Monday, September 24, 2007

I, I Who Have Nothing

The Brown man's speech to the labour Party conference helped to redefine platitude. It was almost 7,500 words long and when read in the cold light of day it is so full of fluff and self promotion as to be very annoying. He used the 'I' word, 121 times; as if we ever doubted it he's a man of strong self-belief.

OK, number one he managed to mention Iraq just once in his speech. He said. "Because we will do our duty and discharge our obligations, we will work in Iraq and Afghanistan for three objectives: security, political reconciliation and economic reconstruction, and at all times we will do everything to ensure the security of our dedicated armed forces. " No mention of why we are there in the first place and how we are to get out of it.

"I tell you today: there is a global poverty emergency." Now there's a turn up for the books. Where's he been for the last 30 years?

"So we plan to help first time buyers and we will increase house-building to 240,000 new homes a year." So will all these houses be at prices that first time buyers can afford? Do you promise Gordon?

"But as a teenager I saw close friends of mine who might have gone to college or an apprenticeship or to university who never did. I know some could not to afford to stay on at school. For others, their potential had never been nurtured." - And going to university solves everything? We're creating a generation whose expectations are being nurtured to the point that they can never ever be realised.

Finally he mentioned British, 28 times in his speech. Methinks he doth protest too much.

Come the hour, come the day, let's hope everyone remembers he's part of the problem, not the solution. The great Gordo, fond of disappearing when he’s needed is not the answer. The trouble neither is nor is Dave. Oh Bugger!

4 comments:

r morris said...

Great piece, Richard.
I know next to nothing about Gordon Brown--other than that he is a politician. But that's all I need to know. Sad but true.

At the risk of angering the political bloggorotti that occasionally visit your moderate and well-reasoned blogspot, (maybe they are in need of a touch of sanity) I can't imagine you could ever do much worse with Mr. Brown than we've done with Mr. Bush. And remember, we re-elected him.

Politicians of all parties are completely out of touch with reality, spoon-fed by yes-men and idealogues. They can all take a flying leap for all I care. Not one of them is worthy of the blood of a thousand soldiers or the sufferings of a thousand workers who've had their jobs out-sourced to India or China.

Anonymous said...

In terms of what we get as UK political leaders, Brown's speech was pretty competent and solid - I'm not sure what that says about what.

For me the 'they really do not live on the same planet as us' moment in Gordon's speech was the at-the-end bit when he fairly bawled I WILL ALWAYS STAND UP FOR YOU!

Honestly... what does that mean... he will stand up for me if I come on the bus? Well, all right, clearly not, because our political class just do not travel by public transport.

But for really rank cheese, what about Wendy Alexander's appeal to the mostly English audience at the Labour conference for 'your help' to defeat Alex Salmond? and her apology to the conference 'on behalf of the Scottish Labour Party for losing the last Scottish election? (Whilst her party is actually still in complete denial about that result). What would 'Satisfied New Labour from Turnbridge Wells' have made of it all?

Richard Havers said...

I'm with you on Wendy Ted. She needs to get some people around PDQ who are not from the yes non-minister club!

The Peebles Blog said...

Good insight, Richard. One can only hope that our politicians actually listen to the voice of the people they claim to represent.

Where was Gordon (and Tony, his partner in crime) when Scotland and the world said they didn't want the war in Iraq?

I do remember that crisp Saturday morning in February at another Labour Conference when Mr. Blair not only chose not to appear in front of the thousands at SECC but changed his schedule so he'd be away during the peaceful demonstration.

Is Gordon going to be any different. Sadly it sounds like he's not.

Peace,
Hugh Peebles