Gordon Brown 2. The Proper Thread

[jowwy]

POW!!!!

He does it again!!

How do you do this Jowwy? What's your secret? Do tell.
























And it's Hong Kong, not Honk Kong.

an easy typo....i type quick see, but its nice you pick me up on these things, while being factually incorrect on your own posts.

I hope you dont have the same double standards with your students.

 

[cookiemonster]

an easy typo....i type quick see, but its nice you pick me up on these things, while being factually incorrect on your own posts.

I hope you dont have the same double standards with your students.

My students can spell. I make sure of that.

Anyhoo, anything to say about what Gordon Brown has been telling us? Any opinion? It must be affecting you as well.

 

[jowwy]

My students can spell. I make sure of that.

Anyhoo, anything to say about what Gordon Brown has been telling us? Any opinion? It must be affecting you as well.

but we know your incorrect on most things now, so how do we know your students can spell??? they may think Hong Kong is in the EU the way you complain about brexit affecting you.......i mean who knows right?

as for gordon brown i got nothing to say, as a resident uk citizen....so why do you??

 

[Craig the cyclist]

No-one knew that 9/11 was going to happen, which spiked the gold price as everyone took their money out of oil (mainly) and other commodities. How was GB supposed to know about that?

In May 2010, the UK economy grew by 2.2%. Debt was 65% of GDP, just 2 years after what was, then, the biggest financial crash since the 30s, created in Wall Street, not Downing Street. Debt is now 102.8% of GDP. Somehow that wouldn't have happened under a Brown Gov.

Within 18 months of the Tories taking over, we had a double dip recession, missing a triple dip by the skin of our teeth. We then had 10 years of austerity that killed thousands and increased debt by 20% (to 85% by 2020, OECD) when remember, austerity was supposed to pay down debt, not increase it.

I also remember that the Tories also backed the Iraq war too. Strange that you don't mention that.

However, what he says now is important. Not what he did 12+ years ago, now is the issue. Now is what this thread is about. And his ideas are not magical. He's just asking the current Gov to simply do their job.

The line is not there to shut down discussion, it's just to concentrate minds on the actual issue, what's going on now.

The Tories/Lib Dems (remember them) did not know the exact state of the economy when they took over.

No-one knew that Covid would happen.

No-one knew that Russia would invade Ukraine how they have.

Unknown things always happen, the difference really seems to be that when they happen under a Labour administration you accept them as unforeseen events and it isn't the Labour party's fault. When they happen under a Conservative/Lib Dem, then a Conservative administration it is all the fault of the Tories for not planning.

Which is it? Should Governments foresee unforeseeable events or not?

But in the spirit of this is about now, Gordon Brown is largely irrelevant. The people who are relevant right now are the current government (and we clearly disagree on their approach so let's not bicker. I have taken some time away from posting deliberately. I highly recommend it) and the current opposition.

So if we are talking oppositional relevance, what is Keir Starmer saying about this, because it will be him that will have to implement any opposition policy? I may have missed it, but he and Angela Rayner seem very quiet on Gordon's intervention.

 

[cookiemonster]

The Tories/Lib Dems (remember them) did not know the exact state of the economy when they took over.

No-one knew that Covid would happen.

No-one knew that Russia would invade Ukraine how they have.

Unknown things always happen, the difference really seems to be that when they happen under a Labour administration you accept them as unforeseen events and it isn't the Labour party's fault. When they happen under a Conservative/Lib Dem, then a Conservative administration it is all the fault of the Tories for not planning.

Which is it? Should Governments foresee unforeseeable events or not?

But in the spirit of this is about now, Gordon Brown is largely irrelevant. The people who are relevant to right now are the current government (and we clearly disagree on their approach so let's not bicker. I have taken some time away from posting deliberately. I highly recommend it) and the current opposition.

So if we are talking oppositional relevance, what is Keir Starmer saying about this, because it will be him that will have to implement any opposition policy? I may have missed it, but he and Angela Rayner seem very quiet on Gordon's intervention.

The Tories and Lib Dems did know what the economy was like when they took over.

Agree that no-one foresaw Covid and the Ukraine war, I think we can all agree on that. But we do have brexit as well as an incompetent government for 12 years.

Both of those have made matters way worse than they needed to be. The current Gov don't care, that's not an opinion, that's observable fact. How can a country be run properly, any time let alone in a time of national crisis, when we're about to get our fourth PM in 6 years!? No-one is taking this as seriously as they should. If they were, they wouldn't have buggered off on holiday, and I do include Starmer in this.

Many European nations have taken measures to help their people and economies. The UK has done zip. Nothing. Nada. Not a thing.

 

[jowwy]

The Tories and Lib Dems did know what the economy was like when they took over.

Agree that no-one foresaw Covid and the Ukraine war, I think we can all agree on that. But 1.we do have brexit as well as an incompetent government for 12 years.

Both of those have made matters way worse than they needed to be. The current Gov don't care, that's not an opinion, that's observable fact. How can a country be run properly, any time let alone in a time of national crisis, when we're about to get our fourth PM in 6 years!? No-one is taking this as seriously as they should. If they were, they wouldn't have buggered off on holiday, and I do include Starmer in this.

Many European nations have taken measures to help 2. their peoples and economies. The UK has done zip. Nothing. Nada. Not a thing.

1. again lets correct some things here...........no you dont have brexit and an incompetnet government ( again Hong Kong is not in the EU and they dont govern the UK)

as for the rest..

the UK goverment has done things to help the UK economy and its residents, just not enough...

2. is peoples the correct term, or is people already plural......as an english teacher you would know surley??

 

[Craig the cyclist]

The Tories and Lib Dems did know what the economy was like when they took over.

Agree that no-one foresaw Covid and the Ukraine war, I think we can all agree on that. But we do have brexit as well as an incompetent government for 12 years.

Both of those have made matters way worse than they needed to be. The current Gov don't care, that's not an opinion, that's observable fact. How can a country be run properly, any time let alone in a time of national crisis, when we're about to get our fourth PM in 6 years!? No-one is taking this as seriously as they should. If they were, they wouldn't have buggered off on holiday, and I do include Starmer in this.

Many European nations have taken measures to help their people and economies. The UK has done zip. Nothing. Nada. Not a thing.

Well, certainly the French government have protected their citizens from huge price increases through EDF, which has imposed massive hikes in energy tariffs in the UK. So I suppose that whoever ok'd the sale of Centrica to EDF is quite responsible for those increases and selling off our national fuel security wouldn't you agree?

I am going to take a punt though that you won't agree, but we should all be reminded of exactly who did ok the transaction which has put us partially where we are shouldn't we? Step forward the Prime Minister of the day, Mr Gordon Brown. The bloke who is now complaining that foreign energy companies are ripping off UK residents

 

[Deleted member 49]

Well, certainly the French government have protected their citizens from huge price increases through EDF, which has imposed massive hikes in energy tariffs in the UK. So I suppose that whoever ok'd the sale of Centrica to EDF is quite responsible for those increases and selling off our national fuel security wouldn't you agree?

I am going to take a punt though that you won't agree, but we should all be reminded of exactly who did ok the transaction which has put us partially where we are shouldn't we? Step forward the Prime Minister of the day, Mr Gordon Brown. The bloke who is now complaining that foreign energy companies are ripping off UK residents

Ffs....show some bollox and take responsibility ! You voted for this sh1te 🙄

 

[cookiemonster]

Well, certainly the French government have protected their citizens from huge price increases through EDF, which has imposed massive hikes in energy tariffs in the UK. So I suppose that whoever ok'd the sale of Centrica to EDF is quite responsible for those increases and selling off our national fuel security wouldn't you agree?

I am going to take a punt though that you won't agree, but we should all be reminded of exactly who did ok the transaction which has put us partially where we are shouldn't we? Step forward the Prime Minister of the day, Mr Gordon Brown. The bloke who is now complaining that foreign energy companies are ripping off UK residents

Again, you're using an example from 2008. In case you haven't noticed, we're in 2022. A lot has changed in 14 years.

Try and stick to what's going on now. Also, who has been in charge for 12 of those years? Who was able to make changes to the energy market but didn't?

 

[Craig the cyclist]

Ffs....show some bollox and take responsibility ! You voted for this sh1te 🙄

So absolutely anything that went before is now wiped clean? Is that what you are saying? At what point should we restart the clock then, when Boris was voted in, May, Cameron, Cameron/Clegg, Thatcher (but not the Blair/Brown years, they don't count)?

 

[Craig the cyclist]

Again, you're using an example from 2008. In case you haven't noticed, we're in 2022. A lot has changed in 14 years.

Try and stick to what's going on now. Also, who has been in charge for 12 of those years? Who was able to make changes to the energy market but didn't?

Isn't it a significant thing?

In 14 years, let's pretend that Keir Starmer has been in power from 2024, you are happy for Boris to release a report in 2037 pointing out where the Labour party have got it wrong and you will say 'well he has some points, and all his screw-ups were 14 years ago now so they simply don't count'?

 

[Craig the cyclist]

Again, you're using an example from 2008. In case you haven't noticed, we're in 2022. A lot has changed in 14 years.

Try and stick to what's going on now. Also, who has been in charge for 12 of those years? Who was able to make changes to the energy market but didn't?

A new Government cannot simply 'buy-back' a nuclear industry though, get real. You are saying it is the Conservatives fault for not forcing the French to sell it back, rather than a bad idea to sell it in the first place?

 

[cookiemonster]

So absolutely anything that went before is now wiped clean? Is that what you are saying? At what point should we restart the clock then, when Boris was voted in, May, Cameron, Cameron/Clegg, Thatcher (but not the Blair/Brown years, they don't count)?

As you mentioned earlier, no-one then would've known what was going to happen now. However, your crowd have been in charge (allegedly) since 2010 and have done nothing. They're too busy sticking knives in each other's backs. Four Tory PMs in 6 years. How can anything function?

You're still harking back to a time 14 years ago which has no bearing on what's going on now because, as you know, the reality of you having to admit that your beloved Tory party have systematically f*cked everything up is just too embarrassing for you.

We're in 2022, the biggest cost of living crisis ever known. Wages to drop by 7%, energy bills doubling by January, 2 million people having to go one day a week without food, 13% inflation and all under the Tories watch.

But, yes, let's look back to 2008 as an excuse not to discuss what your beloved Tories have done.

 

[cookiemonster]

Isn't it a significant thing?

In 14 years, let's pretend that Keir Starmer has been in power from 2024, you are happy for Boris to release a report in 2037 pointing out where the Labour party have got it wrong and you will say 'well he has some points, and all his screw-ups were 14 years ago now so they simply don't count'?

The chances of that happening are zero as BJ will, hopefully, be in jail. You cannot seriously compare Gordon Brown or Kier Starmer to that traitor.

 

[cookiemonster]

A new Government cannot simply 'buy-back' a nuclear industry though, get real. You are saying it is the Conservatives fault for not forcing the French to sell it back, rather than a bad idea to sell it in the first place?

We're not talking about buying back a nuclear industry. We're talking about getting the energy firms to spend some of their huge profits in keeping prices low. Their profits this year, so far, have tripled. Do you think that's acceptable in light of the current crisis?