political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Monday, February 12, 2007
Prime Minister Elect?
A reporter on Sky News has just called Gordon Brown the 'Prime Minister Elect'.
Come, come, Iain. You yourself know that he is elected by his own ego and a bunch of crawling halfwits who support him.
There wil be no fresh start with him, he cannot escape from the fact that he is just as, if not more responsible for much of the mess in the country. I hope that Mr Cameron will remind him of this at every opportunity.
Of course he is the prime minister elect, you don't think he would get his hands dirty with a leadership election when he can do it all behind closed doors. Trust me Iain, Labour knows what is best for us and why waste time explaining it to the electorate.
I just wish those journalists who describe the incumbent as "elected Prime Minister" would cease forthwith. As El Dave reminds us PM select ...by Her Maj.
Incredible, Gordon Brown and his followers worry me, he seems to insist upon a fundamentalist devotion to his cause, a cult of personality. He holds the Labour Party hostage and secondary to his own sense of destiny.
According to a secret codicile of the Labour Party Constitution, under certain circumstances a quorum for the election of the next party leader can be made up from the maitre d' and three waiters of the Granita Restaraunt.
The chef will have the casting vote in the event of a tie
Brown is certainly not elected. Rather, he is better described as the Prime Minister in Waiting. And Waiting..... And Waiting..... And STILL F*****G WAITING..... I'm still here you know. Give me the keys. The keys. Give me...why have you given them to the boy Cameron? WHATTTT?? What election????
Do I remember wrongly from the '05 campaign, but wasn't one of the Conservative slogans: "Vote Blair, Get Brown" or words to that effect. The public knew exactly what they were getting and Labour won comfortably.
Given that, at the time of the last general election, it was widely accepted that Gordon Brown would succeed Tony Blair at some point during the Parliament, and the electorate returned a Labour majority, then Gordon Brown is fairly referred to as "Prime Minister-elect" in exactly the same way as one might say that "Tony Blair has been elected Prime Minister".
The wonderful thing about an unwritten constitution is that we don't have to get worked up about things like this.
Anonymous 12:17, there was a very interesting programme on Radio Four last week, about the relationship between Tony Blair and Rupert Murdoch. It stuck, I regret to say, to the old line about Murdoch's political importance in Britain. In fact, despite (like the Sun) the de facto editorship of Alastair Campbell, not only do I doubt that many Times readers are Labour voters, but I suspect that most of them would buy the Daily Telegraph instead if they ever suspected that the Times were a Labour-supporting newspaper.
But that doesn't really matter: what matters is the only too successful transformation of Times readers into Blair-thinking people, even if they actually vote Tory and imagine themselves to despise Tony Blair. This has now had a very dramatic effect on exactly its intended target, namely the Conservative Party.
As for the Sun, half of its readers always did vote Labour, and most of the other half had resolved to do so a period of years before the Sun changed its own line (and a period of years before anyone other than political obsessives had ever heard of Tony Blair), which it probably only did in order to prevent a haemorrhage to the Daily Mirror if it had been daft enough to advocate the re-election of John Major in 1997.
'Is there enough legislation for the General Election to be cancelled'?
Well, the ultimate power of the House of Lords is to call a General Election after 5 years if the Government of the day refuses to do so without extremely good reason (eg world war).
Why do you think the Labour Govt want to reform the HoL?
I wonder if, when the history books are written, Tony Blair's declaration that he would stand down as PM at some point in the future, will not be seen as one of the biggest political blunders the Labour Party ever made? I still find it rather strange that he ever said it at all.
Re Brown as "PM elect", I suppose it could be argued that the electorate, having voted for Blair in full knowledge of his statement about standing down, has in a way "elected" Brown (or someone else)? His real test will be whether he can win an overall majority in a general election. Time will tell.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteCould it be Rupert Murdoch ? The Times seems to have suddenly discovered the wonder of Gordon also... odd that.
ReplyDeleteCome, come, Iain. You yourself know that he is elected by his own ego and a bunch of crawling halfwits who support him.
ReplyDeleteThere wil be no fresh start with him, he cannot escape from the fact that he is just as, if not more responsible for much of the mess in the country. I hope that Mr Cameron will remind him of this at every opportunity.
Obviously a Mikado fan.
ReplyDelete"I'm his daughter-in-law elect"
With many of the same attitudes, too.
Prime Minister Select - selected by the Queen, surely?
ReplyDeleteOh dear - this is the murdocracy trying to do another 'Let's call the election for Bush' stunt.
ReplyDeleteWe should just ignore it..
Himself! Who else?!
ReplyDeleteRupert Murdoch
ReplyDeleteTransport House!
ReplyDeleteOf course he is the prime minister elect, you don't think he would get his hands dirty with a leadership election when he can do it all behind closed doors.
ReplyDeleteTrust me Iain, Labour knows what is best for us and why waste time explaining it to the electorate.
rupert murdoch?
ReplyDeleteI just wish those journalists who describe the incumbent as "elected Prime Minister" would cease forthwith. As El Dave reminds us PM select ...by Her Maj.
ReplyDeleteElected by himself through a coup
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHe's already running the government according to this.
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/2xsmxk
there's also an interesting bit about ID cards that Dave C needs to consider.
Short and sweet Iain , like me . I like Douglas Alexander in the Mirror today "We can`t do nothing ".
ReplyDeleteHow can we cure them of this political tourettes do you think ?
Incredible, Gordon Brown and his followers worry me, he seems to insist upon a fundamentalist devotion to his cause, a cult of personality. He holds the Labour Party hostage and secondary to his own sense of destiny.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAccording to a secret codicile of the Labour Party Constitution, under certain circumstances a quorum for the election of the next party leader can be made up from the maitre d' and three waiters of the Granita Restaraunt.
ReplyDeleteThe chef will have the casting vote in the event of a tie
You misheard. It was Prime Minister reject!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteBrown is certainly not elected. Rather, he is better described as the Prime Minister in Waiting. And Waiting..... And Waiting..... And STILL F*****G WAITING.....
ReplyDeleteI'm still here you know. Give me the keys. The keys. Give me...why have you given them to the boy Cameron? WHATTTT??
What election????
Is Brown working towards a totalitarian regime?
ReplyDeleteIs there enough legislation in place for the next general election to be cancelled?
Do I remember wrongly from the '05 campaign, but wasn't one of the Conservative slogans:
ReplyDelete"Vote Blair, Get Brown" or words to that effect. The public knew exactly what they were getting and Labour won comfortably.
I may be remembering wrongly though.
Given that, at the time of the last general election, it was widely accepted that Gordon Brown would succeed Tony Blair at some point during the Parliament, and the electorate returned a Labour majority, then Gordon Brown is fairly referred to as "Prime Minister-elect" in exactly the same way as one might say that "Tony Blair has been elected Prime Minister".
ReplyDeleteThe wonderful thing about an unwritten constitution is that we don't have to get worked up about things like this.
'Heir apparent' would be a reasonable description: it's all to apparent that Brown will inherit the leadership.
ReplyDeleteBrown might succeed in foisting himself on the electorate but he'll never be elected.
ReplyDeleteHe and his Labour Party are unelectable, despite all those welfare - employed and welfare -unemployed he's sustaining.
Anonymous 12:17, there was a very interesting programme on Radio Four last week, about the relationship between Tony Blair and Rupert Murdoch. It stuck, I regret to say, to the old line about Murdoch's political importance in Britain. In fact, despite (like the Sun) the de facto editorship of Alastair Campbell, not only do I doubt that many Times readers are Labour voters, but I suspect that most of them would buy the Daily Telegraph instead if they ever suspected that the Times were a Labour-supporting newspaper.
ReplyDeleteBut that doesn't really matter: what matters is the only too successful transformation of Times readers into Blair-thinking people, even if they actually vote Tory and imagine themselves to despise Tony Blair. This has now had a very dramatic effect on exactly its intended target, namely the Conservative Party.
As for the Sun, half of its readers always did vote Labour, and most of the other half had resolved to do so a period of years before the Sun changed its own line (and a period of years before anyone other than political obsessives had ever heard of Tony Blair), which it probably only did in order to prevent a haemorrhage to the Daily Mirror if it had been daft enough to advocate the re-election of John Major in 1997.
The phrase is used as in The Mikado: "his daughter in law elect"
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteGordon Brown?? Don't you mean Tail End Charlie??
ReplyDelete'Is there enough legislation for the General Election to be cancelled'?
ReplyDeleteWell, the ultimate power of the House of Lords is to call a General Election after 5 years if the Government of the day refuses to do so without extremely good reason (eg world war).
Why do you think the Labour Govt want to reform the HoL?
I wonder if, when the history books are written, Tony Blair's declaration that he would stand down as PM at some point in the future, will not be seen as one of the biggest political blunders the Labour Party ever made? I still find it rather strange that he ever said it at all.
ReplyDeleteRe Brown as "PM elect", I suppose it could be argued that the electorate, having voted for Blair in full knowledge of his statement about standing down, has in a way "elected" Brown (or someone else)? His real test will be whether he can win an overall majority in a general election. Time will tell.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletePrime Minister Presumptive???
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter who's Prime Minister. We're governed by Brussels.
ReplyDelete(Iain seemed to nod in agreement with DK last night on 18DS)