Monday, November 17, 2008

Brown's Lamentable Commons Performance

Gordon Brown has yet again disgraced himself before the House of Commons. He made a statement on the G20 summit in Washington, which was then followed by David Cameron asking around a dozen questions on what he had said. In his response, Brown made not a single attempt to answer a single one of Cameron's questions, and indulged himself in ten minutes of party political ranting. So much for his "regret" expressed on Sunday that the Conservatives were adopting a partisan stance on the economic crisis.

47 comments:

Colin said...

I agree with your assessment of brown's performance. The problem is, in another time his slippery evasions and outright lies would have been jumped on by the media. I doubt that no mainstream media outfit will even attempt to hold this jackass to account.

I doubt that the Americans would agree that the the UK's looming economic holocaust was created in America.

Anonymous said...

Its not as if the McSpeaker is gonna insist that he fellow Countryman actually answer a Question in the Scottish Parliament South, Broon knows he can rely on him.

http://img1.abload.de/img/rajcnesbitt19c.jpg

Anonymous said...

At least Dave has wised up that Bipartisan does NOT work with Brown.

The only time that being bipartisan works is when it is good for the country. As Brown is only doing what is good for Brown, then for the good of the country Dave has to do everything to try and stop Brown and ultimately defeat him.

It has to be all out war now as brown puts his scorched earth plans into operatiom. Brown is NOT a man who can be worked with.

I feel very angry at Brown's response, or rather lack of response, so goodness knows how Dave is feeling.

Anonymous said...

Thought he was unusually collaborative with Clegg

Maybe a hung parliament after a snap election is on his mind

Anonymous said...

We need a Speaker with the decency and balls to rule the PM out of order when isn't answering the question.

I caught the end of Brown's statement - then 5 Live cut to waffle from its reporter instead of staying for Cameron's reply.

Anonymous said...

Not surprising, and weve come to expect it, Its not as if theres any Danger of the McSpeaker actually insist that his fellow Countryman actually 'answer' a question in the Scottish Parliament South.

Broon knows he can rely on the McSpeaker to 'do his job' and that is to use his position to help Broon and McLabour.

Did the McSpeaker sign the Scottish Claim of Right too?.

http://img1.abload.de/img/rajcnesbitt19c.jpg

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Sorry, but you have said this a dozen times before. It's not your fault, it's Cameron's. Isn't it time he did something courageous and just stage a mass walk out, next time Brown refuses to answer questions? He's got to do something about this. Brown is holding the HoC in contempt. Cameron should stop playing the game and declare war instead of being wet as weak piss.

Colin said...

Excellent question from Michael Spicer.

Anonymous said...

I don't believe any other Speaker has ever insisted that a Question was answered properly.

Anonymous said...

Bill Cash just pulled him up for not answering a question, but he's still at it!

Anonymous said...

Gordon Brown is an absolute holocaust.

We need constitutional change that should prevent a man like him ever getting to be Prime Minister.

Utterly horrible man.

Anonymous said...

No surprises no surprises...

Wrinkled weasel has got a point, imagine what a media storm it would cause. It would of course be assumed schoolboy-esque by half the media so cant imagine it ever happening.

Just think though, perhaps DC wants to make sure he has the same leeway when he stands at the Despatch Box as PM???!

Anonymous said...

Someone tried to make a point of order about questions not being answered, but was not allowed to continue by the Speaker.

Anonymous said...

Don't talk daft weasel. And its nothing to do with Cameron. Take the example of 5 live cutting away and not listening to Cameron - if this is true it is disgraceful. But it just shows how pointless is the criticism of the Tories.

The institutional BBCs bias is blatant, they are not getting a look in. If the Tories win the election the BBC knows its numbers up so it will do all it can to support Brown. Its going to be hard though as the economic news gets blacker by the day.

Anonymous said...

No-one could be surprised by this anymore. Brown treats everyone, with the temerity to disagree with his assessment of himself as saviour of the world, with utter contempt.
Also, if I was Nick Clegg I would be calling the PM to order over his idiotic insistence of referring to the "Liberal" party.

Anonymous said...

@dalesman - well, that would not be a point of order, so it sounds like a good call from the Speaker.

Hacked Off said...

Has there ever been a more devious or mendacious PM? Possibly Bliar.

Has there ever beena more treacherous PM? Possibly Heath who sold us to Brussels.

Has there ever been a more incompetent PM? Hmmmm, can't think of one.

The Penguin
Penguinus Rantingisgoodforthespleen

Old BE said...

It never ceases to appal me that our system allows this sort of thing to happen. Ministers habitually fail to answer the questions put to them and habitually get away with it. How did we let this happen?

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Trevorsden. But I AM talking daft! Daft is what somebody has to be. How daft is it that this country is tolerating the worst Prime Minister in history. He is unelected, anti-democratic and psychopathic and totally out of his depth.

Can't you see we need a new radicalism?

I have spent the better part of my life wondering how the Nazis managed to hoodwink what is an ostensibly decent nation into condoning the holocaust, where (as if anybody needed reminding) resulted in the death of millions of Jews, and some Christians and Gays and Gypsies.

When I see the tacit consent of the British Public who take the surveillance, the war-mongering, the lies and the contempt for democracy, yes, I think it's time for a bit of daftness. David Davis was right to resign. He was being daft. Wilberforce was talking daft. Churchill was talking daft when he defied the appeasers.

Let's get daft and dump this nasty New Labour cancer.

Anonymous said...

You are talking daft Weasel by blaming Cameron.

We see on this page that Radio 5-Live did not stop to cover Cameron's excellent reply to Browns statement.

The plain fact is that on the subject of Baby P for instance Cameron DID pointedly say (after Brown just waffled and refused a straight answer) that he did not expect a straight answer and he (Brown) never gave one - only to see the charge of being partisan taken up by the media.
Osborne warned of the dangers of a sinking pound - only to have the charge of partisan politics taken up by the media.

Just grow up you lot - make your attacks at the right target - the left wing media.

As it is both Osborne and Cameron have pointed out the holes in Browns arguments - Cameron today made it pretty clear how bogus Browns claims were to have room for tax cuts.

Its going to be interesting to see how the Treasury finally respond. If there are to be big cus for labours client voters then there will inevitably be some stealth tax rises somewhere - maybe not so stealth.

Mulligan said...

Penguin, Blair was indeed devious and mendacious, yet still merited some, even grudging respect, and I could never hate him as much as Brown, who has absolutely not a single redeeming feature.

Roger Thornhill said...

Brown is a compete and utter delusional.

He thinks he has "leadership". He wants a New World Order.

He can sit on a rusty shard of corrugated iron.

strapworld said...

Now, iain, wasn't that further proof that an election is very, very near!!

Cameron should pull out his stilletto...if he has one.

Bernard said...

It's called Prime Ministers question time for a reason.
You can put questions to the Sub-prime Minister.
If you were expecting an answer, it would be called Prime Minister Answer Time.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand it Iain, Brown's performance reveals him as a blundering buffoon in the world of international economics and earns high praise but john Sergeant performs as well as an overweight sixty something newsman can be expected to in a dancing contest and the media flay him for incompetence.

The world truly has gone mad.

John Pickworth said...

I have to admit, I kinda like the idea of Cameron and entire Conservative party walking out mid-PMQs... but I bet there's a rule against doing that?

I doubt even the BBC could ignore a stunt like that, and it'd certainly get shown by every TV news in the world. Brown would hate that.

No idea if there's an office we mere mortals can write to at Westminster but surely we should complain? And the same goes for the BBC. Has anyone written to the Director General?

Oh and Brown is much MUCH worse than Blair ever was. Brown beats everyone.

Anonymous said...

Be interesting to see the MMM tomorrow.

Sky reduced it to a down bulletin story on its 6 o'clock news, instead reporting on his knowing better than his own experts about organ transplant.

Is Brown ill? It is the most charitable explanation for his lamentable performances as Prime Minister.

Or is this the dead hand of Mandelson? Answer no question, simply slag off the Tories.

Can this work as a strategy rather than a tactic?

Anonymous said...

Narcisstic personality disorder is described as follows:

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behaviour), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance
2)is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique
4 requires excessive admiration
5) has a sense of entitlement
6) is interpersonally exploitative
7) lacks empathy
8) is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviours or attitudes

Not the sort of person you'd want as your boss eh?

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Trevorsden. Don't blame the media. It's no coincidence that since Mandelson and Campbell were brought back, Labour are winning the message war.

Cameron cannot take control of the agenda. Now I know it is partly to do with the media, but you have to hand it to the uber spinmeisters. They are masters of all they survey.

Anonymous said...

it must be very frustrating for those on this thread who simply cannot understand why the polls are closing.
Brown, of course is not as gifted a Prime Minister as Blair. Indeed, if Blair were still Prime Minister,Labour would be ahead.

The real point of the polls is that the voters have had a lok at Cameron (and Osborne less importantly) and regard him as a lightweight.

Anonymous said...

I'm starting to think that maybe the who party should just stop turning up. Maybe have one Conservative MP turn up and pronounce "We've decided that PMQ's is a waste of time, and have decided to go do more constructive things for the public", at which point you can have the the MP's visiting schools, colleges, sports clubs, nursing homes in and around London being asked questions by the public.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately for your side, Mr. Dale, Gordon´s party political ranting was FAR more effective than David´s party political posturing. That is why the polls are moving closer and closer, and why you and your Tory chums are starting to panic - especially with several rounds of deliciously irresponsibly large tax cuts in the offing!

Anonymous said...

John Pickworth said...

"I have to admit, I kinda like the idea of Cameron and entire Conservative party walking out mid-PMQs... but I bet there's a rule against doing that?"

No, no rule at all. It is up to Members whether they are present or not and whether they choose to leave at the same time or not. Mind you, when the Lib Dems tried a walk-out recently, it wasn't the greatest of successes.

Nich Starling said...

Iain, not helped by the mocking of the current financial predicament that many people face by Tory MPs laughing and joking as Gordon Brown talked about the problems that the country face.

If Tory MP's want answers, perhaps they should listen to what is being said and show some respect for the fact that whils they mock and chortle, the rest of the country is suffering.

Anonymous said...

If I was DC I'd have a mass walk out and leave the big girls blouse to rant to empty benches. He's a complete disgrace.

Blaming the Americans for all our problems is just plain insulting. Zapatero is doing the same in Spain. Equally pathetic.

As each day passes I become more amazed at the blatant bias of the media in reporting events. People like Boulton, Peston and Robinson have been far too close to the Nu Liebour spinners and seem genetically incapable of presenting a balanced view.

Anonymous said...

Weasel - you are clearly a labour plant. Certainly you talk like one. Don't blame the BBC for cutting out Camerons response to Browns speech?? You talk gibberish.

As are a few others.

like the ones talking about a falling conservative lead.

The poll in the Independent on Sunday increased the Tory lead - to 11 points

http://politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2008/11/15/but-comres-has-the-tories-up-4-to-43/

Norfolk Blogger is a joke as well. Brown invents a new version of reality every time he opens his mouth. He deserves ridicule - thats the least he deserves because he treats us all like we are as thick as two short planks.

And the libdems expect us to believe that robbing Peter to pay Paul will act as a stimulus.

Anonymous said...

And if other jokers want to support the government and rubbish the Conservatives then they should follow Guidos hat tip and read this
http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/technology/gordon-brown,-please-take-note-200811162446/
A précis
"Government spending fails to stimulate economic growth because every dollar Congress "injects" into the economy must first be taxed or borrowed out of the economy. Thus, gov­ernment spending "stimulus" merely redistributes existing income, doing nothing to increase produc­tivity or employment, and therefore nothing to cre­ate additional income."

or go to first principles
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/bg2208.cfm
where you will read the argument
"Tax rebates fail to increase economic growth because they are not associated with productivity or work effort"

The way tax cuts might help is thus
"Yet high marginal tax rates— defined as the tax on the next dollar earned—create a disincentive to engage in those activities. Reduc­ing marginal tax rates on businesses and workers will increase incentives to work, save, and invest. "

But Brown is going to skewer the wealth creators. The wealth creators will be the ones left to pick up the bill in the 'medium term'. In other words any real recovery will be destroyed at birth.

Lets be clear - every £5 borrowed to be given back in tax credits will create another £100 of more debt. And you think this is sound economics?

Cameron gave a sound debunking of Browns claims and the BBC chose to switch him off.

Lamentable.

David Boothroyd said...

One of the Conservatives MPs who has been most vociferous in complaining about Labour government ministers' behaviour in Parliament is Douglas Hogg. He is quick to detect any answer which does not treat the question with the seriousness it deserves and he is very quick to accuse Ministers of contempt of the House when he detects one.

What was Douglas Hogg like when he was a minister? He was very like this.

They don't like it up 'em do they?

Anonymous said...

Notlong home from work.

Why is this not on the news headlines.

I haven't heard any mention of it.

Typical.

DiscoveredJoys said...

I've not been drinking (honest), and I think that cunning stunts can backfire, but surely there must be some outstanding gesture that the Tories can make at PMQ to express the contempt for Gordon Brown?

Perhaps all the opposition MPs can quietly hum O Fortuna, or all turn up wearing black ties (in respect for our lost civil liberties), or start clicking their fingers a la Sharks and Jets?

Perhaps, outside the House, all Conservative MPs can talk about "the Famous Liar Gordon Brown"?

A silent Mexican Wave along the opposition benches as the Famous Liar gabbles his latest catch phrases? Or even ask nonsensical questions ("Why did the chicken cross the road?") to demonstrate the disrepute that The Famous Liar has brought to PMQs? Or every question be exactly the same (on the basis that no answer has been given), just louder and louder?

I know that the Famous Liar's Spin Machine would accuse the Tories of treating Parliament with disrespect - but then they started it!

I would sooner see Parliament mocked now than the country destroyed. I am open to the use of more subtle action, but we must have action rather than drift further into a bankrupt totalitarian state.

Anonymous said...

Brown Noesing again
Little creep.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Oh Trevorsden. Where do I begin. Since there is a scintilla of sense in your arguments, you deserve a response.

I am not a Labour plant. As some know, I vote SNP. That does not mean I am an SNP supporter or an SNP member. It just happens to be the best tactical choice at the moment in my part of the world and that certain truly socialist values appeal to me - values not evinced by this present government.

I last voted Labour in 1997. I am not the only one who made this mistake. It would take something like hell freezing over to make me want to vote Labour again.

The main reasons are the breathtaking levels of mendacity and deceit, the lies about the war in Iraq, the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians as a consequence, the sending of our service personnel into battle equipped with pea shooters and dinky toys. the erosion of civil liberties, the intrusion into our private lives, the promulgation of political correctness, an unelected Prime Minister who is clearly mad, the biggest tax burden ever, the gratest debt, the devaluation of currency, the fraudulent manifesto claims (in particular the EU treaty), unfettered immigration, the rise of power amongst unelected bureaucrats, Walter Wolfgang,Left-wing bias at the BBC, etc, etc, etc.

Still think I am a Labour plant?

Anonymous said...

Iain, did you notice peter hain referring, in his question to brown, to george osborne... but not by name but as 'boy george'... this brown's lot aren't only incompetent, they are also extremely rude!

Anonymous said...

Do I detect the slight smell of panic amongst you and your Tory collegues dressed up as outrage and disgust?

Just asking.

GarethS said...

proudvotingliebour, Nah, we know this is a long game and you are well and truly f*cked in the long term.

p.s. I cannot conceive of how someone could be pround to vote for such a mendacious and downright dysfunctional party but, hey, you'll have to live with that.

Anonymous said...

Oh Gareths, you would not believe how proud I am of the Labour GOvernment and my part in delivering by voting Labour and even delivery a few leaflets.

You will be shocked to know that I think the minimum wage which was opposed by the Tories, one of whom I remember standing up at your conference proudly stating it was his right to pay people in his burger bar £1 an hour, and stopping their pay if there were no customers in the shop.

You will be outraged that I support the fact that we have stood by our friends and faced down islamic militants who want to turn our country into a Caliphate whilst the Tories whinge on about inquiries into this, that and the other.

You will be sick when I tell you that I am singing from the rooftops about tripling the NHS budget over the last 10 years which has produced, and you really must'nt believe the Daily Mail, the best satisfaction ratings amongst the public for the NHS ever, and by that I mean since records began on this, ever.

You will just not be able to stomach the fact that I see action on climate change when you lot were still arguing about whether it was man made as positively exciting.

You will fall off your chair in paroxyms of splenetic spitting when I tell you about the pride I see in rising school results when you lot were complaining about whether they are as tough as they were in the 50s; reducing levels of inequality between the richest and the poorest whilst you lot were voting against tax credits that reward people for working rather than being on benefit; the banning of smoking in public places which has reduced smoking levels to the lowest levels they have ever been and saved thousands of lives whilst making it safe for bar workers to actually go to work without worrying about getting lung cancer via osmosis whilst you lot were banging on about freedom to kill anyone you fancy if you want a fag, that is up to you; the fact that we had the lowest interest rates, lowest inflation rates and the most people ever in employment for over 10 years immeasurably improving the lives of millions of people in that decade before the global slump to which your response has been reduce national insurance for companies with less than four employees by getting them to sack their current workforce and employ an unemployed person instead - insprired.

And when I tell you of the wine I drank and the laughs I had watching Portillo lose in 97, Hague manage to get a net gain of one seat after four years of opposition in 2001; Iain Duncan Smith go from the quiet man to the silent man in the space of three weeks; seeing Tony Blair become the first Labour leader to win three elections - beating three different Tory leaders - in a row; and my utter joy at you choosing an Eton educated Bullingdon Club man as your leader and Shadow Chancellor. Roll on 2010 when Cameron stands in front of Central Office and admits he tried his best, but he must know step down in favour of a younger man to take the Tories forward after a fourth defeat.

You will never understand that joy.

Anonymous said...

"Narcisstic personality disorder is described as follows:

...indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance
2)is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique
4 requires excessive admiration
5) has a sense of entitlement
6) is interpersonally exploitative
7) lacks empathy
8) is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviours or attitudes"

A nine point description of every tory who lived.