Search this site
-
Recent posts
About
I'm a councillor in the London Borough of Wandsworth; this blog mainly covers that, sometimes general politics and policy and occasionally anything else that takes my fancy.
Tag Archives: Gordon Brown
Defending First Past The Post
Gordon Brown’s deathbed conversion to electoral reform has certainly stirred up some interest in our electoral system. And not a little cynicism about why, despite having a commitment to electoral reform in their 1997 manifesto it has taken until now to do anything about it. It seems to confirm that Brown’s strategy is to play
read more…
Hooray! The recession is over
The UK has finally left recession. As Gordon Brown repeatedly told us, we were one of the best placed economies to weather the storm – although quite how that tallies with being the last major economy to see growth and having the longest recession since current records began escapes me. What is interesting to me,
read more…
Brown’s great expectations
I doubt it has escaped anyone’s attention that 2010 is going to be an election year. In London we are faced with the prospect of a double header, with people electing their MPs and their councillors on the same day (since Brown seems to have inadvertently ruled out a March election in his interview with
read more…
Brown deserves praise, not condemnation
There are many things for which I would criticise the Prime Minister. Having bad hand-writing because he is half-blind and making some spelling mistakes are not on that list. That he has was a story that, at first, I let pass me by. But the more I have thought about it the more distasteful I
read more…
Brown, biscuits and decisive leadership
Every Prime Minister has a biscuit. Thatcher was a bit of a garibaldi; a lot of people loved her, but a lot of people hated her. Major was a rich tea; honest and decent, but a bit bland and – frankly – other biscuits do the job better. I’d go for Blair as a pink
read more…
Weekly wrap-up, 2 October
Old York Road Fun Day I popped along to the Old York Road Fun Day last Sunday. The last (I think) of this year’s street party style events supported by the council and town centre partnerships. A fantastic day and definitely bigger and better than previous years. Congratulations to all involved in organising it. Labour
read more…
Posted in Politics, Regeneration, Weekly report
Also tagged Labour Party, Old York Road, Power Station, recession
Leave a comment
Notes from a gulag for Dads
My emasculation was completed this morning when I took MiniMe to Monkey Music for the first time. It had to happen sooner or later, and while I’m obviously a proud and doting Dad I can’t help but be aware that as the sole man in a room full of mothers (and nannies) and children I
read more…
Nick Clegg can take heart from Gordon Brown
The council goes into a mini-hibernation during party conference season, partly because so many councillors attend their conferences. This doesn’t, however, apply during the Liberal Democrat conference for the simple reason that there are no Liberal Democrats on Wandsworth council. We have been in the fortunate position of being a two party council and, despite
read more…
Posted in Politics
Also tagged conference, Conservative, David Cameron, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Nick Clegg, Vince Cable
Leave a comment
Baroness Scotland’s legacy to Brown
There is something about an end-of-life Government that draws attention to the flaws. There’s nothing you can do about it, it’s not as if they were never there, but somehow your attention is just drawn to them. Governments, it seems, never die with dignity. And the latest indignity is Baroness Scotland. An error that once
read more…
Gordon Brown’s views on ending recession
I thought it might be worth putting a Labour Party Election broadcast on here. For me, the key line comes in at exactly one minute: “You cannot cut your way out of recession, you’ve got to grow your way out of it.” Compare and contrast with the his speech this afternoon, being heavily spun as
read more…
