Michael Dean :: Blog

Gordon Brown said:

"I am naturally concerned that the taxpayer gets a fair deal - especially that the taxpayer gets a fair deal from the institutions that in the last year have benefited massively from support across the world."

So does Gordon Brown think that this is a fair deal for the taxpayers?

Borrowing billions of pounds in their name and expecting them to pay extra taxes for the next 25 years in order to pay the debts?

I just wonder how much would need to have been borrowed to prevent the closure of shops like Woolworths, which employed lots of people!!

And I have also said many times that these banks should not be allowed to get rid of any staff on a non-voluntary basis. They have been given billions of taxpayers money, yet are allowed to fire staff! This not only adds to the unemployment levels, brings the miseries of families losing homes, and removes yet more spending power by people in employment.

There does not appear to be any joined up thinking in the way that Brown and Darling are managing the UK economy!

It seems to me that Brown is very, very confused about the reasons why the war in Afghanistan is going on.

He has said today:

'we cannot, must not and will not walk away as long as Al-Qaeda continues to plot attacks on Britain from the region'

What region is this???

Does he mean Afghanistan? OR perhaps he means Iraq? or Pakistan? I am not aware of any group in Afghanistan plotting attacks on the UK.

Even if there were, there are Islamic extremists in many other countries of the world who may be plotting to attack the UK. ARE WE NOW GOING TO WAR AGAINST THEM!!

Pakistan should be a prime target for the UK IF Brown is concerned about Al-Qaeda plotting attacks on Britain!!

Brown has introduced other reasons for our involvement in the war in Afghanistan. This includes allowing women to be educated and other aspects of the way women are treated.  So is the UK now going to attack all countries which treat women like this? Some sort of crusade throughout the world against Islam perhaps?

The whole political thinking and strategy of this government is a complete mess! Just like the way that they run the UK! So no surprise there!

All very well Johnson admitting that Labour have 'made mistakes' on immigration policy!

All very well Johnson admitting that Labour have 'made mistakes' on immigration policy!

But New Labour's real failure is in almost every area of government  in that they completely FAILED to listen to any one else and implemented policies that were obviously going to fail!!

Brown and New Labour would appear to have no officials or 'experts' who are prepared to tell their bosses of potential problems with their policies. Perhaps Brown and New Labour really believed that only employing 'yes' men and women would be beneficial to them!!

Whatever the reason is, this government has consistently implemented policies that have simply failed to work (and been very expensive). They have consistently introduced computer systems that fail to achieve their aims (and end up being dumped or rewritten).They have consistently announced policies that failed to work.

There does seem to have been a 'hidden agenda' with New labour's immigration policies.  It would seem to be that their failure to manage immigration was in fact what the government wanted!

Did Brown really need to introduce policies to solve the credit crunch problems which would seem to have resulted in bigger, but different, problems for the UK!

Obviously some of what Brown has done regarding the credit crunch was needed. But was it really a rational choice to put the UK into such massive debt? It is beginning to look like the medicine may have cured the patient but, unfortunately, the patient died from the effects of the medicine!

The UK is now in a record recession, and this is not a good thing.

Some people are doing OK during the recession, in fact those with money can buy houses, businesses etc cheaply. These people are in the minority!

Those without work are really suffering, losing their businesses , their jobs and worse, their houses.

We are now in the worst financial situation since the 1950s.  New Labour have failed completely. Even disregarding the fact that their policies have put us in a dreadful financial situation, it is clear that they have no idea how to get us out of recession. They seem to be simply waiting for an upturn in the economy which can only happen purely by chance!!

We need action now! The government is now simply waiting for next May when they will be rejected by the electorate because of the dreadful way they have managed the economy.

I would like to see Brown put the UK before himself and call an election now so that a government with a mandate from the people can get straight to work fixing our broken economy.

Every day Brown and New Labour stay in power is another day that the UK economy is being damaged.

It seemed that Jack Straw came over worse than Mr. Griffin.

The overall view of the debate seemed to be that the immigration policy of this Labour government was responsible for many of the problems in society that have that led some people to support the BNP. 

The answer to the BNP is for the government to address the issues that are allowing some people to support the BNP.

After 12 years of Labour almost one million people have voted in various elections for the BNP. If we carry on as we are that number will probably increase! 

I like the way that Gordon Brown could not even organise an investigation that would keep him in the clear! 

Why would he give the investigator the right to change the expenses rules retrospectively with the result that MPs who had followed the rules and been in the clear were now branded as cheats and thieves?

Most enquiries of this sort recommend changes of the rules that need to be introduced! And then everybody follows the recommendations!

This is a serious political mistake by Brown. He has inflamed the voters of this country against all politicians and MPs. What is he up to?

Cameron would have handled the situation very much better!!

There is a potential disaster heading our way over the next 10 years.

There has been a lot of talk recently about an energy 'gap' around 2016. What that means to the ordinary person is that there will be shortages of electricity at peak periods.

Why? Because the investment is not in place for our increasing demand for electricity to be met.

A contract was very recently agreed for four new, latest generation nuclear power stations. All very good but at least three years too late! The first station is due to be operating in 2018. That is if everything goes well and the planning permissions don't spend years in the courts being granted!

Another aggravating factor is that a number of UK coal and oil power stations are due to be decommissioned by the end of 2015.

New fossil fuel power stations (mostly coal) are needed but global warming and climate change concerns means that they should only be operating with carbon capture technology - which isn't available yet!

Note that a number of fossil fuel power stations are needed by 2015 just to stand still, ie to replace old stations going out of service .

Renewable energy sources are promising. Wind farms are producing electricity now, and more are due to be built. But wind farms only operate when there is wind! The fossil fuel and nuclear stations can be turned down when energy from renewable sources is available, but the fossil fuel and nuclear stations will have to be able to meet the peak demand for electricity on their own!

Businesses and private homes can do a lot by using electricity efficiently and avoiding heat loss through insulation etc but the real problem is in generating electricity efficiently.

The government has the job to ensure that the lights do not go out. At this moment of time it would seem that they are failing in their responsibilities!

There is a real attempt going on in the media, particularly the BBC, to belittle the Conservative leadership because of their background and upbringing.

This would not be allowed if it was attacking people on the basis of race, colour, gender or sexual orientation!!

But the BBC are happy to allow attacks on the Conservatives based on their backgrounds.

Yet the background and wealth and upbringing of the Conservative leadership is generally similar to the background of the Labour leadership.

(I seem to remember that a previous Conservative leader is the only leader of the main parties who did not attend private or public school)

Are the Labour leadership so bereft of policies that they are encouraging these attacks based on class??

I expect it from the BBC. I am surprised that the Labour leadership dare use this tactic as they are all from similar backgrounds themselves.

Ability is the main difference between the leadership of the two main parties.  That is how Brown took the Golden Inheritance and turned it into a huge debt that will take many years of austerity by the ordinary people of the UK to pay off!