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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

The Tony Blair Resignation Countdown Thread

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by halibut, May 10, 2007.

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  1. Mustafar_66

    Mustafar_66 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    May 20, 2005
    While I can see Cameron's point, I'm surprised that he's calling for an election. I wouldn't have thought the Tories to be in any condition to fight a General Election and would be hoping that Brown makes a better Chancellor than PM...
     
  2. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    Maybe Dave is hoping that there are enough people fed up with Labour under Blair that the Tories would win thanks to the backlash. If Brown does well as PM that might not be the case in a couple of years.
     
  3. SithLordDarthRichie

    SithLordDarthRichie CR Emeritus: London star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2003
    It might be a good idea. Brown is only holding the fort until the next election which I think is in two years. If he held one now and won he could be in office for another 5 years, surely that will suit him better.


    And the Tories do have policies, they just change constantly, or they forget what they are :p
     
  4. G-FETT

    G-FETT Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 10, 2001
    One reason Brown won't call an election immediatly (and Cmaeron knows this) is money! Labour are in debt to the sum of millions of pounds. Brown could get out of that by going to the Unions, but for obvious reasons he won't want to do that. The Tories, by contrast, have got a very healthy war chest and more money is coming in all the time. So, Brown will have to wait until Labour's financial situation is more secure, or until legislation is in place that limits the amount each party can spend. All of this will take time to bring in, so don't expect an election any time in the near future. Cameron can look good by calling for an election, safe in the knowlage that he won't have to fight one. Certainly not before next spring, anyway.

    The other thing to keep in mind, is that whilst polls will probably recover somewhat for Labour over the summer, theres no guarantee that recovery will be solid or that it will last. Brown will know that the British people are personally quite cool to him, whilst at the same time they seem to connect rather well with Dave, so Gordon will want to leave it for some time, IMO, before he goes to the country, in the hope that the more the British people see of him, the more they will warm to him. Of course, this strategy is open to backfire horribly, but its the safest option that calling an immediate election, in my view.
     
  5. SithLordDarthRichie

    SithLordDarthRichie CR Emeritus: London star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2003
    I was not aware Labour were in huge debt. Gordon Brown's great talent as Chancellor was that he was able to balance everything well. Yet the party still owe money when under his structuring they should not :confused:
     
  6. Dickie

    Dickie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 19, 2005
    The Treasury and the Labour party coffers are two completely separate things, and anyway, if Gordon Brown had such a great talent why did stuff like this happen? All the time he's been at the Treasury he's banked on the fact the oil revenues will continue as they had been, whilst at the same time not making any drastic changes to the economic policy of the previous government.


    As far as his premiership goes, some of his cabinet choices are quite interesting - and thankfully Beckett is out of the Foreign Office!



     
  7. Disciple-of-Tython

    Disciple-of-Tython Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 12, 2006
    All I know is Labour and the Tories are now neck-in-neck on the polls within only a few days.


    Labour Strikes Back!!
     
  8. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    Unfortunately Ruth Kelly is still in - she's been made Transport Secretary. And Hazel Blears gets Kelly's old job..
    Tessa Jowell is out as Culture Secretary though - hopefully she can join Patricia Hewitt on the back benches.
     
  9. Disciple-of-Tython

    Disciple-of-Tython Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 12, 2006
    The new Defence Secretary was on Sky News before talking about the new vehicle for the military. He seemed to know what he was talking about and seemed to be a pleasant person.
     
  10. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    I hope the woman now in charge of the Home Office can make an improvement. The last couple of Home Secretaries have been pretty useless..

    Edit - Channel 4 News just reported that Blair has been questioned a third time over cash for honours. They didn't say if he was questioned before or after resigning though.
     
  11. Dickie

    Dickie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 19, 2005
    That's because Des Browne isn't the new Defence Secretary...he still has the same position. Maybe it's because nobody else wants the job?


    Don't forget, he was a key part in the Iran-hostages-story-selling-fiasco, the military is chronically short of kit, the kit they have mostly doesn't work (or at least, not as it's supposed to), they are overstretched and yet the MoD insists on cutbacks. Despite all of this, the defence budget frequently shrinks so they are now being forced to cut training as well (note the general reaction to the actions of the MoD by the people who are affected by them) and don't even get me started on the prospects of the new carriers actually being built or the aircraft to put on them being ordered.
     
  12. G-FETT

    G-FETT Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 10, 2001
    :eek: Really? I wonder if they were waiting for him at Chequers last night? [face_laugh]
     
  13. Disciple-of-Tython

    Disciple-of-Tython Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 12, 2006
    Yeah and the Tories as they are being questioned even more than Labour[face_laugh].....[face_plain]

    'puff the magic Cameron lives by the sea'[face_whistling]
     
  14. Dickie

    Dickie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 19, 2005
    Any chance of a link to a story about the Tories being questioned?


    And what are you implying with 'puff the magic Cameron lives by the sea'?

    :)
     
  15. Disciple-of-Tython

    Disciple-of-Tython Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 12, 2006
    http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/04/british-police-arrest-first-cash-for.php

    Quote: "The Labour Party has since revealed receipt of approximately £14 million in secret loans before the past election, while the Conservatives have revealed £16 million in loans and a debt of £37 million to local Conservative associations and individuals."

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/12/ncameron112.xml

    It's OK to digg dirt on Blairs early life but not Camerons?

     
  16. Dickie

    Dickie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 19, 2005
    I fail to see anyone here try to use similarly irrelevant 'dirt' against Bliar? We have enough to go on just with his political career without having to resort to digging into his past. I'm not condoning taking drugs, but to criticise experimenting during his youth, then support a party who have actively declassified the same drugs doesn't add up.



    As far as the 'cash for honours' thing goes, I still fail to see any evidence that more Tories are being questioned than Labour party members? All you seem to have shown is that the Conservative Party received more in donations, but so far they all appear to be legitimate (unlike say, the Labour donations ;) ), and £37 million from Party members isn't really part of the issue either is it?
     
  17. Spike2002

    Spike2002 Former FF-UK RSA and Arena Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 4, 2002
    If you study the history of the Metropolitan Police Investigation of the Cash for Honours Scandal, it is in fact, almost purely Labour party officials that have been interviewed/arrested.
     
  18. SithLordDarthRichie

    SithLordDarthRichie CR Emeritus: London star 9

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2003
    That is odd, maybe it's because they're the party in power.
    The Tories have had many payments just like Labour have, I've not seen anything that has shown any of the payments to either party to be legal.

    Maybe if these parties weren't giving out honours so readily then they wouldn't get caught.
     
  19. Ranouch_Heath

    Ranouch_Heath Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Dec 5, 2006
    YIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEThe Idot Blair has Gone

    Quick someone take him to the Hague For War Crimes =D=
     
  20. Spike2002

    Spike2002 Former FF-UK RSA and Arena Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Won't happen. They need him too much as the "Peace Envoy" to the Middle East.
     
  21. Ranouch_Heath

    Ranouch_Heath Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Dec 5, 2006
    Yeah right !
     
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