By common consent, Gordon Brown’s first year is ending up as a shocker for Labour.
It may have started well last June with assured handling of a bomb threat and a swift response to the foot and mouth outbreak last August. Pledges to cut back on two largely unpopular measures: Tony Blair’s plans to open “super casinos “and the extension of drinking hours, also struck a chord with voters.
But since the infamous “bottled election” last Autumn, nothing seems to have gone right for the man who waited so long for the top job. The opinion polls are full of doom and Westminster insiders say talk of finding a successor before the expected 2010 election is rife.
Brown’s supporters say it is unfair to blame him for world trends outside his control — it was the credit crunch that began in the U.S. that caused the Northern Rock collapse and what is the British prime minister supposed to do about sky-high world crude prices that are driving up inflation?
What is your verdict on Brown’s first year?
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24 comments so far
A bit of both. But he has been a (hidden) disaster for much of his time as Chancellor, and it’s come home to roost. If he was even the slightest bit competent he would have handled his Prime Ministerial responsibilities much better for the country rather than protect himself.
- Posted by CliffApart from the worldwide situation, anyone selling our gold reserves for a quarter of what they’re worth today, and taking credit for reducing unemployment when most of what he did was to inflate the numbers in the public sector, thereby increasing the pressure on the state pension, is not only an idiot but cannot be trusted. but that goes for most politicians.
Brown only has himself to blame, his tax and spend strategy was doomed to failure and has led to massive waste of tax payers money. Nu Labour inherited an economy in good shape and due to his spending habits is now skint. We were all fooled into thinking Nu Labour was different, it wasn’t, just the same old tax and spend policies that have always got the UK into trouble. Now outside factors are going to make it so much worse for the UK….and he only has himself to blame.
- Posted by steveCouldn’t agree more with the two comments posted
- Posted by JamesLabour have had their time - simlpe as. Nothing that Brown could do, Blair could have done or anyone else in the Labour benches can do.
Brown should forget about trying to win the next election. Barring David Cameron doing something completely stupid, he will be the PM in 2010.
Brown should just do what he wants to do for 2 years. Try and look like a Labour Party leader 1st and PM 2nd and he may just hold onto the leadership even when he loses the election.
If he’s lucky Tory’s may get a slim majority and he will have some clout in opposition.
- Posted by GrantThe reality is that Brown expanded the money supply and now his cost inflation, not wage inflation, is hurting Average Joe. The pity is that we have little to show for not so prudent Mr. Brown’s largesse.
- Posted by RogerSelf-servers dish up their own luck, Brown is a loser. Trouble is, he has taking us all down with him ever since he sold our gold.
- Posted by William FowlerOther commentators have covered Brown’s many failings as both Chancellor and PM pretty well. He’s reaping his own whirlwind and he derserves to.
Funny how everyone seems to forget one of his worst ’stealth taxes’ - he did untold long term harm to private pensioners by removing the tax-free status of pension dividends within pension funds. It raked in billions for the Government, but seriously affected pension fund performance for the prudent who had put money aside for the future. And, as we know, those billions have just been squandered.
- Posted by Alex HurstGordon Brown and Tony Blair should be tried for war crimes in Iraq and bankrupting the hard working people of Britain. Also letting immigrants bleed us dry!
- Posted by Giovanni Turattohe needs a charisma transplant. he has no idea of the feelings of ordinary people in this country, and consequently has no grasp of what to do when situations arise. he seems to dither over key decisions…no chance of being re-elected if he stays….
- Posted by r.downThere is no doubt that global economic events are having an impact here in the UK. The simple fact is that the UK is ill prepared for the consequences as a result of policy undertaken by Labour over the last 10 years. I have long held that the only achievement that Gordon ever delivered was the independence of the MPC; but that too has fallen short when under pressure. Sadly, we will all bear the brunt of this shortfall of Labour, and it will become more painful, before it improves. I’m emigrating.
- Posted by Sebastianthe worst prime minister i have ever had, which is saying a lot when i thought Thatcher could not be surpassed!
- Posted by p hevanNot a leader which is what the country needs.A man who has surrounded himself with what has got to be the worst cabinet in history, complete lightweights with the exception of (possibly)Straw.This is a man who is frightened of having his position challenged that he has picked a cabinet of complete duffers in a hope that he will look good.Guess what greedy Gordon ,you are fooling no one but yourself!
gordon brown has demonstrated the truth of the Peter
- Posted by chris wadePrinciple where eventually people get promoted beyond their level of competance - we’ve all seen in business organisations.Just look at ruth kelly and jaqueline smith!
Brown will go down in history as incapability brown !
Three things are guaranteed with a Labour Government
1 Your loss of liberty
2 Your loss of money
3 Inadequate support for the armed services
Now we can add crime wave, unlimited immigrants, war crimes, lost confidential information, superbugs in hospitals etc etc
Gordon Brown’s first year is a total disaster
- Posted by Delia MackenzieGordon Brown is a brilliant politician and in time will be a great Prime Minister. He is now coming in to his own and if there is anyone that can bring the Labour Party from extinction to disctinction again it is him.
- Posted by Marvin PerrottEveryone seems to be taking the to heart the sensationalist headlines that permeate the dailies. What is the alternative, a Tory party without any sort of substance who we all know will stab us in the back as soon as they are in No.10 or someone we know has a proven track record.
Wise up people. Don’t let the headlines sway you. Look at the policies. That is the only thing that matter. Make your decisions on them and how they will affect your life.
Oh, and I am not a Labour voter or Brownite, I can’t even vote. Look at the policies!
Lets be straight and too the point.
- Posted by Guy EudenGordon Brown is guilty of treason in the eyes of any halfwit that knows our magna carta etc… he follows many into the hallow territory of treason, he is a victim of “The Bliar” and also carries his own tourch to the treason dungeon!
He has betrayed us in denying our referendum and is in breach of our treason laws by signing away sovereignty to a foreign power! FULL STOP! legally we could hang him without recourse.
He has bullied us ito to ratifying a dead treaty,actually against the EU’s own laws! he does not care about the british people he has watered us down with poor schools, making our children less likely to be politically enlightened (thus wont rebel) he has allowed mass immigration which has diluted our population and put a heavy strain on the system, then he makes us pay for the strain we did not ask for!! the man is a Liar, a Cretin and a treasonous bag of political trash, I wish him all the best for the future, coz if the UK public wakes up and see’s his treachery in its true light, he is one dead duck!!! see you in hell Brown!!!
Guy
He’s ruined what was Europe’s best pension position, sold off our gold reserves at rock bottom prices, spent borrowed money lavishly and mortgaged our future income under the Public Private Partnerships. All this was done during a benign economic cycle, now that the tougher times have arrived there’s nothing to cushion the shocks. Yes, he is wholly at fault.
- Posted by Stuart NisbetGordon Brown was incompetent as a Chancellor of the Exchequer and is incompetent as a Prime Minister. His current troubles derive from the former.
He broke his own “golden rule”. He destroyed our pensions system. He added tax after tax after tax. Now our economy is heading down the toilet he is - quite justly - in the PM’s hot seat to suffer the consequences.
Tony Blair was an awful PM but at least he had the sense to get out in time to let Gordon take the flak.
- Posted by Bob DowlingBrown has been rumbled for what he is an incompetent bully with the backbone of a snake, the whole labour goverment are all a bunch of pigs with their snouts in the trough grabbing all they can not one of them is fit to hold office but they cant bluff their way any more and the sooner they go and let this other useless lot have a go the better, but the tories say they will spend the same amount as labour have planned to spend im worried that they will do no better
- Posted by mike powellWe Brits are now paying for our STUPIDITY!! what other country would elect a bunch of liar’s and losers 3 TIMES? Spin got Blair elected and kept him there Brown has raped and pillaged our country from day 1 and nobody could see it? Brown & Blair gave away everything all our rights freedom and our cash for WHAT? Stealth Tax’s have made us POOR but made Labour rich now even our Laws are being undermined by B & B the cash for honours shows what a bunch of thieves New Labour really is
- Posted by TonyWith his support for the greatest ever modern day attack on our civil liberties and the neo-sacred habius corpus, plus his support for Harriet Harman’s grotesque further infringement on human rights, where men are now being actively discriminated against, it is no secret that Brown is a complete disappointment to the country.
That political harpies like Harmon can flourish, and allowed to manaifest hheir bullying tactics in order to further some outdated feminist garbage is very telling indeed. Her control freakery is astonishing!
Yes, discrimination MUST be made illegal: that is essential and urgently needed. But to actually infringe human rights? Never!
Positive discrimination is unacceptable, unfair and devisive. It is also highly offensive, unjust and open to causing a whole plethora of legal complications.
The European Courts looks to be beckoning for anyone at odds with Harmon’s warped sense of justice.
She typifies Brown’s form of skewed government, and I believe Brown has become a dangerous govermental figure who threatens not only our liberty and human rights, but also the very economic lifeblood of this nation.
He MUST be voted out ASP!
- Posted by The Truth Is...I don’t mind Gordon to be honest. He fields candidates in by-elections that we have a chance of beating . . . only 4 times as many votes as us ‘official’ loony’s . . oh dear
- Posted by ChinnersI think he has been exposed as a charlatan who has raped the finances of the UK.
Out! Out! Out!
- Posted by The Truth Is...Mr. Brown promised so much this time last year, and now he is paying the penalty for being just another nondescript grey politician.
He may believe his own mantra but fails to see that most people percieve him as dogmatic and incapable of making considered judgements.
I find it hard to believe that Tony Blair had the interests of the British people at heart, but it would explain why he was reluctant to pass over the reins of the premiership to a man he knew was incapable of running the country and has since proved him right.
- Posted by TOM TURNERDear Gordon,
Your strategy has been flawed, and your record has remained intact becuase of outside factors outside your control. When it was good it was good. Now it’s bad it will be real bad, becuase again your strategy is inward looking and poor decisions like Gold and pensions are becoming clear to all.
Only the stupid and mis-guided will vote for your policy now.
Immigration will probably be replaced by mass emmigration from this police state, of habitual poor performance.
- Posted by M Cartwright