Scottish machine politician cries on telly!!

There have been heart rendering stories of a Scottish machine politician crying on a set-up interview with Piers Morgan. You can't play it both ways Gordon Brown. You either protect your family from the public gaze or you use them for your political ends. For instance, your performance allows me to say that your wife has so many charity engagements here and in the United States that no way is she looking after the family. Sorry, the Daily Mail has already said it!!

The new book by Lance Price, which I have yet to read, does not give you a very flattering picture. I get the sense that over half of the Labour Party would be estatic, if you were run over by a Clapham omnibus. That might be a bit harsh but Mr Brown, you screwed up my pension (dividend tax changes) and cost me a fortune in council tax paying for all those Labour areas. I would have forgiven you if Great Britain had pulled out its troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. The US anyway have been critical about our military performance (Basra and Balaclava, army disasters beginning with B?) Sorry, Singapore begins with an S). However, that would have screwed up your chances of top international jobs a la Blair when you retire. Or are you going to write your memoirs and explain how you employed a yob like McBride?

You are always grandstanding on the world stage but I get the impression that the IMF thinks you are an economic cretin. How you let Lady Ashton get a top EU job is beyond me. She is an easy pot shot for the French. Ashton should never have been let out of UK quango land.

However, Gordon, you are a very determined politician. I think the class card strategy might be working with the dim British electorate. The Tory Party does seem to have been taken over by Old Etonians and Cameron cuties. I get the sense the US would prefer working with you. Dave has never really hit it off with the Americans. I know the European Union would be aghast if the Tories got in. Peter Mandelson saved you last year from your Cabinet revolt but as you are not really a loyal kind of guy, he has been disappointed by your behaviour since.

I think you might struggle in the forthcoming general election campaign. It will be a test of what the voters think of a Scottish machine politician.

PS. Dear Reader, I am sorry this might not be a balanced, nuanced view of a complicated individual but you should read Jeff Randall's demolition of Gordon Brown
in yesterday's Daily Telegraph.

Michael Portillo looks at the Basra departure.

In the recent Sunday Times, former Conservative Minister Michael Portillo wrote a very perceptive article about our departure from Basra. He noted that the U.S military were getting a bit miffed about the British Army's supposed skills in counter-insurgency gained from Northern Ireland. Portillo also noted that the UK lacked the stomach for the Iraqi campaign. What was the point of having all our weapons such as nuclear etc?
www.searchaccountant.co.uk
However, what was heartening was the number of posts to the article from the United States, which praised the contribution of the British troops on the ground. There was a local post saying that we are such a small country (bankrupt one at that) we should not get involved.
My view is that Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who sees his main job as cutting military expenditure, should have had the courage of his convictions and pulled the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, when he got the top job. We are in an impossible
situation. We can't win the wars and we will never get much leverage with the Americans. Commentators are suddenly noting that the British tortured Obama's grandfather in Kenya. Why he is going to support us?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5375770.ece

Apparently the U.S military are a bit chippy about British Army.

On the day when British Prime Minister Gordon Brown officially announced the timetable for our withdrawal from Iraq (conveniently a long way away from the UK unemployment figures), perhaps we can take stock of our six year military involvement in the country, which is the cradle of
civilisation. It started with all of the British ambassadors in the region trying to persuade Tony Blair don't do it. It ended with apparent criticism of our military contribution from our U.S allies. I know we are the victims of propaganda and spinning but the government can't hide the fact that Basra seems a bit of a disaster for the British Army.
I suppose the troops were let down by factors such as the lack of helicopters and defenceless transport. It was always an expedition where financial costs were paramount ie in keeping them down. The British government also failed in mobilising support from the public for the troops. It seemed to shy away from emphasising they were fighting for a worthwhile cause. I think the Great British Public are guilty of not supporting our troops.
I thought the UK military's top brass could have done more to have avoided having troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan. They were probably told that Iraq would be six months not six years but they could have done more to avoid being used for political ends.
www.searchaccountant.co.uk