[Archived] Election

[JAL]

Well done to Gordon Brown, hes just finished himself as the prime minister and the scandulous new labour party

One down two more to go just the Tories and the BNP to go and hopefully then the country can rid itself of these shameful people.

[JAL]

Which party sets out to cap house prices and restrict owners from only owning enough properties that tally's with the number of immediate family members and no more.

This one would certainly get me interested.

[Sparky Marky]

Brown sped straight to the BBC Radio studios to apologise over the airwaves, but they sprung the recording onto him and he looked a tired and beaten man....it was like he'd been shot and then he sat there with his head in his hands...very interesting body language.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Brown sped straight to the BBC Radio studios to apologise over the airwaves, but they sprung the recording onto him and he looked a tired and beaten man....it was like he'd been shot and then he sat there with his head in his hands...very interesting body language.

That image might do more damage than the actual comments, looks a broken man.

[adopted scouser]

Clegg or Cameron as PM is the political equivalent of Paul Ince as manager of BRFC and likely to end in the same disaster.

That would make the leader of your party the equivalent of Ron Atkinson then.

One eyed gulping grinning idiot calls a voter a bigot

Are you going to defend this or go quiet for a bit as usual ?

[LeChuck]

That would make the leader of your party the equivalent of Ron Atkinson then.

One eyed gulping grinning idiot calls a voter a bigot

Are you going to defend this or go quiet for a bit as usual ?

Just a little OTT! Plus I don't get the Ron Atkinson comparison.

As long as people don't swing from Labour to Tory over this then I'll be happy.

[adopted scouser]

Just a little OTT! Plus I don't get the Ron Atkinson comparison.

As long as people don't swing from Labour to Tory over this then I'll be happy.

Not really mate, Jimbo forever whining on about how bloody awful the tories are, the Brown slags off a member of the public.

He has been royally 'found out', hilarious.

Ron Atkinson = Microphone left on

[Sparky Marky]

Labour are finished and good riddance...!! Too long have the lazy and stupid of this country been rewarded with high benefits for doing bugger all and contributing bugger all...once upon a time you could tell who was unemployed...nowadays they've all got the latest kit, flat screens etc....that's labour for you....they've bred a generation of people who are career benefit earners...having more kids to qualify for more child tax credit....Its a scandal.!!!

There's no reward for doing better in life with labour...they want everyone to be the same....

[LeChuck]

Not really mate, Jimbo forever whining on about how bloody awful the tories are, the Brown slags off a member of the public.

He has been royally 'found out', hilarious.

Ron Atkinson = Microphone left on

Not sure everyone will see it that way. Cameron would obviously never fall into that trap because he's a slippy, greasy, creepy, slime ball. Showing a bit of a human side instead of a robotic politician isn't necessarily the disaster you're making out.

Trying not to generalise here, but a woman from Rochdale ranting about immigration probably is a bigot...

Thanks for the Atkinson clear up, I got confused and thought you meant he was racist.

[jim mk2]

That would make the leader of your party the equivalent of Ron Atkinson then.

One eyed gulping grinning idiot calls a voter a bigot

Are you going to defend this or go quiet for a bit as usual ?

From what I've read the PM is correct. The woman is a bigot.

Are you going to contribute something worthwhile instead of your usual snide remarks ?

[adopted scouser]

Not sure everyone will see it that way. Cameron would obviously never fall into that trap because he's a slippy, greasy, creepy, slime ball. Showing a bit of a human side instead of a robotic politician isn't necessarily the disaster you're making out.

Trying not to generalise here, but a woman from Rochdale ranting about immigration probably is a bigot...

Wow, you're as bad as him ! You Labour types don't half stick together

[berkshireblue]

From what I've read the PM is correct. The woman is a bigot.

Are you going to contribute something worthwhile instead of your usual snide remarks ?

Pot kettle black

[adopted scouser]

From what I've read the PM is correct. The woman is a bigot.

Are you going to contribute something worthwhile instead of your usual snide remarks ?

[broadsword]

Not sure everyone will see it that way. Cameron would obviously never fall into that trap because he's a slippy, greasy, creepy, slime ball. Showing a bit of a human side instead of a robotic politician isn't necessarily the disaster you're making out.

Trying not to generalise here, but a woman from Rochdale ranting about immigration probably is a bigot...

Thanks for the Atkinson clear up, I got confused and thought you meant he was racist.

Sounds like you're looking through red-tinted spectacles.

Cameron not making a gaffe in public means he's a slippery eel, that's uncalled for. Brown making a gaffe means he is showing his human side, that's pathetic. And then you generalise to say that anyone from Rochdale concerned about immigration is a bigot - that's outrageous.

You sound like a labour supporter who's upset that they're on their way out and you're striking out at any target you can hit.

For my money, Gordon Brown is someone who's gone into politics for public service, not the pursuit of power. That means that, unlike Blair, he lacks the common touch and the political skill to connect with people and win them over. That's partly why Labour have been doing so poorly in the polls. I feel a bit sorry for him, because he's taken a right kicking, but soldiers on as though it's business as usual.

I don't think Cameron's any more slippy than any other politician, I don't think Brown calling someone a bigot and being heard on the airwaves doing so will prove to be any sort of boon to his popularity, and I can't believe that people in Rochdale are any more bigoted than elsewhere.

However, I found your post ill-thought through and very biased.

[jim mk2]

[LeChuck]

AS - way wide of the mark, I haven't decided who to vote for yet, but it won't be Labour.

I just hate the sensationalist manner in which supporters of other parties point score from things like this.

It's yet another problem with British politics. This could potentially cost more votes than anything in their manifesto...yet has absolutely no significance to anything. It's pathetic really, as adults we should be able to forgive moments of frustration that happen in (what he thought was...) private.

[Tris]

Trying not to generalise here, but a woman from Rochdale ranting about immigration probably is a bigot...

Oh dear!

She's a lifelong Labour voter who finished their civilised conversation on several issues (there was certainly no ranting) by saying she would vote Labour again and hoped he'd still be PM, talking about her grandchildren and congratulating him on his education policy! I think you need to watch the TV pictures before you dig yourself in any deeper.

"That was a disaster - they should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? It's just ridiculous..."

Ignoring the bigot comment for a moment, this bit is perhaps more revealing. The "get out and meet real people" campaign tactic is exposed as a massive stage-managed sham ... and the PM is a liability if he's not in total control. Further illustrated by the dreadful head in hands interview which followed when Jeremy Vine played the tape back to him.

Mandelson has kicked the damage limitation exercise into top gear, but it won't have much effect as the ship is holed below the waterline now.

[Rovermatt]

Not sure everyone will see it that way. Cameron would obviously never fall into that trap because he's a slippy, greasy, creepy, slime ball. Showing a bit of a human side instead of a robotic politician isn't necessarily the disaster you're making out.

Trying not to generalise here, but a woman from Rochdale ranting about immigration probably is a bigot...

That's hardly a fair accusation. Being concerned about immigration, no matter what part of the country you come from, does not necessarily make you a bigot.

This only plays into the theory held by certain people that New Labour is a nest of PC-crazed elitists who view the working class with a certain pitying disdain.

[broadsword]

That's hardly a fair accusation. Being concerned about immigration, no matter what part of the country you come from, does not necessarily make you a bigot.

This only plays into the theory held by certain people that New Labour is a nest of PC-crazed elitists who view the working class with a certain pitying disdain.

Spot on that man.

[LeChuck]

Sounds like you're looking through red-tinted spectacles.

Honestly, I'm not voting Labour. It's the principle of it, in relation to everything that will be said and done in this election, it means nothing...yet will probably make more headlines and swing more votes than anything.

That's hardly a fair accusation. Being concerned about immigration, no matter what part of the country you come from, does not necessarily make you a bigot.

Oh dear!

She's a lifelong Labour voter who finished their civilised conversation on several issues (there was certainly no ranting) by saying she would vote Labour again and hoped he'd still be PM, talking about her grandchildren and congratulating him on his education policy! I think you need to watch the TV pictures before you dig yourself in any deeper.

Fair enough, I should try not to wade in before seeing things...so I'll retract that bit.

I'm not changing my mind about the rest though, yet.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Brown on his way back to Rochdale to apologise in person. Going to be interesting to see her reaction when he turns up, the media are bound to cover it.

[broadsword]

Honestly, I'm not voting Labour. It's the principle of it, in relation to everything that will be said and done in this election, it means nothing...yet will probably make more headlines than anything.

It's the way the game's played! It's sad, but true, and I can't see it ever changing.

It doesn't take much to play the game properly. Gordon Brown's never been very image-conscious, has always been focussed on "getting on with the job" and has not really ever been too fussed with public image. It was a daft mistake to make, especially for a politician at the top of the ladder. A greater contrast with the control-freak "on-message" Blair couldn't be found.

This, probably more than anything else, will be his downfall. We live in the era of the soundbite, of the image-conscious politicians. Why do you think Lib Dems binned Ming? Cos he looked old and knackered. It's not so much about policy detail, convictions, integrity (although it helps not to get caught), intellectual rigour as it is about sounding convincing, emoting, capturing the mood of the nation, being youthful (look who Brown is up against) and energetic. But most of all, not giving the impression that you'd make an imperial cock-up of the economy (because people most of all are concerned with their own cash).

Brown thinks he doesn't have to play the game, but he does. This is his great undoing. You wouldn't have caught Cameron doing that.

[Tris]

Brown on his way back to Rochdale to apologise in person. Going to be interesting to see her reaction when he turns up, the media are bound to cover it.

But hang on that can't be right ...

the PM is correct. The woman is a bigot.

Gordon Brown AND jim mk2 can't both be wrong surely ... can they??

I bet Brown's the only one who actually retracts his comments and apologises though!!

[adopted scouser]

Ok, an explanation for the use of that emoticon for the hard of learning.

You of all people, accusing someone of making snide remarks.

Hoisted by your own wotsit, cloth head.

[berkshireblue]

Brown's reaction to the genuine concerns of this lady is an expression of his patronising contempt for the ordinary person on the street and probably, many more. In little less than 30 seconds he moved from oily flattering of her familial roots to downright insulting. It is the mark of the man - close-minded, humourless, arrogant, proud.