One thing must be said for Gordon Brown's performance on the Today programme this morning - it was better than that dire interview he gave to Andrew Marr. He now seems at last to be getting his tongue around an admission that he screwed up over the 10p tax rate, and the touch of arrogance when asked why he should carry on as Prime Minister is so much more convincing than Mr "I Feel The Hurt They Feel."
Brown is an arrogant man. It is a failing he shares with most if not all of the best politicians. It drew people to him when he was on the way up, and it is pointless his trying to conceal it now. He might do himself a favour if he flaunted it instead. The next time he is asked the leadership question, I would suggest he says something like this:
"Yes, I know there are some Labour MPs running about like headless chickens wondering if a new leader can get the government out of the hole it is now in. This because they have had it easy for a long time. For as long as most of them can remember, the economy has been doing well and Labour has been won elections. Now both the country and the party are facing the bad times. I have been there before. I have made mistakes, but not as many as almost anyone else who had been Chancellor for 10 years would have made. A younger, less experienced leader would not make the bad times disappear. So I'm not going, and if anybody in the Labour Party wants to challenge me for the leadership - bring it on. Your humble servant, Gordon."
At least that would liven up a dull day.
All engineers know that economics is a non linear system, obeying the laws of complexity, and therefore completely unpredictable, and esentially impossible to control. Perhaps nudge. The self professed "skills" of people like brown always rang very hollow with me. Crowded by events, and looking rather like a cork bobbing on the ocean, we see the chancellor for what he is. Good piece.
Posted by: Ciaran | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 11:54 AM
I agree completely, as I always do with you Andy. let's hope Mr Brown takes your advice.
It's great to see the Indy embracing the blogosphere.
Posted by: Steven | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 11:58 AM
Andy, if you mean that continous unstoppable New Labour blather, which John Humphrys handled in the only way possible, by providing his own running commentary in the background, and then pinning Gordon every now and then with a truth, to try and prevent the endless evasion - if you mean that was a BETTER performance, blimey! Gordon doesn't need to utilise his Stalinist arrogance, he needs to get a hearing aid, and answer straight questions with answers not spin. If I hear the words 'fuel and food prices are rising' from him once more!!!!....Sure they are, and where's the money for a rainy day to help ease their effect? Spent!
Posted by: paul freeman | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:16 PM
However, the public has shown they are tired of his (and perhaps all) politicians' arrogance. They expect government to serve them, not the other way round.
So Brown's arrogance won't do him any favours.
Posted by: Boats | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:17 PM
Shame, they were doing so well, but under the circumstances of the last 10 or so years a kindergarten class couldn't have mucked it up so they should have done better. When are the polititians going to realise that less government = less tax = more disposable income = happier voters. Show me a party that has that as one of their principles and I'll vote for them.
Posted by: Den | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:21 PM
The point is not whether Gordon Brown makes good or bad decisions which affect the economy (obviously he does), Its that fact that the government makes these decisions in a vacume... They do NOT represent the values of the British people who are subject to these decisions... The same would be true for a conservative government...
MPs don't represent the people that vote them in, they don't even represent themselves - They are told how to vote (by whom - who do they represent?)
That is true arrogance....
Posted by: Paul | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:25 PM
I would love to see you as Prime Minister you would be crushed down and end up in an institution in a matter of weeks, you do realize the number of people and number of underhand techniques that people around Gordon Brown will be using to try and slip him up ?
Its really easy and probably very satisfying to be an armchair critic particularly against people who are spending their lives genuinely serving other people.
One thing that people forget is that when a major country like America crashes then any other country that has strong import / export and business ties with that country will also, to a degree, crash, although the Labour party have not used this as one of their arguments.
To me this is just the testing of the 'new boy' to see if he will react to various taunts.
Posted by: andrew | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:36 PM
Don't you just DESPISE arrogance wherever and however it manifests? Along with jealousy, it is one of mankind's greatest foibles. One of the best comments on GB was 'he's not Tony Blair', in an age where being media savvy is so vital, Gordon ain't got it, he needs it to generate trust from the amorphous majority out there, who care about it just as much as 'grey' economic results.
Posted by: mike wilkie | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:42 PM
We all want the same thing. We want well behaved children who stick in at school, we want kids who are not materialistic, we want people to fend for themselves and not to rely on others for money for their kids food and houses, in place of the family's father bringing home the bacon, and trumpet this as some sort of "liberation" for women. In short we want all the people who aren't doing real jobs out of those jobs and we want all of those working for the government cut down to size and earning SIGNIFICANTLY LESS than the same jobs pay in the private sector. In short we want shot of Gordon Brown because he patently can't deliver for the people. Everyone needs the same cure, those who pay taxes will pay significantly less and those who don't work will get significantly less. Simple and effective and more important than winning some stupid election in two years it will save the people he has condemned to a "life of leisure " on the dole where above all things they and their families are being destroyed by "the easy life" and contact with "public servants" who couldn't give a damn about anything but fleecing the taxpayers.
Posted by: John Sinclair | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:47 PM
Andrew has a point. This guy looks like he's coming apart and when he is eventually removed from office I hope he won't have to take to long to get an appointment with a community psychiatric nurse. He's going to crack up badly.
Posted by: Tern | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:49 PM
I understand Brown went from one interview to another this morning. Has he no idea that the very sound of his voice and the sight of his face loses shedloads of votes for Labour?
Posted by: John | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:52 PM
Gordon Brown seems to think that he can resolve the problems of poverty by identifying those individuals who need financial help, gatting them to complete complicated forms plus attachments, and then to submit them for vetting and assessment by government employees. As there are several millions of those who can't afford the present cost of their basic needs, this requires hundreds of thousands of civil servants to assist claimants, and assess and arrange appropriate funding. Over 900,000 public secttor employees have been added to the public sector payrolls in the last ten years.
If basic services were provided at an affordable cost, and additional facilities provided for the general public, individual targetting of millions would not be needed and the number and cost of civil servants could be reduced, releasing the necessary funding to do this. Council Tax, fuel and water are the most obvious expenses requiring support, but additional free or subsidised services such as public transport, employment for the disabled (what happened to Remploy?), and infant/childcare centres would benefit the whole community.
Apart from existing benefit claimants, those currently unable to claim benefits due to disablilty or age related illness, or lack of supporting documentation, would be helped as would many others with marginal incomes.
Gordon Brown's means tested policies are expensive and cumbersome to implement.
Posted by: John Ritson | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:52 PM
"particularly against people who are spending their lives genuinely serving other people"
You are kidding right? If you believe any politicians do anything other than try to stay \ get into power, you're sadly mistaken. If it wasn't about what is good for them, rather than what is good for the public, then it would be run like jury service - a representative cross section of society running the country merely because they are required to do so, and only compensated to level of lost earnings, and fixed reasonable expenses.
Party politics, like religion is just another form of tribalism (my gang's better than your gang). The world's woes are pretty much all a result of tribalism.
Posted by: Botas | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:54 PM
Definition of arrogance,
'offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride.'
We all know how much Gordon Brown regards himself as ordinary and not being of the celebrity status so that negates the self-importance aspect of this definition. You could never accuse Gordon Brown of overbearing pride as he actually prides himself on his humility. One of his key aims is to help the poor and broken down in both our societies and when possible various international societies, regain their sense, or some sense of dignity in themselves and yes he places a lot belief that a good economic stability is a good starting point on the road to accomplishing this. We know his passion to aid the sick and the poor in our country and particularly in countries like Africa, and this is no PR stunt. Superiority can be mistaken with confidence and unshakable belief that what you are doing is the right thing by others..
So i think your argument about the Prime Minister being arrogant is a bit misplaced.
Posted by: andrew | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:58 PM
ciaran
Engineers before you and those with you are really cowards avoiding people and minds. They are the toughest things to handle. You do some thing with machines and codes. Actually you job or a programmer's job are idiots' jobs compared to Brown's job. Do not burn inside. Engineers do not deserve to compare with or comment on politicians and economists. You are so many steps behind them.
M Varnendra
Posted by: m varnendra | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 12:59 PM
Brown's main problem is his attachment to a union which does not benefit Scotland England or Wales and the fact his party has sold it's political soul to the Tories.
Having had fake New Labour Tories, people down south think they might as well go back to the real thing. Luckily the Scots have an escape route, independence.
Posted by: Joe M | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 01:07 PM
Brown is the head of a sinking ship. He will still be evincing the wonderful job his criminal government have done whilst the cold waters of another 18 years in opposition swirl up to meet his arrogant, gasping mouth.
This Government is dead and the 10p Tax debacle is the final nail in the coffin. Some of us still remember what Brown did to our pensions...For many people, Brown has no mandate to be Prime Minister of this land.
If this were a true democracy, we could bring all these sleazy, incompetant 'New Labour' criminals to account for themselves. To lie and abuse the posts they have been elected for should carry the ultimate penalty. That would at least decimate their majority.
Posted by: J Stuart | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 01:12 PM
GB should remain in his Job, the press are obsessed with personality and they should not be allowed to hound him out. Let the people decide at a General Election and not the press hacks. Humphries is a human Rottwieler.
Posted by: Kevin R | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 01:19 PM
Scotland, Wales and Northern Island to receive their independence, politically and financially, GB to return to Scotland with most of his cabinet and let England get on with it.
Reduce the dole allowance, reduce the amount of managers in hospitals and all governmental bodies, let the professionals run their own departments again. England needs to shed the "Obesity" of Labour and let the country think and run itself.
England get back to being a proud nation of thinkers you once were, Labour has robbed you of your control, money and mental capacity to self govern.
Posted by: david James | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 01:40 PM
you very rarely hear someone say, "Brown is doing a good job." because he isnt. One thing, when does a politition ever come round to see you or any representative from a political party? Never, oh unless there is an election and then they are all smiles and hello's. Yet they might visit an opening somewhere or the like, but thats only too make them look like they care, Brain wash, and we are in the spin cycle.
Dont we relise yet that they are shafting us left right and centre. They are ripping our liberties to shreds, through scare mongering and lies.
Take a look at this video and decide for your self:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-33512752
15846218544&q=taking+liberties&ei=uC8sSJ2aHo2QjgK
pnoTuCQ
or google video "Taking Liberties (Since 1997)"
WAKE UP
Posted by: S. turner | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 01:46 PM
I bet Tony Blair is glad that he left when he did, otherwise it would be him getting the backlash from everyone following this GLOBAL economic slowdown. Gordon Brown may not be as charismatic as TB but I do believe he has the best interests of our country at heart. Has everyone forgotten how bad it got under the last Conservative government?
Posted by: Andrea | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 01:56 PM
David, the Scottish nation got rid of Labour and replaced them with SNP. Don't wish Brown and his cabinet on Scotland, please.
Andrea, do you really think Blair jumped ship without having a good idea what was coming round the corner?? Brown was so grasping for power and blindly full of ambition he failed to see what was coming - and most of it was of his making as a result of his poor job as chancellor.
This government has been surgically removing our civil liberties, slowly and with great arrogance. It is the Shame of the electorate of the UK that this criminal Government has been able to get away with it.
No wonder Brown and his cabinet are so arrogant, we let them do whatever they want, even when hundreds of thousands of people demonstrate against what they do, they just laugh at us. They know that 'Democracy' only gets in their way once every 5 years and even then....
Posted by: J Stuart | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 02:19 PM
No, Andrea - no. It's not only the "global economic slowdown" (aka countries who signed-up to yankee junk-debt and not "global" at all!).
Bucket-Head Brown's not listening...
# I.D.Cards - NOT LISTENING
# Iraq War - NOT LISTENING
# 42-Day Detention - NOT LISTENING
# Cadet Forces in Schools - NOT LISTENING
# Cannabis classification - NOT LISTENING
# Tibet protests - NOT LISTENING
# Burma protests - NOT LISTENING
But what's he doing on gun-crime? A Polish nurse got killed in cross-fire, and where's Gutless Gordon's "leadership"?? Nowhere to be seen, of course!! Mainly because Gordon's such a yankee puppet he hates to be seen enforcing gun-crime laws that his pals in the USA would object to :( This whole "New Labour" Administration is hand-in-glove with the American Neocons. Prezza got a cowboy badge. Straw repeats PNAC lies like a parrot. Miliband mounted a one-man attack on Russia for his neocon friends - and he's married to an American too. Gordon regularly praises Bush's policies and hails Britain's steadfast slave-master relationship with the USA. Gordon has condoned the MoD's coverups of friendly fire deaths of British troops by American servicemen. There's no depths to which Gordon won't sink to suck-up to his yankee masters.
Posted by: Neil McGowan | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 02:24 PM
I wouldn't have described Brown as arrogant, more obstinate, pig headed, dour. He doesn't court the media, which is clearly what is expected of every politician nowadays (I hate this materialistic, "celebrity" obsessed World).
Blair, Bush, Sarkozy - they are all arrogant, proud and callous.
Gordon Brown is just trudging along, treading water, whilst the Labour party disintegrates around him. He is carrying on with Blair's policies, he is presiding over many of his own economic disasters, despite being labelled a "great Chancellor".
Neil is right, the Labour party, which was created to help the poorest people, has lost touch with it's Socialist ideals, and is scampering along in the wake of the Neo Con US administration.
Posted by: AndyUK | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 02:44 PM
Andrea,I seem to remember that the last chancellor of the exchequer, prior to the great leader was Kenneth Clarke and that he did rather a good job, which allowed Brown to take over a thriving economy and to take credit for the following two years smooth running, thanks to the spending plans put in place by Mr Clarke. So, no more of this nonsense about Brownstuff's ten brilliant years of economic management please. His screw-ups are known all too well. gold reserves, pensions, and infamously, his 10% tax fiasco... that really did do a lot to lift the vulnerable out of poverty didnt it? and now he has the cheek to borrow the money from us, the tax payers, to fund an absolute dogs breakfast of an attempt at undoing the harm he caused, trouble is its us taxpayers who will be paying ourselves back when we have to stump up for the 2.7 billion gap he has just made in the public finances so in effect we are going to pay twice...if he had one shred of integrity he would call a general election now. throw away your red tinted spectacles and get real.
Posted by: barry | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 03:12 PM
There is a reference above to Jury Service. I just did Jury service and guess what?
The Jury service calls as many pensioners as possible because?
...They have no loss of earnings to compensate.
It is self evident that the present government is concerned with one thing only: Career advancement for themselves only.
Posted by: Zen | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 07:39 PM
Add to Brown's misdemeanours the Private Finance Initiative, a shoddy accounting trick to make the books look good but which has actually led to most public capital projects being undertaken for the benefit of investors rather than NHS patients, transport users etc, and which will leave the public sector in hock for years to come.
Arrogance is a form of stupidity. It may play well at Westminster though. Go figure.
Jury service might be the way forward. Call up people at random from the electoral register for an onerous duty they would have to do for a couple of years.
No elections, no political parties, so those selected would not have to worry about campaigning for re-election or following some dogma. Hence no need to try to bribe the electorate or pander to every passing opinion poll.
Instead they might pragmatically do what is best for the long-term interests of the country.
Could they do worse?
Posted by: Mark_IV | Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 10:55 PM