A blog by Luke Akehurst about politics, elections, and the Labour Party - With subtitles for the Hard of Left. Just for the record: all the views expressed here are entirely personal and do not necessarily represent the positions of any organisations I am a member of.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Wow

I had my doubts at the start of the speech but by the end of it, it had really not just lived up to but exceeded expectations.

I was watching next to two people who are definitely not natural Gordon supporters, one of them an ex-MP, the other virtually the president of the John Reid fan club - both were won over by it.

The "no time for a novice" line was a brilliant put down of at least two people.

Lots of policy meat too, and what I think was the first use of the phrase "new Labour" in a Brown speech.

26 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would let the dust settle before you get too excited.

It was a speech full of air and very little substance.

I suspect the media reaction will be a little less enthusiastic than you might hope.

4:06 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, it was a fantastic speech. I can see these last few days as a real turning point - the Tories have nothing to offer, no ideas for dealing with the world economy and seem scared of speaking out, but Brown is stepping up to the plate. It does feel like the momentum is shifting.

4:07 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You are surely joking about not noticing Brown mention 'New Labour' in a major speech before?

It was good to see him take the fight to the Tories, and he certainly had some effective lines.

However, not enough focus on what he's going to do about the economy. He was right to say the fundamentalist advocates of free markets have been proved wrong - though I could not help but feel he was being a hypocrite here! The few bits of policy 'meat' were tasty but too little.

Although I think he has secured his position, and the Tories will have to up their game, I do not think this speech signals a radical-enough change of direction that will see Labour win a 4th term.

p.s At first I thought the Sarah Brown stunt would be embarassing, but it was actually ok.

4:11 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"No time for a novice" and much too much time for a plonker.

4:25 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i don't think anyone will remember what was in the speech next week. It was a nothing for nothing speech, and will only buy him some time til the inevitable.

4:39 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Its one thing for the Captain to go down with the ship, its another thing to ingnore the lookout.

GW

4:48 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It was a good speech.
My favourite lines
Were
1) His comment about they toru leader and shadow channcelor that This is no time for a novice.
2) His comment that when salesman is not telling you what he is selling it is because he is selling rubbish.
3. When he sooke of how he neede the NHS to help him see again and how he would not have been able to afford a this wihtout the NHS. This compares his modest middle class upbringing with the tory leaders elitiest wealthy millionaire start in life. A good poke there.

4:58 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It was a good speech.
My favourite lines
Were
1) His comment about they tory leader and shadow channcelor that This is no time for a novice.
2) His comment that when salesman is not telling you what he is selling it is because he is selling rubbish.
3. When he spoke of how he neede the NHS to help him see again and how he would not have been able to afford a this wihtout the NHS. This compares his modest middle class upbringing with the tory leaders elitiest wealthy millionaire start in life. A good poke there.

5:01 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeh, but what we know about the moron is that he is a venal, nasty, selfish piece of shite without a shred of integrity and an autistic moral compass which revolves around his own ego.

He will be evicted.

As David Aronovitch points out today, hang onto the moron and the Labour party faces extinction. Make the change and a credible parlimenary presence can be sustained if it does mean an alliance with the Lib-Dems.

Get used to irrelevance under Jon Cruddas or some other nutter with half-a-brain, a sharp suit and a Cockney whine.

5:36 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't get what was with the lauding of the founding of the NHS, welfare state etc. - certainly things the Labour movement can be proud of historically but an achievement of the Attlee Government not the Brown one, nor really any vision for the future. It just seemed a cyncial ploy to make you feel tingly and warm inside but defer the question of what this particular Government is for.

6:30 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Speaking only as an affilited Labour member and someone who hasn't heard a word of "the speech" I can only say that I was rendered ecstatic when my partner got home and told me the really important news; Mr Brown was soundtracked by Detroit's finest, Mr Exitement, Jackie Wilson. Clever to do that "up north", where we like it four to the floor , baby. So , that's the aging Soul boy vote (ie myself and a few other anoraks) sown up. Beats the hell out D.Ream any day of the week. Or the sodding Arctic Monkeys.

7:02 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bollox...that's all I can say.

8:00 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Seeing as I now live in your Manor put up by the council in a lovely Hotel do you fancy meeting up for a glass of wine?

8:03 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Blogger Luke Akehurst said...

Jesus - are you still here, writing this bollocks? I've been away for ages - ever since it became clear that we'd fucked the Labour Party completely - and I had no idea you were still at it. That's very funny. Or very sad.

8:30 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

In the United Kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man ... is Prime Minister!

8:32 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well it is bollox, the whole thing really isn't it. Lets trust the man who led us into this so called global turbulence. The man who was chancellor who relaxed borrowing through the creation of his FSA and sank the whole of the UK into a sea of debt.

Lets trust the government that relaxed immigration laws and by it's own account thought 30,000 a year would come........300,000 people and counting and the government finally admit they got it wrong.

Lets trust the government that took us into two wars with no end plan......and has cost many of my friends their health, their limbs and their lives.

Lets trust the government that stabbed our police service in the back and denied them their pay rise.

Lets trust the government that hit the poorest workers with the most unfair tax since the poll tax....once again they haven't got away with it.

I'm sure the 1000s of low paid public sector workers who are trying survive on a below inflation pay rise really trust Brown.

Lets trust a government that uses tax payers money to bail out institutions that have made billions from debt but here we are borrowing to bail them out.

9:16 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fantastic speech. I think that now puts to bed any notion that Miliband and his loony left cadre of supporters will try and take over and take us back to the dark days of the 80s.

9:46 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Labour MPs cheered Brown's last budget as Chancellor when he abolished the 10 tax rate - this will be no different. Brown is reaping what he sowed - there'e nothing left in the kitty for when it's needed in the hard times.

9:54 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank god for people like you Luke. I know you get criticism for making a living from helping to sell weapons but I believe that if New Labour had more people like you then not only would this country rediscover its moral compass then we'd win the next election too

10:33 pm, September 23, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If the roof was fixed when the sun was shining,why are so many people drowning now?

12:24 am, September 24, 2008

 
Blogger Timothy Godfrey said...

Brilliance. A leader to be proud of. Not just a leader of a political party, but a leader of the Country that we need in these times.

Those who feed on the edges of new Labour that have created the media hub bub should now seriously consider their positions. From SPADs to former party officials - the honourable thing to do is to step aside from all of this now.

They all know who they are. Lets go forward with Gordon. Lets take the fairness fight to the Tories.

2:24 am, September 24, 2008

 
Blogger Letters From A Tory said...

Oh dear. Perhaps you were listening to a different speech than me, but the one I heard was totally hollow and sidestepped every major question about the Labour government.

Cameron will have a field day with Brown's speech next Wednesday - mark my words.

9:51 am, September 24, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hiding behind his wife. How pathetic is that?

Oooh, I won't exploit my kids like that nasty Mr Cameron, but I'll force my wife onto the stage to get the sympathy vote.

Ahhh, ain't that cute?

Timothy Godfrey has problems, probably can't get it up at night. Though he seems to have no problem pleasuring himself when Gordon's on!

10:22 am, September 24, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"No time for a novice." Presumably he was talking about Obama, right?

11:22 am, September 24, 2008

 
Blogger Rage against the Machine said...

Its "no time for a vote "loser" either. I wonder who I mean?...

The speech was high on rhetoric and very low on substance and radicalism. Very sad to say: RIP new Labour. Topple Brown now!!

5:37 pm, September 24, 2008

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What an amazing speech! I recorded it and watch it every day at tea time. Stirring stuff!

2:47 pm, September 29, 2008

 

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