howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
just spotted the photo of our gordon and the new president of our old colony.
the theme is "we are all chums still".
the picture shows the pres in a pose with all four fingers pointing upwards with his thumb facing his nose.
reminded me of an old tom and jerry sketch when tom was trying to provoke spike.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
The joint press conference with the two men yesterday was a very uncomfortable affair. I have a picture somewhere but not the one as Howard describes above...will upload it later. But having just met for half an hour everybody(the media) wanted them to say how much and how easily they had solved the worlds problems. Of course they hadnt.
But there seemed little chemistry between the two men even down to the fact that they were sitting miles apart. One longs for Tony Blair in such circumstances as he certainly had the charisma to match anyone on the global stage and his forays into the US were hugely popular. Gordon is of the more dire doom and gloom presbyterian scot variety and is not blessed with buckets of charisma....nor is he heading a government on the crest of a wave. This all takes its toll on the global statesman.
I am always amused by this talk of a special relationship. No matter where you live you assume your country has a special relationship with the US.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
Paulb
Gordon is nowt like T Blair and i'm for 1 pleased! I know where your coming from, but never been a Blair fan, he was a person to get Labour elected no matter at what cost, although better than the alternative certainly had me thinking when he became leader.
Gordson's there and hges a different breed but gets fings done his way, lets see how he gets on with USA give him a chance.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
The photo on the White House website of the event had Obama and Hilary Clinton, who was speaking into a mike, but Gordon, oh perhaps that was the top of his head poking out behind Hilary....Says it all.
Our special relationship was/is based on the capability of our armed forces and our status as the USA's no 1 ally.
After 12 years of underfunding the performance of our overstretched armed forces is suffering and its capability reducing relative the the USA's capability. Also the USA ddo not see enough of a commitment to supporting our mission in Afghanistan, insufficient troops to do the job simply not being able to make progress.
All this has significantly undermined our 'special relationship'.
In addition of course the Brown visit is a non-event in the USA. Brown is seen as a leader who will soon, within 15 months, be out of office, so that has in effect downgraded the visit and while Brown might want to associate himself with Obama's success, Obama does not want to get too close to a failing PM and get tainted.
It is a sad state of affairs. I would almost feel sorry for Brown if he was not the man responsible entirely for bringing this situation about.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
Barryw
You gone back into your dream world,
I promise not to gloat when GB Re elected
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
But the stark realism of the opinion polls though Keef suggest that Gordon may not get a chance to develop his relationship with the new US administration.
I am always amazed though at old labourites grudging respect for Tony Blair. He delivered three election victories for a totally beaten Labour Party. What more can anyone ask. If I had won three elections in a row I would expect to be slapped on the back by all Labourites forever, if I had won three football league titles I would expect to be slapped on the back by adoring fans, if I had made profits three years in a row at RBS I would expect to be slapped on the back by shareholders...do you see where Im coming from here
Yes BarryW I saw the references to the armed forces shortfall on sky news...I didnt realise until then that our shortcomings had been seen as a big issue in the US.
Guest 643- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,321
Keith
Will you apologise to Barry for all your snidey comments when GB is ousted? I doubt it
I think it's you who is in a dream world
There's always a little truth behind every "Just kidding", a little emotion behind every "I don't care" and a little pain behind every "I'm ok".
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
dream on people the lib/dems are going to win.
Why is it so wrong to be conservative? Gordon Brown is certainly not delivering! Do the lib-dems really have a chance of turning the country around? As far as I am concerned, the person who gets my vote will the the one who rids us of the payment of these obscene bonuses to people in the city. Especially when they are £653,000 mistakes. And the person who puts a stop to equally obscene amounts of money being spent on feasibility studies for Cable Cars in Dover, which, judging by the winds we have had in the past year, will be out of action for a large part of the time. Have loads of ideas for cheaper tourist attractions.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
Diana
The cable car fiasco as you call it is supported by the conservatives
Conservatives usually support these big bonus's
Lib Dems will always be like ythe indies in Dover (no offence intended)
a protest party.
never likely to control anything
So its realy are they any better i nearly lost my house under the tories so i remember.
JACQUI
You have in indicated your support for thre conservatives and thats no problrem,
its your right, as its my right to disagree with you and Barryw how boring this will be on this forum if we all agreed
Thankfully i wont have to apologise when labour wins again
PAULB
As true lefty your right blair made labour electable but in doing so he lost many activisists the very peope he needs to dio the foot work
The labour party is a changed beast, its realy about do you sell all your principles just to be in govt?
DC doing the same, promising everything to everyone with no costs with it
Its about beliefs, I will always be a labour man, and never hidden it, rather even GB than that lot I have a very long memory
k
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
People who lose their houses through repossessions in this current climate will blame Labour Keith, so what goes around comes around.
It's your view that it was directly as a result of Conservative policy, people will naturally blame the Labour government who are in power now, so it must be Labour's fault.
Roger
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
The housing collapse now is far worse than happened in 1990 under John Major.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
Tell that to the people who lost there homes barryw
Roger
Labour aint perfect
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
That is exactly the point, Keith. A lot more people will suffer the same fate under Labour than in 1990.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
Don't disagree, but it's not a Labour thing is my point
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
The way the economy has been mismanaged over the last 11/12 years is a Labour 'thing'. The last time we had quantitive easing was during the last Labour Government in the 70's, the last time our debt levels were at this level was then as well, the last time public spending was out of control was then.
Mrs T increased the regulation in financial services with the Financial Service Act 1986 and never dreamed about 'light touch' in loosening the Bank of England's role over the banks.
These are Labour things. As is joining the Euro, that is a Labour aim and they were in favour of joining the EMU (Euro equivilent) back in the late 80's and that was the reason for the economic problems in 1989/1990. Conservatives have learnt from that latter experience.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
I'm not so sure the Conservatives have learnt that much, the few policies they produce don't ususally get costed so you wonder if they are just doing what Blair did and say at times what some people weanted to hear.
DC not realy getting message across, and I think we will lose even more people not voting.
Hope i'm wrong
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
They will be voting for me this time just wait and see,when you are last there is only one way to go.
Vic matcham
Sid Pollitt
BarryW, how did the Tories learn was it by a disasterous mismanagement of the economy resulting in the withdrawal from the ERM? You say Thatcher increased financial regulation but aint it true that if your lot had won the 2001 election they'd have done away with it completely? Little Willy Hague said at the time: "As prime minister I will make deregulation one of my top priorities. I will drive deregulation from the centre and I will promote ministers not on the basis of whether they regulate enough but on the basis of how much they deregulate."
Another good reason why the electorate got things right dont you think?
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Sid - we do need deregulation but the right deregulation. De-regulated banks was never a suggestion of Mrs T or even John Major. That was entirely Brown's mistake. Note that William did not mention financial but was a more general reference.
Conservatives did increase financials services regulation, its not me saying it, it is a fact of history and I have provided the specific act of Parliament. Look it up if you dont believe me, that along with the later Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 have governed my professional career for 20 years.
In 1990 it was not 'disasterous mismanagement' of the economy so much as a basic error in joining the EMU that tied our hands over interest rates. This resulted in the setting of interest rates to suit Germany and not the UK, leading to inflationary pressures among other problems. Our departure from EMU was the catalyst for a sustained recovery.
The membership of the EMU was a policy that was opposed by Mrs T and her adviser Sir Alan Waters. Virtually the whole of the media, the Labour Party, CBI, TUC, Liberals formed an unholy alliance with pro-Europe Tories to force Mrs T to join it when John Major was Chancellor. So you Labour supporters cannot crow over that as you would have made exactly the same mistake, but worse because of your spendthrift ways.
Right now the Euro is under severe strain with Ireland, Greece and Italy having particular problems as a result making the recessionary pressures worse. Some believe that the Euro could collapse as a result though others believe that so much political kudos has been invested into the Euro project they will keep with it regardless of the damage done to their economies.
We are opposed to Euro entry in principal, Labour are still for it, hence we have learnt our lessons.