Gordon Brown for PM?

[Wilkolampshade]

I don't know, just watching the Blair/Brown documentary, does anyone think we could/should bring back Gordon Brown as leader of the Labour Party for a shot at P. M?
YABU... Absolutely not, what ARE you thinking?!?!
YANBU.... Why not, how much worse could it get?

[XingMing]

I also said that "I trusted his probity at every stage". From a declared Tory, that's high praise!

[RobertaFirmino]

@Onedaylikethis21

YABU. We don’t need him again. Andy Burnham would be my preference for a Labour PM

Gordon Brown saved my bacon during the credit crunch but I couldn't think of a better prospect than Burnham right now. Sorry Manchester but the country needs him!

[Tealightsandd]

@LuluJakey1

He has a level of personal integrity and concern for the less fortunate in society and social justice that is admirable. He is thoroughly decent.

Concern for the less fortunate. Really??

The man who, as chancellor, oversaw Blair's war on the disabled. Who was the first to cut housing benefts. Those who came after him simply continued further down the road he created.

Also the tax credits. No, not a good thing. Everything @Watchingyou2sleezes says is right, including on wage suppression.

Using taxpayer money to prop up poverty wages was always a bad idea. Particularly when one of the biggest reasons those wages were poverty level was because of disappearing affordable housing.

As for immigration. The problem with their (and all successive governments) immigration policy was the failure to increase infrastructure and housing to accommodate an expanding population. In fact it was the opposite. Right to Buy continued, housing benefits were cut, and very little new social housing was built to replace what was lost.

[ddl1]

Brown wasn't telegenic, but he was infinitely better than the recent lot; and I'm not just saying that because I don't vote Tory. Hell, compared with the recent lot, I'd have John Major back in a heartbeat. And I voted against him twice!

[Shuffalo]

No! Gordon Brown in the Treasury was a big factor leading to the 2008 financial crisis. No way.

[SickAndTiredAgain]

@XingMing I knew you weren’t using it as a reason you didn’t/wouldn’t vote for him. It was just the fact you thought it was worth mentioning so I guess you thought it was relevant to some. Why is a depressing thought.

[SickAndTiredAgain]

*which is a depressing thought

[VestaTilley]

YABU. If Gordon hadn’t ousted Tony I truly believe that the shit show of the last 11 years in British politics would never have happened.

He desperately craved power and had no bloody idea what to do with it when he got it, despite plotting to be leader for two decades. And the coterie of thugs around him speaks volumes.

Ed Balls may be looking all cuddly nowadays with his ballroom dancing and Mum’s lasagne- but that wasn’t how he behaved when he was working for Brown, I assure you.

[StrongLegs]

I liked Gordon Brown and I like his articles that comes out periodically. I see them in the Guardian. I didn't like him talking about "light touch regulation of the stock market". I didn't think that ended very well.

I do like Andy Burnham.

I just wish we could have a decent government and a voting system that got us any control of anything at all. I'm getting right fed up about it all.

[JaneDoe21]

No way. Labour need to find someone fresh with real values that stand for todays people. Not a washed up old man who pushed Labour half way into the grave.

[RaoulDufysCat]

No! Gordon Brown in the Treasury was a big factor leading to the 2008 financial crisis. No way.

Why do you think that? It was a worldwide crisis.

[StrongLegs]

I think Gordon Brown was one of the leaders in the run up to the financial crisis, but he was under a lot of pressure to not regulate the financial industry, because nobody else was regulating theirs. It was like watching a group of children in a primary school all going to the dogs at once because of peer pressure amongst the group to behave badly. At the time I felt it was wrong, but I think it would have been extremely hard for him to stand up to the others.

[whoopsnomore]

@jennytheonionslayer

I would rather shit in my hands, clap and lick them clean.

Daily.

Until the end of time.

Well, lovely (slightly hyperbolic) imagery there but not much reasoning and political comment!

[PeriChristmas]

@ArblemarchTFruitbat

We could do a lot worse than Gordon Brown.

Yup

[Kendodd]

I've never voted Tory but I think we really missed an opportunity with Rory Stewart.
I really despair that that Tory members and voters prefer a lying, racist, misogynist buffoon. What a terrible reflection on the British people.

[PeriChristmas]

She was a bigot.

[SeaWitchly]

Yes please. I would weep with relief if GB ousted that clown BoJo.

[Kendodd]

Why do you think that? It was a worldwide crisis
Because the pp is gullible enough to have swallowed a load Tory bullshit and lies.

[daimbarsatemydogsbone]

I notice none of the people casually (as Gordon Brown did) throwing about accusations of bigotry or racism can actually explain how what Mrs Duffy said was either. She perhaps wasn’t being very clear in how she articulated her concerns but it wasn’t bigotry or racism.

As for the contention that anyone expressing anything other joy at any level of immigration under any circumstances is a racist or a bigot - that is ignorance on a colossal scale.

And I voted for a Brown government.

And I have never voted Tory (or UKIP etc)

[Wilkolampshade]

Interesting all, really. Sorry I can't rey super quickly, I'm a slow typist but also my hands are hurting lile b'stard tonight and making life difficult.
It is so frustratingly awful atm.
Was sat watching with my daughter (early twenties) and there was a clip of Blair after his third election victory and it was so extraordinary to think of that speech outside Downing Street NOT being a Tory...

[PeriChristmas]

@SeaWitchly

Yes please. I would weep with relief if GB ousted that clown BoJo.

Right?! 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

[PeriChristmas]

@Kendodd

I've never voted Tory but I think we really missed an opportunity with Rory Stewart.
I really despair that that Tory members and voters prefer a lying, racist, misogynist buffoon. What a terrible reflection on the British people.

Hideous.

[wealldiealone]

Andy Burnham is good at highlighting and demanding individuals rights, but hasn't a clue how to go about what would be required to make them achievable from the look of it. He was very unrealistic during covid. I don't think he has the acumen. I don't think he understands all the competing interests and problems and doesn't have enough sopistication to manage all the competing interest groups...

We need someone who is clever and knowledgable as well as having a decent moral compass

[rrhuth]

Having re-read the bigotgate transcript, she was an absolute moaner. The trouble is a lot of people just want the old days back, they can't have them, but they don't want to accept it.

[Skysblue]

Or Blair! Or Harman! Or David Miliband! Or Major! Or literally anyone from that generation of politician.