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Why isn't this article protected? Turk brown 11:50, 27 June 2007 (UTC)
What is the source for the 'recent' poll showing the public prefer blair, and how recent is it? Times change... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.232.249.153 (talk • contribs)
http://www.icmresearch.co.uk/reviews/2007/Guardian%20March/guardian-mar-2007.asp - March 2007 poll by ICM for the Guardian; Labour support drops from 31% to 28% when presented with a 'Brown as leader' scenario. http://www.yougov.com/archives/pdf/TEL070101006_1.pdf - March 2007 poll by YouGov for the Daily Telegraph. Given a direct Blair or Brown choice, 35% prefer Blair, 25% prefer Brown, 40% don't know.
A recent poll in the South showed that 100% of voters would prefer a General Election to a Party Leadership Contest.
Is (or was) Gordon Brown a member of the [[]]? He is listed as such on that article , but there's no mention of it on this article. The Co-operative Party website has a quote from him on the main page, but he's not listed on the Parliamentary Representation page [1]. --Vclaw 23:29, 11 October 2005 (UTC)
Has anybody read his book The Paper on Scotland? I haven't yet, but I heard it advocates the nationalization of all industries, and essentially making Scotland a communist state. This is quite unsettling news if true. It is like that book A Very British Coup (I have a copy of that book here). We should note that Communism and Socialism are more than "looking out for the common man"; they are totalitarian ideologies which aim to take away individual freedom.
I am a moderate liberal, but if I were a Brit I would have voted Conservative (Tory) in that last election, mainly to punish the Labour party for the war in Iraq, but also because it sounds like Brown is a communist. Hopefully MI5 is keeping an eye on him. --Brian (same American who made comments on the iTV discussion) 71.116.106.31 23:56, 28 January 2006 (UTC)
He was a socialist at uni. So were half the tory front bench. get over it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.232.249.153 (talk • contribs)
Gordon Brown is not only a pure capitalist and a Tory he also a Thatcherite just as Blair was before him. SmokeyTheCat 10:56, 17 May 2007 (UTC)
BROWN IS NO COMMUNIST - if anything he is a British nationalist in the mold os Oswald Mosley - semi-fascist may be more accurate considering recent statements on curtailing civil liberties, 'British Day' and his attitude toward minorities!
Incidentally, why is absolutely no mention made of his recent refusal to congratulate his political enemy Alex Salmond on political success in Scotland? Brown is a fraud, a trickster and a spinner-extraordinare. He should have to go to the country and cant just inherit the post of PM especially when Blair promised the electorate he would serve a full third term in 2005!
Brown "cultivated a dour and even miserly air"???? Why would any politician, especially one with designs on the top job, "cultivate" such a public persona? He was seen by many as possessing those characteristics, but that's far removed from intentionally acting so as to give that impression. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.153.219.170 (talk • contribs)
Is GB asthmatic or does he have some other breathing problem? Does anyone know why he has to gasp for breathe all the time? 80.176.129.249 12:20, 16 March 2006 (UTC)
True, his BMI and plethoric face would place him in the 'clinically obese' range according to NHS Direct information.
He used to be a smoker, as you can tell by his voice. (DaveyJones1968 18:52, 8 June 2007 (UTC))
This article seems to be attracting a lot of playful vandalism. Is there any proof whatsoever for the line about wanting to be a burglar? Gabriel R 15:59, 20 April 2006 (UTC)
Can we please remove the comment about the prosthetic eye until someone comes up with conclusive proof?
Brown's April 20, 2006 remarks were characterized as "Green" by the BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4924656.stm - 201.78.233.162 00:21, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
This article mentions a few times, as is reported in the media frequently as well, the 'rifts' or differences between GB and Tony Blair. Perhaps someone with more expertise, time, and drive than I could expand on such rifts in a new section? Crunk 20:42, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
Why aren't the references/notes, and external links, and info/succession boxes showing?--AladdinSE 04:00, 8 September 2006 (UTC)
A paragraph should be written on the increase in UK house prices presided over by this "most successful" Chancellor. The average UK home now costs eight times average income. Cost of living expenses have also rocketed. Great economic policy.
Hear Hear - First time buyers are in hell thanks to this fifer! GOrdon Brown has been a great chancellor for .....Gordon Brown. In 10 years of Governemtn office he has gone from being wealthy to being a millionaire. Whilst ruining the pensions of hundreds of thousands, his own 'pension pot' has grown to about £4,000,000 - in addition to his 'blind' trusts et alia.
The fact that the economy is the strongest that it's been in years is completely irrelevant?
Is there a suitable place in this article to mention Brown's 1999 Sabhal Mòr Lecture? Perhaps in the context of his views on multiculturalism and pluralism? --Doric Loon 21:11, 12 September 2006 (UTC)
To woo the economic power house that is The City, Mr Brown gave the Bank of England Indepedence. Or did he? The majority of currently serving members of the MPC were appointed to the panel by Mr Brown himself! I won't mention the four billion pound disasterous Gold Sale (or the subsequent purchase of foreign currencies such as the free falling dollar). The tax credits that are SO complex not even the treasury can understand there operation, creating a sucession of £2billion overpayments per annum. An endless barrage of tax hikes across the middle class from energy tax, insurance premium tax, national insurance tax, stamp duty tax etc etc etc resulting in the UK Treasury taking over 42% of our GDP which is now more than Germany whilst UK workers are struggling with the cheap East European labour markets many being taxed at a simple 15% flat rate! Oh i suppose i should mention the extra £20 Billion investment into the beleagured NHS resulting in a productivity gain of just 2%. I'm sure we are all happy to see our tax money so well invested!
Furtive or Incompetant? Somehow he manages both! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rmgilbert (talk • contribs)
Thank you for your response:) Most Anglo Saxon economies have performed admirably even without the added boost to growth that leaving the ERM gave the UK so it is not entirely correct to argue that Gordon Brown is responsible. As for a flat rate simple tax being regressive then yes a can of baked beans will cost the same for both a pauper and a King, however history has shown us that lowering of direct taxation results in increased revenues and simplifying the process would allow the increased revenues to be better invested, ultimately to the benefit of all classes. Regarding your comments on public sector productivity i agree that not having a homogenous product it is difficult to accurately gauge productivity however the impact of him increasing both taxation and regulation has meant that UK cannot compete with global competition leaving no doubt that under Gordon Browns "leadership" the public sector productivity has been appalling at best.
This policy was in fact endorsed by the late John Smith MP - Brown's predecessor as Shadow Chancellor and Blair's predecessor as Leader of The Labour Party - as part of the process of entering the Euro-zone, a policy which both John Smith and Blair had favoured as did the Liberals. It was also supported by the then Governor of The Bank of England (Eddie George)and also by Brown's Conservative predecessor as Chancellor Kenneth Clark. The policy was also advocated by Will Hutton in "The State We're In".
Gordon Brown as Chancellor launched his New Deal for the unemployed in Wellgate Job Centre in Dundee, Scotland in January 1998. Also in the Job Centre that day were the Secretary of State for Scotland (Donald Dewar MP) and Scottish Office Industry Minister (Brian Wilson MP) - neither of whom had been entrusted with devolved powers over job search policy. Gordon Brown's determination to keep these powers in Whitehall was subsequently reflected in Schedule 5 of The Scotland Act - which established a Parliament in Edinburgh.
New Deal failed on Day One in Dundee - despite HM Treasury protestations to the contrary and subsequent claims of success by Chancellor Brown. Not only was this recruitment premium scheme mistargetted on Day One at the 18-25 year old age cohort, neglecting older age groups, but Brown had it seems forgotten that similar but less coercive and much better designed recruitment premium schemes had been operated throughout the 1980's in many parts of Scotland and including Tayside, Strathclyde and his own constituency area of Fife, under a Conservative Government. These schemes were delivered by Scottish Regional Councils using money from the European Union - and in the case of Strathclyde Region's Employment Grants Scheme, were famously advertised by actor Robbie Coltrane who dressed up as Louis 16th and urged West of Scotland employers to "get your applications in - before the cutoff date!" These schemes were chopped by Gordon Brown in favour of a variant of American-style 'workfare'.
The other big surprise on Day One of Gordon Brown's 'New Deal' launch in the Wellgate Job Centre in Dundee was the conspicuous absence of job vacancies, apart from the large poster advertising "Jobs Outwith Tayside Region" in The Black Watch (now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan but then deployed in Kosovo). When unemployed job applicants in the New Deal queue asked the politicians present about the "Executive and Professional Vacancies Job Register", civil servants jumped in to explain that this had "been privatised in 1984 - and ceased to exist in 1989". It subequently also emerged that the Careers Advice Service for the unemployed in Scotland at the time of the New Deal launch by Gordon Brown was fragmented between around seventy different agencies. This had not apparently been noticed by Brown and his colleagues in Whitehall. It then took the Scottish Parliament around 3 years to create Careers Scotland.
GB has no criticism section. Cameron's and Blair's, on the other hand, are extensive. Of course Brown is a Labour, and not a Conservative, politician, but that would in no way have anything to do with this oversight, would it. It's time. I'll start when I can. longlivefolkmusic 03:18, 2 February 2007 (UTC)
I added what is fact, after all it is my money being wasted on a country that does not do any thing for the UK. The UK TAX payers money should be used in UK matters and not rebuilding iraq.—Preceding unsigned comment added by Newtownards (talk • contribs) 16:05, 16 February 2007
So the BBC is not good for you.
I agree with Isotope and Viewfinder, if you want a criticism section, it needs to be reference from reliable sources and should present a balanced, objective approach, in line with other biographies on living persons. On a different matter, I wonder how much the ongoing event template will be in the prospects of succeding Blair section, its been there a while now! LordHarris 18:09, 25 February 2007 (UTC)Londo06 06:09, 4 April 2007 (UTC)
The Gordon Brown page clearly needs something with regards to the savaging of the middle classes under Gordon Brown. It could be shown as a reason why the Labour party is unlikely to retain power in the next general election.
Gordon Brown's tax raid on Pension Funds and the ensuing decimation of Final Salary pensions schemes certainly needs addressing in this biography until then it just reads like an puff piece from the some old Labour lag at the Guardian. Pretty disgraceful really.
After Labour did particularly badly in the 3rd may Elections Gordon Brown did his usual Missing In Action trick. No wonder he is now known as McCavity.
Article implies Brown saying people applying for citizenship should be required to do some community work. Article says this is what criminals get in the UK, and the rest of that section has a sarcastic tone, I'm going to change it, it may also be original research to compare what he says to community service which is what criminals get.Merkinsmum 12:03, 13 March 2007 (UTC)
I was told I was performing TOO MUCH Voluntary Work recently, and refused benefits unless I dropped my commitments below a certain number of hours a week - difficult when working for MIND and The Samaritans, but certainly this attitude, and failing to audit the number of people recieving 'JobSeekers' Allowance' certainly keeps the Unemployement figures artificially low!
Isn't Mr. Brown's correct full name "James Fat Gordon Brown"? Can anyone clarify this?
During prime ministers question time Brown was on camera. He picked his nose and ate the snot three times. After this he wiped his hand on his tie. This occured in the week prior to the 25th of March 2007.
It is available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwgTvM1DtQo
No he is picking his nose and eating snot.
Highcount. 11:25, 10 May 2007 (UTC)
There has been a rumour for many years of a picture held by the press of Gordon Brown on a rocking horse naked apart from a diaper (nappy). There has apparently been a tacit agreement by the press not to release the photograph. Can anyone confirm this?
If anyone in the Press had such a picture it would be instantly published. At various times I have heard a copy is held by Peter Mandelson or by John Prescott.
What did Brown teach when he was in glasgow and edinburgh working as a lecturer?? I think this should be added to the article. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 84.43.98.89 (talk) 15:06, 4 May 2007 (UTC).
I agree with this, I think it is important to know what he taught in Glasgow College of Technology... which after a lot of searching on their web site... appears to be 'Politics'. link GCU Press Release Quote: "...the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, who taught Politics at the then Glasgow College of Technology says in his message..."
193.195.0.102 09:12, 13 May 2007 (UTC)
Is there a source that Gordon Brown is still church of scotland? If so, it should certainly be in the article - Brown's Father's calvinist christianity is frequently cited in the media etc as the source of his morality and thus view on politics etc, making it relevant to him as a figure. However, do we know that he personally still practises? TJ 16:36, 8 May 2007 (UTC)
I disagree with the statement above - this was not due to losing the middle classe (as shown by the decline of the Conservative bi-election) but a loss of its traditional working class vote.
I feel this should be changed, but can't find a source to back up the fact that it was a loss of its traditional support. Davidprior 07:13, 10 May 2007 (UTC)
I presume a new section on the coming Labour Leadership race will be needed - the article looks a little out of date today, given that Brown is formally running for the Premiership. Does anyone have adequate neutral editing priviledges to write such a section? Helen-Eva 11:02, 11 May 2007 (UTC)