Gordon Brown's performance before the Parlimentry Monetary Policy Committee on 17 June by Blog reader R.J. Rankin from East Scotland.
For me, this was an insight into the character of he who is about to be Prime Minister, and I very much hated what I saw, and consequently I fear for our future. Yes, I had seen him perform in his budget speeches in Parliament and observed his blitzkrieg of statistical information and how marvellous he had been as the keeper of the economy, but the body language of both he and the members of the committee told it all.
Brown was flanked by two minions from the Treasury whose job it was to pass GB crib sheets every 5 seconds. They were extremely on edge and nervous of Brown.
Questions asked by committee members were “answered” by either (a ) a mumbled, gruff puffing out of statistics on RPI and CPI which went on ad nauseam; (b) a supercilious smirk followed by “you have obviously not read, been appraised of, misunderstood etc” without any mollifying precursory remarks such as “As you know”; talking to his ‘feeders’ as if not even listening to the question; or when all else failed, then a long reminder of the shambles he took over in 1997 and how he had turned everything around and had 10 years of sustained economic growth.
The committee members body language showed a resigned giving up as they were getting nowhere. This ‘IMF’ (Interminable Mother F…..) was treating them with the utmost contempt. So he is dictatorial and doesn’t listen. Asked about inflation and interest rates: those were matters for the BofE’s MPC. He, in his munificence, had granted such powers to BofE in 1997. (Nobody mentions that it was an E.U. prerequisite for joining the EURO that these powers had to be conferred on that country’s Central Bank.)
Although not strictly an MPC matter, somebody might have asked: “Where are you getting the money from for the £51,000,000,000 bribe for peace in Ulster?”. Nobody quoted back at him the exponential rise in Government (National) Debt during his 10 years. Nobody mentioned the £47,000 000, 000 annual interest payments to the Banks which would not have to be paid if the State issued its own money instead of asking the Banks to create it as a book entry instead. Nobody mentioned the PFI debt which is £50,000,000,000 and rising. (This wheeze was to get round the E.U. Stability and Growth Pact’s Micawberesque restrictions on Government expenditure vis a vis income.) Nobody brought up the annual £5,000,000,000 raid on pension funds. Nobody dared ask any pertinent or impertinent question during the whole hour!
Perhaps our anthem should be changed to:
For me, this was an insight into the character of he who is about to be Prime Minister, and I very much hated what I saw, and consequently I fear for our future. Yes, I had seen him perform in his budget speeches in Parliament and observed his blitzkrieg of statistical information and how marvellous he had been as the keeper of the economy, but the body language of both he and the members of the committee told it all.
Brown was flanked by two minions from the Treasury whose job it was to pass GB crib sheets every 5 seconds. They were extremely on edge and nervous of Brown.
Questions asked by committee members were “answered” by either (a ) a mumbled, gruff puffing out of statistics on RPI and CPI which went on ad nauseam; (b) a supercilious smirk followed by “you have obviously not read, been appraised of, misunderstood etc” without any mollifying precursory remarks such as “As you know”; talking to his ‘feeders’ as if not even listening to the question; or when all else failed, then a long reminder of the shambles he took over in 1997 and how he had turned everything around and had 10 years of sustained economic growth.
The committee members body language showed a resigned giving up as they were getting nowhere. This ‘IMF’ (Interminable Mother F…..) was treating them with the utmost contempt. So he is dictatorial and doesn’t listen. Asked about inflation and interest rates: those were matters for the BofE’s MPC. He, in his munificence, had granted such powers to BofE in 1997. (Nobody mentions that it was an E.U. prerequisite for joining the EURO that these powers had to be conferred on that country’s Central Bank.)
Although not strictly an MPC matter, somebody might have asked: “Where are you getting the money from for the £51,000,000,000 bribe for peace in Ulster?”. Nobody quoted back at him the exponential rise in Government (National) Debt during his 10 years. Nobody mentioned the £47,000 000, 000 annual interest payments to the Banks which would not have to be paid if the State issued its own money instead of asking the Banks to create it as a book entry instead. Nobody mentioned the PFI debt which is £50,000,000,000 and rising. (This wheeze was to get round the E.U. Stability and Growth Pact’s Micawberesque restrictions on Government expenditure vis a vis income.) Nobody brought up the annual £5,000,000,000 raid on pension funds. Nobody dared ask any pertinent or impertinent question during the whole hour!
Perhaps our anthem should be changed to:
God -save -us -from -ungracious –Brown
For -it -is -he -who -now -wears -the -crown
God –help -us -all!
For -it -is -he -who -now -wears -the -crown
God –help -us -all!
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