Talk:Gordon Brown

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Contents 1 popularity 2 Co-operative Party 3 Is Gordon Brown a Communist? 4 "cultivated" 5 Breathing problem 6 Burglar and "glass" eye 7 "Green" views on global development and sustainability 8 'rifts' with Tony Blair 9 Missing sections 10 UK housing market 11 Sabhal Mòr Lecture 12 Mr Furtive or Mr Incompetent? 13 Gordon Brown, Ed Balls and Establishment of The Monetary Policy Committee of The Bank of England with independent powers to set nominal UK interest rates 14 Gordon Brown and New Deal for The Unemployed

[edit] popularity

What is the source for the 'recent' poll showing the public prefer blair, and how recent is it? Times change... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 128.232.249.153 (talk • contribs).

[edit] Co-operative Party

Is (or was) Gordon Brown a member of the Co-operative Party? He is listed as such on that article , but there's no mention of it on this article. The Co-operative Party website has a quote from him on the main page, but he's not listed on the Parliamentary Representation page [1]. --Vclaw 23:29, 11 October 2005 (UTC)

He is not a Labour and Co-operative MP (which would mean the Co-operative Party sponsoring him as a candidate at each election), but he may well be an individual member of the Co-operative Party. David | Talk 16:35, 27 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Is Gordon Brown a Communist?

Has anybody read his book The Paper on Scotland? I haven't yet, but I heard it advocates the nationalization of all industries, and essentially making Scotland a communist state. This is quite unsettling news if true. It is like that book A Very British Coup (I have a copy of that book here). We should note that Communism and Socialism are more than "looking out for the common man"; they are totalitarian ideologies which aim to take away individual freedom.

I am a moderate liberal, but if I were a Brit I would have voted Conservative (Tory) in that last election, mainly to punish the Labour party for the war in Iraq, but also because it sounds like Brown is a communist. Hopefully MI5 is keeping an eye on him. --Brian (same American who made comments on the iTV discussion) 71.116.106.31 23:56, 28 January 2006 (UTC)

What Nonsence! Oh and the Torys would have gone to war anyway if they had been in power. So where's the punishment? "I won't vote for you, but i'll vote for the other party who would have still gone to war". Yes... right..ok. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 64.12.116.9 (talk • contribs).

Is this relevant? Molerat 21:49, 16 February 2006 (UTC)

No. rofl 71.116.106.31 05:04, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

Sorry if I was a bit harsh earlier. If you can add something to the article that is notable, not original research, verifiable and has a neutral point of view related to this, go for it.

About your points: socialism and communism are not synonymous. I don't know if socialism is defined differently in the United States, but in my experience it refers mainly to advocacy of the welfare state and giving everybody an equal chance in life. It is not seen to be extreme. The Conservative party also supported the Iraq war, and many in the left of the Labour party opposed the war for various reasons. In the UK, while communism is seen as extreme, it is not seen as a threat to the country, and people who may be viewed as having communist ideals are not persecuted. Personally, I'm much more worried about extremist parties such as the UK(R)IP and the BNP, although the majority of the public sees straight through them. Molerat 22:56, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

To be honest, if he's not a member of ZOG I don't know who is. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 82.198.250.9 (talk • contribs).

He was a socialist at uni. So were half the tory front bench. get over it. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 128.232.249.153 (talk • contribs).

[edit] "cultivated"

Brown "cultivated a dour and even miserly air"???? Why would any politician, especially one with designs on the top job, "cultivate" such a public persona? He was seen by many as possessing those characteristics, but that's far removed from intentionally acting so as to give that impression. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 195.153.219.170 (talk • contribs).

[edit] Breathing problem

Is GB asthmatic or does he have some other breathing problem? Does anyone know why he has to gasp for breathe all the time? 80.176.129.249 12:20, 16 March 2006 (UTC)

Because he's overweight?

Perhaps he has trouble catching his breath.- Amorwikipedia 00:31, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Burglar and "glass" eye

This article seems to be attracting a lot of playful vandalism. Is there any proof whatsoever for the line about wanting to be a burglar? Gabriel R 15:59, 20 April 2006 (UTC)

...or that his blind eye is made of glass? Gabriel R 13:17, 24 April 2006 (UTC)

...a comment which was reintroduced recently by User talk:Shpanda. I've added a link to the Guardian's description of the injury and operations. The most reliable authority on the web that the whole eye was removed is by David Irving [2]. Ipso facto, it was not :) --Cedders^tk 17:10, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

it is common knowledge that Gordon Brown has a glass eye...don't be so 'outrageous' Cedders.82.45.189.237 21:51, 19 June 2006 (UTC)

At one time Brown had a contact lens made to hide a cataract that developed in his blind eye; the eye is therefore not glass. Refer p.120, "Gordon Brown, The first year in power" by Hugh Pym & Nick Kochan. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 154.5.137.19 (talk • contribs).

First learn to sign your comments; then feel free to pass comments on Mr. Brown's wiki.--82.45.189.237 23:06, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

Can we please remove the comment about the prosthetic eye until someone comes up with conclusive proof?

[edit] "Green" views on global development and sustainability

Brown's April 20, 2006 remarks were characterized as "Green" by the BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4924656.stm - 201.78.233.162 00:21, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] 'rifts' with Tony Blair

This article mentions a few times, as is reported in the media frequently as well, the 'rifts' or differences between GB and Tony Blair. Perhaps someone with more expertise, time, and drive than I could expand on such rifts in a new section? Crunk 20:42, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

Here's a source. Timeline: Blair vs Brown, BBC News Online TransUtopian 18:47, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Missing sections

Why aren't the references/notes, and external links, and info/succession boxes showing?--AladdinSE 04:00, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

At the 20th and last footnote the end < ref > had the / before the last > instead of immediately after the first <.--Johnbull 04:45, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] UK housing market

A paragraph should be written on the increase in UK house prices presided over by this "most successful" Chancellor. The average UK home now costs eight times average income. Cost of living expenses have also rocketed. Great economic policy.

[edit] Sabhal Mòr Lecture

Is there a suitable place in this article to mention Brown's 1999 Sabhal Mòr Lecture? Perhaps in the context of his views on multiculturalism and pluralism? --Doric Loon 21:11, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Mr Furtive or Mr Incompetent?

To woo the economic power house that is The City, Mr Brown gave the Bank of England Indepedence. Or did he? The majority of currently serving members of the MPC were appointed to the panel by Mr Brown himself! I won't mention the four billion pound disasterous Gold Sale (or the subsequent purchase of foreign currencies such as the free falling dollar). The tax credits that are SO complex not even the treasury can understand there operation, creating a sucession of £2billion overpayments per annum. An endless barrage of tax hikes across the middle class from energy tax, insurance premium tax, national insurance tax, stamp duty tax etc etc etc resulting in the UK Treasury taking over 42% of our GDP which is now more than Germany whilst UK workers are struggling with the cheap East European labour markets many being taxed at a simple 15% flat rate! Oh i suppose i should mention the extra £20 Billion investment into the beleagured NHS resulting in a productivity gain of just 2%. I'm sure we are all happy to see our tax money so well invested!

Furtive or Incompetant? Somehow he manages both! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Rmgilbert (talk • contribs).

And now we are in the longest period of sustained economic growth the UK has ever seen :) I'm sure you understand that a flat tax results in an overall regressive tax structure, which increases economic inequality. Also, productivity is not synonymous with total output, so a 2% increase in (I assume you mean labour) productivity does not mean that output increased by 2%. In fact, increasing productivity means better value for money. Molerat 21:17, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

Thank you for your response:) Most Anglo Saxon economies have performed admirably even without the added boost to growth that leaving the ERM gave the UK so it is not entirely correct to argue that Gordon Brown is responsible. As for a flat rate simple tax being regressive then yes a can of baked beans will cost the same for both a pauper and a King, however history has shown us that lowering of direct taxation results in increased revenues and simplifying the process would allow the increased revenues to be better invested, ultimately to the benefit of all classes. Regarding your comments on public sector productivity i agree that not having a homogenous product it is difficult to accurately gauge productivity however the impact of him increasing both taxation and regulation has meant that UK cannot compete with global competition leaving no doubt that under Gordon Browns "leadership" the public sector productivity has been appalling at best.

[edit] Gordon Brown, Ed Balls and Establishment of The Monetary Policy Committee of The Bank of England with independent powers to set nominal UK interest rates

This policy was in fact endorsed by the late John Smith MP - Brown's predecessor as Shadow Chancellor and Blair's predecessor as Leader of The Labour Party - as part of the process of entering the Euro-zone, a policy which both John Smith and Blair had favoured as did the Liberals. It was also supported by the then Governor of The Bank of England (Eddie George)and also by Brown's Conservative predecessor as Chancellor Kenneth Clark. The policy was also advocated by Will Hutton in "The State We're In".

[edit] Gordon Brown and New Deal for The Unemployed

Gordon Brown as Chancellor launched his New Deal for the unemployed in Wellgate Job Centre in Dundee, Scotland in January 1998. Also in the Job Centre that day were the Secretary of State for Scotland (Donald Dewar MP) and Scottish Office Industry Minister (Brian Wilson MP) - neither of whom had been entrusted with devolved powers over job search policy. Gordon Brown's determination to keep these powers in Whitehall was subsequently reflected in Schedule 5 of The Scotland Act - which established a Parliament in Edinburgh.

New Deal failed on Day One in Dundee - despite HM Treasury protestations to the contrary and subsequent claims of success by Chancellor Brown. Not only was this recruitment premium scheme mistargetted on Day One at the 18-25 year old age cohort, neglecting older age groups, but Brown had it seems forgotten that similar but less coercive and much better designed recruitment premium schemes had been operated throughout the 1980's in many parts of Scotland and including Tayside, Strathclyde and his own constituency area of Fife, under a Conservative Government. These schemes were delivered by Scottish Regional Councils using money from the European Union - and in the case of Strathclyde Region's Employment Grants Scheme, were famously advertised by actor Robbie Coltrane who dressed up as Louis 16th and urged West of Scotland employers to "get your applications in - before the cutoff date!" These schemes were chopped by Gordon Brown in favour of a variant of American-style 'workfare'.

The other big surprise on Day One of Gordon Brown's 'New Deal' launch in the Wellgate Job Centre in Dundee was the conspicuous absence of job vacancies, apart from the large poster advertising "Jobs Outwith Tayside Region" in The Black Watch (now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan but then deployed in Kosovo). When unemployed job applicants in the New Deal queue asked the politicians present about the "Executive and Professional Vacancies Job Register", civil servants jumped in to explain that this had "been privatised in 1984 - and ceased to exist in 1989". It subequently also emerged that the Careers Advice Service for the unemployed in Scotland at the time of the New Deal launch by Gordon Brown was fragmented between around seventy different agencies. This had not apparently been noticed by Brown and his colleagues in Whitehall. It then took the Scottish Parliament around 3 years to create Careers Scotland.