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What could Gordon Brown do to make himself popular?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
It's pretty clear Gordon Brown is going down at the next election the way things stand at present.

What laws could he pass to make himself more popular?

Personally I think anything positive related to car ownership would be a good start..

Starting with getting rid of private wheel clampers.
We even have wheel clampers at our local post office depot - they wait for people who have a card put in their door saying come collect your package at our depot and as soon as they go in they get clamped.
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm reminded of the line from Blackadder -

    "Well, his resignation and suicide might be a start..."

    The former, perhaps not the later...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When I read the post title I couldnt help laughing. Good question. I think if anyone knew the answer they could make millions at the bookies. :D

    With unemployment growing and the job centres full of people (who look clueless because their not used to being there), I even wonder if there is any point in job seekers. Especially after MP's spending the taxed money they *used* to earn on swimming pools, 12 grand on gardening (applying to one mp).. the list goes on...

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8109933.stm

    There was a page showing a list of the mp's dodgy expenses but it got too big it has been replaced by a postcode search on the bbc. It is beyond belief what can be done for any MP to become popular :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Do something to bring house prices down and stop acting like the government is powerless to intervene in the housing market and banking system going in the wrong direction.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bring house prices DOWN? Most people are already in negative equity.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I know but at the same time if you haven't already got a house you've no chance of being able to afford one now (or so it seems from my point of view)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Most? Those in negative equity only have themselves to blame for getting mugged off over an obsession with owning their own home. Lower house prices (more houses) could only be a good thing, you despise BTL landlords right?

    I'd definately vote Labour if Brown immolated himself (with fire) on the tele.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was lucky to buy a home years ago when they were 1/4 of the price. I cant imagine how I'd feel if I was a recent buyer. It's all a bloody mess. I really can't see how anything can improve... i also have to consider house prices falling so maybe i should sell right now. Point I'm trying to make is that there seems to be no easy answer for anyone, that's the impression I get. Is it possible to actually get good advice for damage limitation, because nooone know how bad/good things will get - because they cant predict what's going to happen with the market. :confused:
  • JsTJsT Posts: 18,268 Skive's The Limit
    I'm reminded of the line from Blackadder -

    "Well, his resignation and suicide might be a start..."

    The former, perhaps not the later...
    Its all I can think of, the man can do nothing to turn around his fortunes.
  • SkiveSkive Posts: 15,282 Skive's The Limit
    Quit.
    Weekender Offender 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    minimi38 wrote: »
    Most? Those in negative equity only have themselves to blame for getting mugged off over an obsession with owning their own home.

    I bought my house for £95,000 long before the market hit the top. Ones down the street for £112,000 at the height of the market. The people we bought the house off paid £85,000 in 1998.

    One went three doors down for £57,000 last week.

    It's the same story up and down the country. Negative equity doesn't bother me, I can afford my mortgage comfortably, but those who can't afford their mortgage are fucked. And why can't they afford their mortgage? Because Gordon Brown cost them their jobs.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There are far safer investments than property, even in England.

    Don't worry, chronic undersupply in the long term will see most people better off than where they are now in this recession. Like you say, if you can afford the repayments...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    According to YouTube, everything looks better in slow motion...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote: »
    Because Gordon Brown cost them their jobs.

    It's fashionable but you really can't blame all the countries problems on one person.

    Brown lacks personality and charisma, the Labour party is in a shambles. There's no chance of them winning the next GE, they should be preparing for 2014.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I wish he was just more honest.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    - Renationalise the railways

    - Scrap our nuclear deterrent

    He does that, he'd be come very popular indeed with millions of proper Labour voters- though admittedly not with Tory ones :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Nationalise the railways, stop us getting ripped off with stupid and regular price hikes.

    Reduce or scrap the nuclear deterrant, though scrapping it will never happen.

    Sort out the tax bands.

    Think about spending some money for once instead of using PFI for everything, and then it costing them more in the long run.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yerascrote wrote: »
    It's fashionable but you really can't blame all the countries problems on one person.

    Can. Will. Did.

    He failed to understand that the economy was propped up by credit, even when his own advisers were telling him that.
    He failed to understand that a credit-based economy is unsustainable, even when his own advisers were telling him that.
    He failed to understand that an unwillingness to stand up to unregulated bankers was going to cost the country dearly, even when anyone with half a brain could see that it was going to end in disaster.
    When the economy slowed down, rather than invest in infrastructure to maintain employment he decided to spend billions cutting the VAT rate by 1.5%. Even Adolf Hitler understood that people will be happy if you keep them in work, even if that means inventing jobs for them.

    The guy has been a disaster ever since the New Labour Project started. Him and Blair were, to borrow Galloway's phrase, two cheeks of the same arse. Blair ruined the country with Brown at the helm and then, just when you think it can't get any worse, Brown takes over and manages to fuck everything up twice.

    The man's an arse. The best thing he can do is stubbornly hang on in there. With a bit of luck, it'll be another 20 years before we see a Labour administration.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    DG wrote: »
    What laws could he pass to make himself more popular?
    Jump into a volcano?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    Jump into a volcano?

    Im sure he wouldnt need a vote in parliament to be able to do that.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think he should quit and focus on purely philanthropic and/or personal interests. Politics is really fickle and it's not about the best man or woman for the job, it's about the most popular man or woman for the job.

    The populous by and large detest Brown and it wouldn't really matter if he did something earthshattering. The labour party would be better suited if they got someone very eloquent and marketable into PM position (think along the lines of Barack Obama).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The thing with saying what can so and so do to make himself more popular, will make him more popular with some and less popular with others. If there were actions which could make a politician more popular with the entire electorate all three parties already support it...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Don't think there is that much. Once a ruling party has gone downhill in popularity, the other party is waiting to take over. He's doing well just by holding his post despite all the pressures to quit. Well done Gordon!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think people would like him more if he GTFO.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aladdin wrote: »
    - Renationalise the railways -

    - Scrap our nuclear deterrent

    He does that, he'd be come very popular indeed with millions of proper Labour voters- though admittedly not with Tory ones :D


    the first one is a great idea, but scraping the nuclear deterrent is just fucking stupid, we may not need them now, but what about in 5 years, or 10 or 20?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    build moar nukes? :p

    though "fucking stupid" might be a bit harsh dontya think?

    Everyone moans that nationalised rail would be shit but the train service in holland is nationalised, and it's nowhere near as comfortable as the train service here (they're more like buses) but they're a hell of a lot cheaper and run on time just the same.

    Nuclear deterrant is a hugely complicated argument with lots of pros and cons (and over my head) and ultimately I think its a tricky situation either way.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Dutch trains are built by the same people that build UK trains- usually Bombardier and Siemens. Also, NedRail is actually a private company, as is Deutsche Bahn.

    Yes, German railways are privatised. Bet you didn't know that.

    The problem with the railways is not the private operators, but the fact that the Government fails to regulate and provide for them properly. Nationalising the railways wouldn't make the lack of intelligent Government disappear.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote: »
    Yes, German railways are privatised. Bet you didn't know that.

    No I didn't..?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Some people see Gordon Brown and this government as penny pinchers and never spend money where it's needed

    this story for example

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/14/honeybee

    £200 Million worth of crops at stake and all DEFRA gives is £500,000 a year for 5 years to look into the problem

    1 Euro Fighter costs £69+ Million to buy

    I'd rather see 1 plane order scrapped and a good £10 million a year for the next 5 years put into the above problem.

    and at $15 million a unit you'd still have enough money left to buy one American F16 + loads of money still left over.
  • JsTJsT Posts: 18,268 Skive's The Limit
    Kermit wrote: »
    Also, NedRail is actually a private company, as is Deutsche Bahn.
    Indeed, and NedRail actually run the Northern and Merseyrail rail ranchises in the UK.
    Kermit wrote: »
    The problem with the railways is not the private operators, but the fact that the Government fails to regulate and provide for them properly. Nationalising the railways wouldn't make the lack of intelligent Government disappear.

    Exactly. The system is currently flawed in that the Government are still too involved and hold the purse strings. The promised 180 new carriages for the North has been cut down to about 100 in the last week, one of millions of wrong decisions.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    My only problem with the privatised model in the UK is that we privatise profit and nationalise losses. But I blame the Government for that.

    National Express shouldn't be allowed to walk away from their contract without a massive financial penalty. There should be no 'cap and collar' agreements.
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