Brown's last act of spite

[longfingernailspaintedblue]

Why did he resign before the Tory-Lib Dem was final, despite being asked by both of them, in the interests of the country, to wait?

He will go down in history as one of our very worst Prime Ministers.

Anyhoo - back to the OP, according to the Guardian he waited until he got a phone call from Nick Clegg confirming that Clegg was definitely going with the Tories, before resigning.

So it looks like he did wait until the deal was final.

Is that alright for you now OP?

Churchill. Unelected Prime Minister.* Just sayin'.

*Of course this phrase has no logical or constitutional meaning whatsoever.

"How vindictive can you get?"

A lot more, judging by quite a few of the posts on here.

One of the reasons why many people are so concerned about the new govt, I imagine.

I thought that about Churchill too.

Mind you, he did get voted out in 1945!

With rather marvellous results IIRC Janos

He's been the best PM in my lifetime!!!

Leave him alone.

Can't wait to see who the media will choose as their next victim. Hopefully they'll deserve it. It makes my blood boil to see how bullied GB has been when the Tory party is full of racist, homophobic bigots. GB has done alot to make our society the tolerant, accepting place it is now.

Unelected prime minister is a strange phrase because we actually all vote for a member of parliament, not a prime minister.

Only the people of Fife and got to vote for a prime minister.

Well said mimizan

I didn't know that Builde. Is it one of those weird fiefdoms like the Channel Islands?

Best PM in your lifetime, Mimizan? How old are you? Four?

I think he left to retain his dignity, don't blame him.

Victorya - I suspect historians will be closer to Mimizan's view than yours. And I can just see scholars of the future drawing shaking their heads as they draw their conclusions over the media coverage of this election.

Victory- no I'm not 4 but my DD is, and I fear for her future under a Government ridden with Tory values.

Re GB's decision-making. He has made some of the best social policy decisions this country has seen since the formation of the welfare state. Sure start has made a major impact in improving the life chances of millions of children in the uk. GB was responsible for this, not to mention working family tax credit and the minimum wage.

I see him more as an intelligent thinker, than a manipulator.

I wasn't a GB supporter, but his speech brought a tear to my eye. Like woolworths, he'll perhaps only be missed once he's gone.

I wondered if he resigned early to force the Tories and Lib dems to cement the deal quickly for the stability of the country. Once Cameron was PM there was an extra oomph to get it done.

I felt sorry for Fraser and John. They have known Downing Street their whole lives. I wonder how their parents prepared them for these possibilities over the last few weeks? Equally for Nancy and Arthur life is going to change forever at an important time in their lives.

'He will go down in history as one of our very worst Prime Ministers'

That is your opinion however I actually believe he will be missed more than anyone can imagine right now. He was a thoroughly decent person who wanted to do the best for this country and not win a popularity contest. I personally would like to thank him for guiding us through the last couple of years, we wouldn't be coming out of this recession as well as we are without him.

I just hope that all his good work is not destroyed now he has gone.

I can't say that much here as I like being anonymous, but I have a good degree of 'insider' knowledge of Sure Start in a professional capacity. Although I'm sure it has done some good, much of it is spin and lies.

The idea of GB resigning for the stability of the country is laughable. If he were that bothered about the stability of the country, he wouldn't have been clinging on since last week. I think he realised that he was doing massive damage to the Labour party, and went because he didn't want the entire party to be tarred with his brush.

Surely MN isn't representative of the general population in its wilful blindness and fawning over GB?

VictoryA - Obviously, you don't have to answer this, and I'm sure you have explicated elsewhere but I haven't read it - but may I ask you why you are so angry about GB? I'm really, genuinely curious.

I'm angry about GB because:

He became PM by foul means (and I hated Blair, so I was glad to see him go - but not by duplicity).

He has lied, lied, lied, lied throughout his tenure (about improvements to the NHS, 16-y-os becoming cleverer every year, improved schools).

He has done nothing for SAH parents, carers of old people, or the self-employed (if you're self-employed, you qualify for practically nothing that's on offer to PAYE parents, even if you earn a pittance, as I do).

He didn't create the global economic situation, but he did so many things to make it far, far worse.

Above all, he is an ideologue of the most dour, rabid kind. I detest ideologies, particularly ones that put the state at the centre of the individual's life - which is what GB has tried to do almost from birth with the introduction of the EYFS, its extension to CMs etc, etc. Had he remained in power, I am quite sure that parents would have been inspected to see if they were following the EYFS.

They are just the first few things that come to mind!

Mimizan, you mention our society being tolerant and accepting thanks to GB. In the past week, as a Tory on MN, I have experienced intolerance, gross insults and bullying on a daily basis. It seems that one has to be tolerant and accepting of everyone so long as they don't vote Conservative. Fortunately I have a thick skin!

Thanks VictoryA.

Btw, are you a childminder? Just nosiness, really.

actually it is entirely true that the NHS is vastly better under Labour. How quickly people forget... under the Tories healthcare was rationed, basically by seeing who was still alive after two years. If by some miracle you were still around, congratulations, you could have heart surgery!

That's my experience under Labour, Edam.

Animula, no, I'm not a CM - but know of many people who are!

VictoryA I live in France where Gordon Brown is respected and admired for his handling of the economic crisis, not only with regards to the UK, but for the global role he played. In France, Brown and Darling are considered to have saved the UK's financial bacon through the economic decisions they have made during the crisis.

You are of the opinion that Brown has made the situation worse - is there a particular action of his that you have in mind when you say that? Genuine question, I'm intrigued by your POV.

I had thought of something that I am grateful for the labour part for.
Now I have forgotten it. Seriously.

Did you realise that GB was taken out of ordinary state school and went to a very selective academic school?

Sure start has also been shown to be failing the sections of society that it was set up to help.

The NHS has had billions of pound pumped in but the waste is huge. If you are on one of the target lists then you get treated fast if not you wait just as long as before!
It is still a post code lottery.

GB has personnally been at the center of social policy designed to make the individual dependant on the state.

If you want to find out more about GB then read GB, The Prime Minister by Tom Bower.
Very interesting.

The 'Birth to Three matter's is precisely that. It does matter-dosn't it? It is to ensure that the country has good childcare isn't it? That childcare, where ever it happens is quality childcare and SAFE childcare.

Just wondered whats wrong with that, not having a go, but surely that is a good thing? Why don't Child minders like it?