"I've done a brilliant job" says Gordon Brown.

tomstickland

My local Labour MP has an amazing ability to turn up at photo opportunities, including campaigns against post office closures. However he voted for the closures.

amcluesent

>Just feel my anger.<

Google for 'Keith Vaz MP' and take that righteous anger up a level!

Keith Vaz, chairman of the influential home affairs select committee, faces sleaze inquiry after he urged the High Court to delay proceedings involving controversial lawyer Shahrokh Mireskandari, from whom he and his family had received lavish hospitality.

Mireskandari, who is a convicted crook, is representing Tarique Ghaffur in race allegations against the Met Police. Mireskandari is close friend of Commander Ali Dizaei, now suspended from the Met Police following allegations he advised Mireskandari on how to undermine a prosecution being brought by his employers, the Metropolitan Police.

Ghaffur appeared as a surprise defence witness for Dizaei at his 2003 trial for dishonesty.

The brother and sister-in-law of the defendant from the prosecution involving Dizaei were invited to a Labour Party fundraiser at Wembley Stadium. The host at their table? The Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP.

Mireskandari has also represented the Hinduja brothers; Vaz was first investigated about passports for the Hindujas but fell suddenly ill until the investigator Elizabeth Filkin was mysteriously removed from her post by Tony Blair and the investigation dropped.

Small world.



"Mmm, passports..."

mewbie_2

I'll raise you a "Tessa Jowell and her dodgy mortgage".

neverdespairgirl

amcluesent wrote: »

until the investigator Elizabeth Filkin was mysteriously removed from her post by Tony Blair and the investigation dropped.

Elizabeth Filkin was a very good watchdog, until she got sacked, of course. She's the mother of a schoolfriend of mine.

neverdespairgirl

Oh, I know I need to don my flack jacket, but here goes nothing...

I feel a bit sorry for GB. He just can't cope with it, and just isn't PM material. But he's strived for it for so long, he can't admit it to anyone, least of all himself.

tomstickland

I feel sorry until the arrogance factor appears, then I think he can take what he deserves.

baby_boomer

tomstickland wrote: »

My local Labour MP has an amazing ability to turn up at photo opportunities, including campaigns against post office closures. However he voted for the closures.

Same as Ruth Kelly, who joined the NIMBYs in her own constituency at every opportunity while she was actively pursuing & arguing for new housing developments as the minister responsible.

baby_boomer

If the government has stopped short-selling earlier, and hadn't (temporarily) announced the end of liquidity help for the banks which it has now extended into 2009, HBOS would still be an independent institution and 000s of jobs would not be at risk.

Which part of this "economic competence" am I supposed to applaud :rolleyes:?

While we're raising the stakes, I can't quite bring myself to believe that Gordon, the ultimate control freak, knew nothing about dodgy donations to the Labour Party. Then again, Jack Dromey, the Labour Treasurer claimed to know nothing about the existence of the donations as well :rotfl: .

But they would like us to believe that they have a better handle on the country's accounts!

mewbie_2

baby_boomer wrote: »

If the government has stopped short-selling earlier, and hadn't (temporarily) announced the end of liquidity help for the banks which it has now extended into 2009, HBOS would still be an independent institution and 000s of jobs would not be at risk.

I read today that the short sellers being blamed for HBOS demise is entirely inaccurate. The majority of sales were normal activity by normal share holders desperate to get out of a failing institution. My take on this is that it is very convenient to blame the greedy short sellers, which deflects more serious questions for the powers that be.

GB was chancellor for ten years or so. He stood up so many times and took the credit for booming Britain, even though he had apparently abolished boom and bust. But when it all goes wrong? Blame anyone - short sellers, 'global' problems, greedy Arabs with their oil prices. I'm surprised he hasn't blamed MSE yet.

I don't blame Gordon, but I dislike people who take the credit for stuff they have nothing to do with, and then hide when stuff goes wrong.

baby_boomer

I do blame Gordon, because:

The unwise suspension of liquidity help was the signal to the market - short-sellers and others - that the Halifax was doomed because there was no way that it was going to replace the funding coming up for renewal by the new year.

Gordon is now boasting on BBC Politics about the importance of this renewed & expanded liquity assistance.

It is crucial. So why did he allow it to be pulled suddenly before the HBOS crash, and then have it reinstated & expanded after HBOS ceased to exist?