I do not claim any direct link between my declaration in Kirkcaldy that I was seeking nomination as a SNP Westminster candidate and fancied taking on Gordon Brown, and his subsequent decision to let the media know he intends to stand down and not fight! But it is an act of remarkable political cowardice from a man who so spectacularly promised No voters massive devolution of powers to the Scottish parliament. That Brown promise was given more publicity by the mainstream media than any other event in the entire referendum campaign. The fact that Brown never had any locus to deliver what he was promising was bound at some stage to become acutely embarrassing. He now escapes responsibility for the cynical lies of his pledges, by simply running away.
Brown was always a feartie. He was scared to stand against Tony Blair for leader, scared to call a general election early when he could have averted Labour’s electoral disaster. He was even scared to stick to his guns when for once he got something right and called that dreadful woman a bigot.
Brown contributed directly to the crippling poverty of millions by his disastrous deregulation of the City of London and years of giving the bankers everything they desired. Nor must we allow the mainstream media unchallenged to cement the lie that there was no alternative to trillions of pounds in grants and effective subsidies from taxpayers being given direct to the fatcat bankers, which have crippled the public finances for generations. Letting bad banks go bust and bad bankers go on the dole (or hopefully jump) was a far better option. Contrary to the Brown myth, world recession was not averted. It happened, massively. The only thing saved was the multi-million incomes of the people whose greed and stupidity had caused the collapse.
Brown remains the greatest friend the bankers ever had.
Brown and Darling lead a large phalanx of Labour MPs who realise their best career move is to transit to the benches of the House of Lords while the going is good, and start pocketing their 300 pounds a day allowance for doing nothing but hoovering up comfy directorships.
I fear that they will find that Scottish independence is coming sooner than they think and that gig will soon get cut short too.
As for Brown’s devolution promises, frankly I don’t give a damn about the Smith Commission. Holyrood control of income tax is meaningless if most other taxes are set in London. Fiscal autonomy can only work if Scotland is given all its taxes, including those from hydrocarbons and from whisky. That will never happen. Any tax and spend devolution which reserves oil and whisky taxes to the UK Treasury will be perverted by Westminster, to only result in further public spending cuts for Scotland. Besides, if Westminster can still send our children to fight and die in illegal wars, the money is immaterial.
Which brings us back to Gordon Brown. Remember not only did he first deregulate the bankers then give them huge transfers from poor families’ taxes, he backed Blair to the hilt over the invasion of Iraq. Without Brown’s support, Blair could not have done it, and hundreds of thousands would not have died – nor would we have ISIS and linked chaos now.
Brown is an evil man.
Glenn_uk
No game on my side, I assure you. I was just wondering what yours was… 🙂
@ Habbabkuk: Not yourself, I was talking about the mysterious correspondent who popped up here to defend Brown.
I have to admit, there are comments on that 2013 entry from myself that wax on about Brown a bit too warmly too.
“May I point out that the description on your second sentence would exactly fit a large number of other commenters on this blog. Commenters who are invariably negative (about the UK, the US, the West, the EU, the Ukrainian govt….), who are obsessive to the point of continually taking posts off-topic, and who are not exactly forthcoming about who they are (some have shown themselves pretty paranoid about their identity, come to think about it).”
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Here we go the inspector Clouseau, is on the case lets see what happened the last time he came up with his barmy alias theories ah yes, the buffoon had his comments deleted.
It would appear, he and his sidekicks have mounted a concerted attack on Craig.
Not as nice as he looks, David Mellor. The vainglorious former Tory Cabinet minister turned broadcaster is again in the mire.
The target of his sneering rudeness this time was a London taxi driver who failed to treat Mr Mellor with the respect he felt he deserved.
In the course of a five-mile journey, Mr Mellor swore at the driver repeatedly, boasted about his achievements and belittled the man for his comparatively low standing.
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Between the pompus git above and the condescending muppet Emily Thornberry, Westminster over the years has produced seriously flawed, egotistical panjandrums.
Throw in the fat greedy B*stards in the House of Lords, and top the cake with the biggest sponging beggars of all the Royals, and you have recipe for national discontent.
I don’t think Brown is evil and I will not be pushed into hating him.
Yesterday we were supposed to hate Theresa May and this morning to hate a load of people who work for a charity for giving an award to someone we are supposed to hate.
Seems like the world is full of people trying to manipulate people by manipulating their negative emotions. The world would be a better place without them.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee said it was “essential” for Congress to pass new Iran sanctions now that a deadline for nuclear talks has been extended.
“Congress delayed enacting additional sanctions over the past year to give negotiations a chance,” AIPAC said in a statement Monday after the world powers and Iran announced in Vienna that talks would be extended until June 30.
“It is now essential that Congress take up new bipartisan sanctions legislation to let Tehran know that it will face much more severe pressure if it does not clearly abandon its nuclear weapons program,” the pro-Israel lobbying group said. “We urge Congress to play its traditional and critical role to ensure that a final agreement truly eliminates any path for Iran to build a nuclear weapon.”
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.628370?
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The usual long winded droning from AIPAC, President Rouhani must be laughing up his sleeve at that lot.
I’m not going to hate Jews either.
Israel has threatened to arrest the Palestinian activists who post anti-Israeli remarks on Facebook, Press TV reports.
In the latest wave of crackdown on Palestinian activists, Tel Aviv has vowed to take legal against those who post anti-Israeli remarks on Facebook.
Last week, 32-year-old Mahmoud Asila from the Old City of al-Quds was arrested for what the Israeli regime called incitement and spreading violent propaganda.
He is accused of posting a picture in support of recent car attacks carried out by Palestinians against Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.
Asila has taken responsibility for his Facebook post, saying it is part of his freedom of speech.
Following Asila’s arrest, Palestinian activists lashed out at Israel’s restrictive measures to stifle freedom of speech in social networks including Facebook.
“The international law and the four Geneva conventions state that no government has the right to arrest people for their ideas or for what they publish on their pages. But Israel, which is not respecting any international law, of course will be preventing freedom of speech, especially in Jerusalem al-Quds, to keep controlling the city and humans leading the youth,” Bassem Eid, a human rights activist, told the Press TV correspondent.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/11/26/387548/israel-to-nab-online-palestine-activists/
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Hmm I wonder if this is a two way street, don’t be daft what was I thinking.
“I’m not going to hate Jews either.”
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Since we’re spreading the love Fred, I’m not going to hate sheep, hows that, nor goats nor pigs, or even chickens, spread the love.
(I Haven’t had my Tea Yet – and You May Think its Early For Christmas shopping…but don’t leave it to the last)
Janet, you see or as not as the case can be…I wanted The New Camera For Myself…(I have tested the two best versions I could find for a reasonable price)..but My Daughter is a Totally Brilliant Photographer and She has nearly given it up and just does photos of herself and her friends and puts them up on Facebook..and well she ain’t been too well…
But I am trying to drag her out of a pit of Despair…Brilliant Education…in One of The Very Best Places to Go For an Education In England…Its just as Beautiful as Oxford and Cambridge…But Has an Even Longer History…
So it’s For Her.
Its Brand New (well a few years old – they don’t make the same Quality now)
I’ve Tested the Rest – and asked Her…which one do you want?
She’s a Very Clever Girl
It hasn’t arrived yet.
My Daughter is Going To Open It
(It Really Is The Best SLR)
And it is a Few Years Old
And It is Brand New With a One Year Guarantee…it seems they held a few back for a few years for the really Angelic Photographers…
She is Coming Back at You…and It’s Brand New…(well it ain’t that old..well a bit)
What do you want Bowie or The Kids???
Its the Same Song and They Look The Same
Rebel Rebel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma_mM4rwziE
Tony
Fred sounds like he wants to be led.
This blog reflects Craigs point of view,and you are permitted to take it any way you like.
I dont believe he is trying to brain wash us into hating people Fred,not even you.
Now this is fun
http://blogs.channel4.com/gary-gibbon-on-politics/scottish-labour-despair/29709
Excellent,sounds like Westminster piggies have taken their snouts out of the trough long enough to smell the coffee.Let’s hope their fears are for real.
Craig : “Now this is fun”
The Rev Stuart Campbell has been enjoying the joke too, and has posted this hilarious clip of the 3 contenders for Scottish Labour leader being interviewed on whether they agree with the national Labour party’s decision to back 100 per cent devolution of income tax to Holyrood.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/eliminating-uncertainty/
Hilarious. Conservative Home produced this piece in the Guardian.
What Gordon Brown got right as prime minister
The Guardian-8 hours ago
‘Gordon Brown probably was as bad as most people thought – but even he did some things right.’
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/26/what-gordon-brown-got-right-prime-minister
Were you a human guinea-pig for genetically modified black pudding?
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tony_opmoc Ziggy Starburst • in a few seconds
Nah, I was a The Kid From Oldham Who Past The Tests..And Got In…
I pissed myself laughing when I read Alan Sugar’s Book..at least he tried hard…but he was not There…I Was.
They all copied us 10 years later..but we were not doing it for money..we were doing it to make it work
And we did..we were the first with the modern Digital Computer..and then we came up with The Distributed Array Processor in Ashton-U-Lyne Oldham..and they asked me to test it…
It thought it in Papreele Like The Human Brain as they asked me to Test it against The Biggest Cray in The World..
So I Did, Got Fired and Went Diving
Tony
Fred
“I don’t think Brown is evil and I will not be pushed into hating him.
Yesterday we were supposed to hate Theresa May and this morning to hate a load of people who work for a charity for giving an award to someone we are supposed to hate.
Seems like the world is full of people trying to manipulate people by manipulating their negative emotions. The world would be a better place without them.”
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Never mind the world, Fred, you’ll find all the haters you’ll ever wish to find right here on this blog.
Unfortunately.
Listen here to members of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee telling David Babbs of 38 Degrees what he can and what he cannot say on the subject of TTIP. Outrageous.
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=16584 10.45 in.
@Tony_Opmoc: I don’t think you’re crazy re Boston ‘Bombings’, and Chris Spivey makes a lotta sense (pity he can’t ease up on the French).
@Lysias: Your post about the Surrey Comet may seem OT at first glance, but your post is extremely relevant to Governance in Scotland: to wit, the case of Hollie Greig (see website ‘Hollie Demands Justice’); allegedly abused by a Scottish Sheriff (Judge) and many others, her case has been abysmally handled, with accused not even being questioned (though Hollie was given a State payment for the ‘alleged’ abuse!), flagrant malpractice by the police and courts, and a blatant cover-up, including by a previous Soliicitor General and Lord Advocate (who has now been given a post as a Principal at one of Oxford’s colleges).
There are things which are more important than budgets, and even Sovereignty: wars, where working people are sent of to kill and be potentially killed (though with modern high-tech, the ratio is skewed way in favour of the aggressor), and child abuse, including torture and murder.
I hope Craig familiarizes his self with the case of Hollie Greig, and joins the campaign to get her justice.
Even after Hollie and her mother fled to England, to escape the Scottish system, the English police carried on the harassment; just like in Hilton Tims’ (Surrey Comet) case, the Establishment puts in the frighteners, no matter which ‘Tweedle-Dee, Tweedle-Dum’ ‘party’ is involved; because they ALL have skeletons in the cupboard (that’s largely why the Cray’s got away with their abominations for so long – they not only paid off high and low levels of the police, they also had the dope on very high-level child abusing politicians and Lords).
According to ‘The Seeker’, Gordon Brown is also a paedophile (which would make him very ‘evil’ indeed!). I am just quoting ‘The Seeker’; to my knowledge, Brown has not sued for defamation.
O/T re: David Mellor
Kelvin Mackenzie calls David Mellor an “absolute ocean-going idiot” apparently.
Praise from Caesar is praise indeed.
Kind regards, John
Wasn’t Fred infamous for his ‘f… off and die retard’ posts on previous threads?
“Never mind the world, Fred, you’ll find all the haters you’ll ever wish to find right here on this blog.”
Unfortunately.
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Oh pass me a hankie, your new found philosophical approach has made me all misty eyed. Confucius hasn’t got a look in.
“Not as nice as he looks, David Mellor. The vainglorious former Tory Cabinet minister turned broadcaster is again in the mire.”
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Do you think he looks nice, RepublicIfScorn? I don’t, but there you go, strange people, strange tastes, as the saying goes!
I think you are nicer than you sound – at least, I sincerely hope so. 🙂
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“The target of his sneering rudeness this time was a London taxi driver who failed to treat Mr Mellor with the respect he felt he deserved.
In the course of a five-mile journey, Mr Mellor swore at the driver repeatedly, boasted about his achievements and belittled the man for his comparatively low standing.”
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Funnily enough, BBC radio did a piece on this, from which it emerged (after interviewing a number of London taxi drivers) that (1) all of them were philosophical about passengers who turn out to be difficult, (2) several of them claimed familiarity with Mr Mellor (as a client) and had found him rather pleasant, (3) all of them felt that the behaviour of the taxdriver who recorded M Mellor and went off with to the newspaper with the “story” was reprehensible.
So there you go, RzepublicOfThePeople – sorry to have spoilt your fun!
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“Throw in the fat greedy B*stards in the House of Lords”
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This is the second time you’ve used “fat greedy B*stards” in as many days. Has this replaced “droopy chops” as your insult of choice?
“Paul Barbara”
“According to ‘The Seeker’, Gordon Brown is also a paedophile (which would make him very ‘evil’ indeed!). I am just quoting ‘The Seeker’; to my knowledge, Brown has not sued for defamation.”
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This tendency to accuse every politician and his uncle of being a paedophile reminds me a little of the hysteria at the time of the Profumo affair, when as many as seven High Court judges were rumoured to have been attending orgies with call girls galore.
My own view, “Paul Barbara”, is that Gordon Brown is as much a paedophile as you are – no more and no less.
What say you?
Republicofscotland
“By the way, did you hear the news item on BBC radio this evening about the £100.000 contract awarded by Stormont to a firm of consultants run by… two Sinn Fein MPs? Apparently the work was never carried out.”
______________
Did you?
“Wasn’t Fred infamous for his ‘f… off and die retard’ posts on previous threads?”
Why do you attack me Mary?
That’s right, that’s called flaming.
I do that because there are so many people on this blog who will attack the person rather than the argument.
Like you do, like you just did.
Do you understand now. You and people like you turn every discussion ito a cess pit
Thanks Habba – I really don’t care about Craig’s comments – if he wants to accuse people of being cowards and evil, on the flimsiest of premise and isn’t prepared to handle criticism using language that is no more robust than his own then as a self professed liberal he has more problems than he is prepared to admit.
I’ve already explained before why I maintain my anonymity – which is probably the same reason as why most people in paid employment here do likewise. And anyway I suspect some people here have already rumbled my identity if my mail is anything to go by – they know who they are, and they will need a lot of help when I find out.
Since we are now receiving quotes from the Truth Seeker in the interest of balances may I refer everyone to Rationalwiki’s list of webshites – aka as the favourites page for many here.
Oh FFS Craig Murray..what are You Doing???
Well Take as a Zero = The Place You Were Born..Both You and Me…ENGLAND
Yes Most of My Mum’s Relations Came From Scotland and My Dad’s North Yorkshire and North Western France…
Us English are Supposed to Continue Stealing Scotland’s Oil…
What Side Are You Batting For..and all Your Globalisation stuff..Get Real…
Are You English or What?
Have you ever Shagged a Scottish Girl??
I don’t think I have, but I may have come close.
My Wife and I got Married in Scotland.
Tony (Oldham)
Tpny_Opmoc
“Have you ever Shagged a Scottish Girl??
I don’t think I have, but I may have come close.
My Wife and I got Married in Scotland.”
_____________________
Sincere congratulations on both counts, Tony.
And keep a-jizzin’ !