Sep 25 2007
Using the word British or Britain more than 70 times doesn’t make you a patriot
I cannot believe what suckers for crude spin so many in the media are.
Gordon Brown delivers a dull speech with many references to Britain and our island story - spin.
Gordon Brown backs a further large transfer of power to the EU - reality.
Gordon Brown says he is going to restore faith in politicis by listening to people - spin.
Gordon Brown refuses a referendum on the constitution - reality.
Gordon Brown says he wants jobs and prosperity for all - spin.
Gordon Brown presides over an overtaxed and over regulated economy where 5.4 million adults of working age have no job - reality.
Gordon Brown claims to be the champion of manufacturing - spin.
Gordon Brown presides over the loss of 1 million manufacturing jolbs - reality.
That was no Conservative speech.
A Conservative speech would have:
promised a referendum on the EU constitution;
promised repatriation of powers, not a further give away;
promised the abolition of much hated regional government and many quangos;
talked about cutting back on the surveillance society;
offered tax reductions;
set out a programme for reducing unnecessary regulation;
and offered real reform of our public services.
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
Quite right John!
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Many journalists, as I have written before, are either too lazy or trying to keep well in with Brown to do a proper analysis.
However, I think we should forget all the spin and ask Brown, Cameron, Campbell et al to respond to the outrage we voters feel at the way MPs pursue their own interests above that of the country and the British people, as brilliantly presented by Peter Oborne in last night’s Channel 4 Dispatches programme (if you didn’t watch it may I suggest that you do). If any of them is genuinely prepared to rectify this, then they may just begin to deserve consideration as being suitable to govern this country. This will also give you a guide as to why there is a lack of interest and confidence in the words of politicians.
Reply: Yes I saw it. As one of the 25 MPs who voted against the Freedom of Information Amendment Bill to stop people learning about MP’s expenses I wished he had told people that some of us opposed it before the Lords rightly decided not to run with it.We also persuaded both main party Leaders to come out against the Bill.
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Totally agree.
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Yes, everything you say is true. But until the credit crunch starts to bite & people start to feel much poorer than they feel now, I think it is going to be very difficult to get people’s attention.
I really do hope that you will continue to draw attention to the widening deficit in the public finances. Brown can’t implement anything if he runs out of money, and he will do, probably much sooner than anticipated.
Under Brown taxes will have to go up, or public expenditure will have to be severely curtailed. I think we all know which course Brown will take. He’s a socialist, pretending to be a Tory. It’s time to take the gloves off.
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Gordon Browns speech was shamefully contrived. All the old sociaist buzz words were there. The poor, the old, the disabled etc. Gordon Brown even tried to milk simpathy from the public by playing the blind-in-one-eye card. I laughed out loud when Brown promised ‘Full Employment’ yet again. This mythcal full employment has been promised since 1997 and is nowhere in sight. Gordon Brown must stop lying to the British people. There will be no full employment. Labour’s egalitarian dream of getting the disabled out of their wheelchairs and into work is just a utopian pipedream. Gordon Brown must face reality. Youth unemployment has risen by 20% under Labour. There are 5.4 million without work in Britain. Full Employment will not happen under Labour.
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