Daily Express Prize Crossword Thursday...
Crosswords4 mins ago
Can Brown recover?
After Labour were hammered in the local elections, will the Labour MPs panic and ditch Brown?
Or can he turn things around in time for the next election?
Can we look forward to David Cameron as Prime Minister?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/loc alelections2008/1919672/Local-elections-2008-L abour-takes-a-local-election-hammering.html
Or can he turn things around in time for the next election?
Can we look forward to David Cameron as Prime Minister?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/loc alelections2008/1919672/Local-elections-2008-L abour-takes-a-local-election-hammering.html
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"look forward to". Ace.
I think the Conservatives are a shoo-in now. It's theirs to lose. Having said that, I don't expect it to be a landslide.
And conversely, Boris Johnson becoming mayor will work against the party. The Tories would build up greater momentum will a labour government AND a labour mayor to demonise.
With Boris in City Hall, some of that anti-Labour sentiment will be lost - especially as the vote will have been close enough to divide London. He'll be getting slated from day one.
The Tories will have to make some unpopular decisions if they hope to turn round the economy. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a switch back to Labour after one term.
I think the Conservatives are a shoo-in now. It's theirs to lose. Having said that, I don't expect it to be a landslide.
And conversely, Boris Johnson becoming mayor will work against the party. The Tories would build up greater momentum will a labour government AND a labour mayor to demonise.
With Boris in City Hall, some of that anti-Labour sentiment will be lost - especially as the vote will have been close enough to divide London. He'll be getting slated from day one.
The Tories will have to make some unpopular decisions if they hope to turn round the economy. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a switch back to Labour after one term.
I don't think he can survive. This is a pity because he is a proper person; Cameron is a phoney (remember him boasting how he went to work on a bike, only for it to leak out that he was followed by a chauffeur in a limo carrying his bags?) But Brown has screwed up again and again, bottling out of an election, then U-turning on the 10p tax. The electors are all chanting 'You don't know what you're doing!' and they're right, he doesn't. Such a shame - all that waiting and he didn't learn anything from Blair, who did know what he was doing even if it was wrong.
Labour won't get rid of Brown until after he's lost in 2010 (unless he calls the election earlier or falls under a bus or something). To do so would look both feeble and highlight the undemocratic nature of Brown's leadership. What's that? Sure, they've allready got that image, but that's just politics.
Much as it pains me to say it, Dave does seem likely (through absolutely no result of his own merit or skill) to settle comfortably into premiership at the next general election. The Tories do however have a few good people onside (compare Labour who have a well-meaning leader but numerous incompetents at the top) so there is that silver lining.
You might imagine a '92 scenario though, with the opposition leader being so dreadful that everyone still opts for the incumbent. But it won't happen.
For London, if Boris wins it the Tories will give him someone who'll do all the work.
Quinlad, I think your point is somewhat odd. If Boris does a rubbish job, it'll certainly be bad for the tories (and even then it won't damage them significantly), but it'll by no means be damaging for them to have a win in London. Politicians are good at finding scapegoats, I wouldn't worry about the tories running out any time soon. Or they'll just intensify their fire on Brown.
Much as it pains me to say it, Dave does seem likely (through absolutely no result of his own merit or skill) to settle comfortably into premiership at the next general election. The Tories do however have a few good people onside (compare Labour who have a well-meaning leader but numerous incompetents at the top) so there is that silver lining.
You might imagine a '92 scenario though, with the opposition leader being so dreadful that everyone still opts for the incumbent. But it won't happen.
For London, if Boris wins it the Tories will give him someone who'll do all the work.
Quinlad, I think your point is somewhat odd. If Boris does a rubbish job, it'll certainly be bad for the tories (and even then it won't damage them significantly), but it'll by no means be damaging for them to have a win in London. Politicians are good at finding scapegoats, I wouldn't worry about the tories running out any time soon. Or they'll just intensify their fire on Brown.
I think a lot of politicians have less control of things than we give them credit for.
If global finances were still on a high oil prices were back down at $40 a barrel, house prices were not falling these elections would have turned out differently.
If the Tories had won the last general election the papers would now be predicting Howard's demise and Brown's victory in 2010
Especially as Tories have a "hands-off" instinct to the market place so Northern Rock and a few other banks might well have gone to the wall taking peoples savings with them.
The medium term world financial climate doesn't look too pretty so I personally doubt that Brown will be able to recover.
But you have to remember that Cameron isn't winning as much as Brown is losing and he still has a lot to do.
The Tories have a remarkable ability to start fighting amoungst themselves the moment anybody says "Europe" Cameron could still easily lose control and fluff it
If global finances were still on a high oil prices were back down at $40 a barrel, house prices were not falling these elections would have turned out differently.
If the Tories had won the last general election the papers would now be predicting Howard's demise and Brown's victory in 2010
Especially as Tories have a "hands-off" instinct to the market place so Northern Rock and a few other banks might well have gone to the wall taking peoples savings with them.
The medium term world financial climate doesn't look too pretty so I personally doubt that Brown will be able to recover.
But you have to remember that Cameron isn't winning as much as Brown is losing and he still has a lot to do.
The Tories have a remarkable ability to start fighting amoungst themselves the moment anybody says "Europe" Cameron could still easily lose control and fluff it
>I think a lot of politicians have less control of things than we give them credit for.
I think Blair was rather "lucky" that he was in power during a time of relative calm in the world economy. This calm, of course, was not of his doing, it just coincided with his time in power.
On the other hand Brown has been "unlucky" in his time in office as the credit crunch and rising food / petrol prices is a world wide event and nothing to do with anything Brown has done.
Brown's biggest problem is lack of leadership or charisma.
Due to interest from the media most modern political leaders need some sort of "image" and much as I disliked Blair he had one.
Brown has none and is a typical "second in command" who sits behind the leader, in a quiet room, getting things done.
Brown does not WANT the public attention, and this makes him seem a poor leader.
He will not last long.
I think Blair was rather "lucky" that he was in power during a time of relative calm in the world economy. This calm, of course, was not of his doing, it just coincided with his time in power.
On the other hand Brown has been "unlucky" in his time in office as the credit crunch and rising food / petrol prices is a world wide event and nothing to do with anything Brown has done.
Brown's biggest problem is lack of leadership or charisma.
Due to interest from the media most modern political leaders need some sort of "image" and much as I disliked Blair he had one.
Brown has none and is a typical "second in command" who sits behind the leader, in a quiet room, getting things done.
Brown does not WANT the public attention, and this makes him seem a poor leader.
He will not last long.
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I have to laugh at any regarding politics.
People discuss it like there will a difference under the conservatives.
All politics is tosh lol
Oooohhh ooohhhh get the tories back in so we can have 10% inflation and 15% interest rates and massive unemployment.
All as bad as each other hence no point voting.
IMO
People discuss it like there will a difference under the conservatives.
All politics is tosh lol
Oooohhh ooohhhh get the tories back in so we can have 10% inflation and 15% interest rates and massive unemployment.
All as bad as each other hence no point voting.
IMO
