What he's relly saying is that even if Labour lose the election he intends to carry on as PM, so he wont follow the usual convention and go to the Palace to tender his resignation, but instead as the incumbent Prime Minister will try to continue until he loses a vote of confidence in the House.
His sense of entitlement knows no limits
Following the example of the EU which repeats any referendum that gives the "wrong" result until the voters give in and vote the "right" way...
Mungojerry said: 'They should have asked him "What after 12 years in government have you learnt from your mistakes?' He would either have to reply nothing because he doesn't make mistakes or finally admit that he had made one."
You underestimate the man. Asked a question like that where he can only give an unpalatable answer, Brown would likely respond .... "I am proud to announce that we are spending £2756bn on a new tractor factory, funded entirely by newly printed money, which will keep everyone fully employed forever. Furthermore, remind all your listeners that the tories are evil and will eat their babies."
Having said that, from a tory point of view, Brown gave a great interview. If only he would do more like that. Lots more!.
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