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Original poster

What do you think of Gordon Brown?

62 replies

Earlybird · 26/09/2005 22:14

Do you like him? Do you think he'll be prime minister one day? If so, will he be effective?

I'm inclined to like him, but that is based almost exclusively on my sympathetic feelings for him/his wife when they lost their young child a few years ago....which I fully accept is not a good reason to place faith in a politician.

OP posts:
Gobbledigook · 26/09/2005 22:15

No I don't like him - I just pray he doesn't become PM.

cutekids · 26/09/2005 22:18

Hi Earlybird!
We've-my hubbie and I-were just having the very same debate! I - apart from what happened a couple of years ago, which must have been horrible - have taken a bit of a dislike to him recently. I just feel Tony Blair and him have been acting like little boys in the playground - although don't all men?! No, I hope someone else is given the chance. Someone fresh!

helsi · 26/09/2005 22:21

I wouldn't mind giving him a shot. I think he has some new fresh ideas and is quite good with the money in the treasury - seems to know how to manage it (I know we'd all like a bit more but thats life). I only wish he wouldn't tax so much things though. However, the momeny has to come from somewhere to be spent on schools, hospitals, childcare etc.
I think he might be a breath of fresh air but I will probably eat my words at a later date.

puff · 26/09/2005 22:43

I fancy him, always have.

Original poster
Earlybird · 27/09/2005 10:11

Have to say I have no idea what he actually stands for. Just seems that he is the annointed one, and is biding his time....

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 27/09/2005 10:15

I can't stand the man! I'd (almost, but not quite if you're reading, JoolsToo) rather vote Tory than see that man in office.

His tax credits system have left us living a little below the poverty line.

B*&^ard! Yeah, he cares SO much about working families and the working poor. He's taxed millions into debt and poverty.

OldieMum · 27/09/2005 10:24

I feel ambivalent about him. He is responsible for the small amount of income redistribution that has taken place under this Government - sorry that this hasn't helped you expat, but it has helped a lot of other people - and Sure Start came out of the Treasury. But he has his hands firmly on economic policy-making, so I think it's misleading to differentiate him too much from Blair. I think a lot of people on the left are tempted to project onto him their hopes for a braver and more progressive approach to policy in the future. I suspect they will be disappointed. But I also imagine that we'll see less granstanding on the world stage and less policy-making on the back of an envelope. He is much more thoughtful and careful a person than Blair.

OldieMum · 27/09/2005 10:27

or even grandstanding.

Dophus · 27/09/2005 10:27

Gordon Brown - finer temptress
through the ages he's headed west

...

never a frown with Gordon Brown

is is just me that hear# that everytime I hear his name

OldieMum · 27/09/2005 10:28

Actually, I prefer granstanding. Lots of old ladies telling George Bush that he's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy.

MrsDoolittle · 27/09/2005 10:31

Ahh but supposing Ken Clark becomes leader of the Conservatives? That would be very interesting.

ark · 27/09/2005 10:32

I find him a little arrogant - but not sure if it is actually the media reporting of him that is arrogant- Gordon will be Prime Minister for Labours historic 4th term in office - ermm hang on don't I have to vote yet!

I also find the fact that he is an MP in Scotland but not an MSP a bit wierd but i don't know enough about that to be anything more than confused about my concept of devolution!

Here is a tip for Gordon - stop trying to look so annoyingly sincere and just say what you actually think! Now that would be a refreshing change.

ark · 27/09/2005 10:33

Dpohus lol didn't think that before but I will now!!!

welshmum · 27/09/2005 10:45

Hi Earlybird,
I'm inclined to like him more than Blair. I think there's more substance to him and believe he's more committed to social justice.
BUT I think he's just as much of a spinner and manipulator as Blair and his supporters, and as much if not more a fan of America.
I trust him with things financial.
Fundamentally he's a politicans and they're all to a lesser or greater extent tremendously egotistical, self regarding, driven, wierdos with no sense of what normal life is. (know a few )

mawbroon · 27/09/2005 11:43

Ark - we have MPs and MSPs in Scotland. Our parliament only has control over certain issues and the rest is dealt with at Westminster. We are devolved - not independant, so nothing strange about a Scotsman in Westminster

Cam · 27/09/2005 11:57

puff

Gordon Brown is a terrible speaker, I can't listen to him.

I think he'd make as bad a PM as Tony Blair

expatinscotland · 27/09/2005 11:57

Couldn't agree more, Cam

teeavee · 27/09/2005 12:01

I physically start to squirm whenever I hear Blair open his gob - cannot STANT the way he speaks, with all that faux sincerity and awful 'chatty' expressions...AAArrrrrgggggh!
GB couldn't be any worse, surely! I heard him on the radio yesterday morning and he sounded like he's been having some coaching!

monkeytrousers · 27/09/2005 14:15

Yep, I'm a supporter. Had a wobble when tax credits went awol but then I realised they are there to help lift families just above the poverty line and we were already above it, if only just. For some reason I was expecting more, which was silly really. We'd still have been worse off without them.

Caligula · 27/09/2005 14:17

He's gorgeous.

Oh god, how old and knackered am I, thinking a politician is shaggable?

But I would.

Bugger the policies.

monkeytrousers · 27/09/2005 14:18

Why do you think TB is a bad prime minister, Cam? It's interesting to think about how do we define our politicians. Without politics is totalitarianism. I sometimes wonder what we all think politics actually is.

monkeytrousers · 27/09/2005 14:19

Caligula! How hormonal are you today!

teeavee · 27/09/2005 14:19

caligula! does he still do that weird bottom-lip thing though? that would put me off!

Cam · 27/09/2005 14:35

at Caligula (but then I'm easily shocked)

monkeytrousers that's a very big question that I'm loathe to answer fully on mumsnet as its Labour central (and NO I'm not a Tory)

monkeytrousers · 27/09/2005 14:43

Fair do's Cam. I just think the bashing politics/politicians get these days is indistinguishable from the sour grapes type bashing that Posh gets or anyone in the public eye. I overheard one bloke the other day say that he though TB was in politics just to be famous! I just thought that was such a daft thing to think. I'm just confused as to what people think politics actually is, really. It's not celebrity, yet the media try to present it as such so the politicians try to be attractive to the media to get the message across. Yet the media has a very short attention span so demands soundbites, but then mocks politicians who give soundbites and call it spin which is in reality something that the media invented themselves..