Ten Problems

[poliphilo]

My first problem with Gordon Brown becoming P.M. is that he wants the job too much. 

My second problem is that he's such an ungracious beast. Where other ministers who opposed Blair have had the decency to resign, Brown has squatted in the Treasury and sulked and pulled sour faces and issued disloyal but unattributable briefings. It's not been pretty.

My third problem is that he seems to feel he's entitled to the succession- even though the electorate dislikes him and surveys show that almost anybody else might have a better chance against the Tories. 

My fourth  problem- which is a distillation of the first three- is that he's addicted to power (and according to his civil servants) heavy-handed in his uses of it.

My fifth problem is that he's just issued a book (I can't believe he actually wrote it) called Portraits of Courage or something of the sort, full of hagiography and uplift and neo-Victorian yuck. Oh dear , here comes another unthinking, preachy Christian!

My sixth problem is that he supported the war in Iraq (though this applies to every other possible candidate)

My seventh problem is that I haven't a clue what he actually stands for. 

My eighth problem is that he's been around- and in office-  too long.  

My ninth problem is that he doesn't appear to have a life outside politics (though this applies to every other possible candidate)

My tenth problem is that (because he's afraid of losing Scotland to the SNP) he's been spouting all this patently insincere, old-fashioned nonsense about Britishness.

But he's going to become Prime Minister next month, isn't he? And there's not a thing we can do about it...

Comments

[solar-diablo.livejournal.com]

Entitlement, neo-patriot, harkening to a bygone age that never was - sounds like he went to the Bush Academy of Politics.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

Brown had a meeting with Bush a few days back- no doubt so he could pledge his alliegance before taking over this vassal kingdom of ours.

[qatsi.livejournal.com]

As you observed your agreement in my recent post, so I shall observe mine here.

I think it's interesting that in the French campaign one of the things held against Sarkozy is that he's perceived to be pro-American. I've always found the French idea of right-wing a bit odd (the same could be said for the American idea of left-wing). I was really rather disappointed to hear about Brown's recent 'unscheduled' meeting with Bush.

But as you say, there's nothing we can do. And when the time comes, I'm not sure what the right thing to do will be, anyway.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The right thing? No, I don't know what that would be either. Brown may be the best of a bad lot. But it would be nice, wouldn't it, if his coronation weren't such a done deal? I know it's happened before, but I don't think it's right for a man should become P.M. without any sort of contest.

[happydog.livejournal.com]

My only comment is that I have always thought that he looks like Terry Jones' evil twin. They do show the Houses of Parliament meetings on C-Span here late at night. They are much more interesting overall than watching our Congress and Senate.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Terry Jones' evil twin- I like it.

There's something miasmic about him. As if he were pumped full of marsh gas.

[manfalling.livejournal.com]

You make a good point. I can't figure out why people are so keen to appease him, and give him what he wants. Is he that great? I mean, he does the budget. But he doesn't do the budget alone, does he? He's just the dude with the briefcase who gets to present. Why is he so deserving of the mantle of leadership?

I wish Blair was staying in. I think Blair rocks. Any time I saw him doing his thing in the Houses of Parliament, he was always putting some Tory down, hard. He was just really good at it. And a fine speech-maker too, I thought. And strong, strong enough to go against public opinion when he thought something was right. You have to respect that, even if you didnd't agree. Plus all this ASBO stuff, I think it's great. It may or may not work, but at least he's been bold and TRIED to do something.
Brown to me looks kind of weak. Plus yeah, I don't know anything about him.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I dislike Blair because of Iraq.

I dislike Brown for the same reason.

I think the Iraq war is/was a crime. Blair signed up for it and Brown financed it. That makes them both murderers.

The tories support the war so they're murderers too.

Only the hopeless Lib dems were against it.

So who do I vote for?

Bleeagh!

[ibid.livejournal.com]

I think at heart he still beleives in new labour - I dislike them as they have hijacked the left and left those of us who do not believe in a neo Thatcherite socialism without any viable opposition.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes.

I'm thoroughly confused at the moment- what with Cameron making noises that are more left-wing than those coming out of the Labour party. Who the hell am I supposed to vote for?

[(Anonymous)]

Plus, this time round we don't have a chance to vote - it's just a done deal that we get a new PM without any mandate....
I dislike Brown too. He has a sort of cheerlessness and I doubt that he could laugh at himself;he's far too earnest. Also, I can't help looking for that sort of gasping-in thing he does that he had half-trained out of him when first in office. I can't concentrate on what he says because of this when I see him, but I can't concentrate either when I hear him speak on the radio because he drones on and I drift off.
Jenny

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We didn't get a chance to vote when John Major became P.M either- but at least there was an election within the Conservative party. This time it looks as though the transition is going to be seamless- a coronation, in fact.