"A transformation," said the veteran Labour MP Barry Sheerman. "Very human Gordon," said the ex-minister Denis Macshane. "Brilliant," said Defence Secretary Des Browne. (Toady.)

I refer, of course, to the comments of loyalists after Gordon Brown's touchy-feely "I feel your pain" cry to his MPs at a packed meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party in Committee Room 14.

What they meant was that Gordon did rather better than he did three weeks ago at the same gathering, when some Labour MPs swear they heard heckling as he gave what they considered to be unsympathetic answers to their pleas for help on the 10p tax issue.

This time, "human Gordon" told them he understood how difficult it was for voters struggling to meet higher food and fuel bills.

"People want to to know that we get it, that we understand their anxieties," he said. "We get it. We will not allow people to go into poverty."

As one senior minister Government put it to me after the meeting: "Gordon did his penance."

Gosh! Gordon doesn't normally do empathy. Now who does it remind you of? Which former Prime Minister am I thinking of?

Ah yes, the one that Labour MPs moaning about Gordon's poor presentational skills were in such a hurry to get rid of a year ago.

Being Gordon, of course, there was tough as well as tender: "We cannot have the Budget defeated," he told his MPs. "We have a responsibility to listen, hear and understand what has been said. But there's a responsibility on all of us to unite."

Not everyone agreed, of course. Frank Field, the MP leading the revolt which could defeat the Budget, was unimpressed. "Were you convinced?" he was asked as he left the meeting. "No," he said. Well, that's pretty clear, then.

And another MP considering backing his rebel amendment told me: "What's all this nonsense about how we can't unravel the Budget?

"We defeated John Major's government on VAT on fuel and so that Budget unravelled. But the rest of it still went through."

A good point, I thought.

The contributions from backbench MPs at the PLP are often entertaining, I find. None more so than those of "Dame" Gerald Kaufman.

Naming Frank Field, he said: "I'm sick and tired of reading rent-a-quotes from people who have had the privilege of serving as ministers, but who rediscover their principles the moment their bottom hits the back benches."

Ouch!

And John Prescott, who I saw before the meeting being congratulated by MPs and peers for being "very brave" in confessing to bulimia, threw his weight behind back Gordon Brown.

"We have to keep stability in the economy and one man who has done that, both as Prime Minister and Chancellor, is Gordon," the former Deputy Prime Minister told Labour MPs.

Ah yes, John Prescott. Not a man to do touchy-feely.

Comments

[John (Northumberland) 23 Apr 2008 10:41:05]

Keith in Croydon

"i cant think of one success labour have made..."

Possible exception of renewing schools and hospitals. But even this was on PFI so we'll pay through the nose over the next 30 years.

No shortage of disasters:

Iraq, cash for honours, dodgy donors, John Prescott, destroying our pensions, selling Gold, losing EU rebate for nothing in return, no EU referendum, out of control immigration, manufacturing trade deficit from 7 to 59 Billion, house price asset bubble, Northern Rock, Government 40 Billion in debt despite 15 years of growth etc etc

And all you get from the socialist bloggers is name calling and abuse.

The argument is won. We just need an election.

[carol-ann liverpool 22 Apr 2008 22:15:09]

T England

So you didn't get a mince pie off GB at Christmas, then?

Remember those days when everyone said Gordon didn't listen to them? Everything was going swimmingly, then.
Stop listening and just do it, I say.
Whatever he does he is going to get hammered for it, so he might as well go for broke and give in to the tax band issue.
Cammers will be insufferably smug and put on his Napoleon Delusions of Grandeur persona, but who cares...

This could all be a big tactical thing to get Labour Party supporters out to vote next week and rejuvinate the Parliamentary troops.

Notice that Cammers not around today after stirring the pot yesterday.

I love the way he stands out in the street pretending he is a man of the people - not at a desk or in a studio, lol.

It is like when little children hide behind lamp posts and think that because they can't see you that you can't see them.

Aww, he thinks we are all daft enough to fall for it, poor chap.

I wonder if he gets back into his limo and back to Nucon High Command or Cashcard Towers soon as the filming stops?

Maybe he has suddenly remembered Hilaire Belloc's morality verse:
remember to 'hold on to nurse for fear of getting somethng worse....'

Has it dawned on Cammers that it really could get worse for him if GB falls while there is still time for a new leader to blow Dave out of the water by election time?

[carol-ann liverpool 22 Apr 2008 20:45:05]

John Northumberland

I know the name calling is childish. But it is such FUN!
What is wrong with beng childish? I love children they are the most intelligent and wise creatures on the planet.

Can you all tell me which dictionary you are using?

I can't find the entry for 'bottler' - it couldn't possibly be in a CHILD's dictionary could it?

[carol-ann liverpool 22 Apr 2008 20:45:02]

John Northumberland

I know the name calling is childish. But it is such FUN!
What is wrong with beng childish? I love children they are the most intelligent and wise creatures on the planet.

Can you all tell me which dictionary you are using?

I can't find the entry for 'bottler' - it couldn't possibly be in a CHILD's dictionary could it?

[keith in croydon 22 Apr 2008 19:44:43]

just how bad have things got to get before these left wing bloggers stop defending labour i cant think of one success labour have made unless you count massive immigration or taxing poor motorists off the road there left wing utopia never existed outside there minds can i suggest they join the green party and grow beetroots.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 22 Apr 2008 16:23:31]

More Breaking News:
It will not be over till the "fat banks" sing. First chorus 50 billion.
How many more "Bank of Browns" will be on a High Street near you, Brown and Darling are panicking just a tad, woah horses!

[John (Northumberland) 22 Apr 2008 16:06:23]

Carol Ann

I agree with you about the irresponsible lending & borrowing. The house price bubble was the result of speculation and greed.

The Banks feel protected by the rising equity and ask no questions. Everyone piles in. Then the prices become unaffordable and we have the crash.

Credit dries up, businesses struggle and lay people off, people spend less, confidence evaporates and so on into recession...

But what of the man who was 'on the Bridge'. Who moved to the CPI inflation index (which doesn't include house prices)?

this made inflation look low and with the Bank of England given only one objective - low 'inflation' - interest rates were kept very low, so cheap money and easy credit created the boom. And then Northern Rock heralded the bust. Nationalised at a cost of Billions to the tax payer.

That man was Gordon Brown. Now he's throwing Billions of tax payers cash at those same irresponsible Bankers.

Won't make any difference, but it will end up costing all us tax payers a fortune.

So if anyone should go to jail, it should be Mr Brown.

[John (Northumberland) 22 Apr 2008 15:42:16]

Carol Ann

"Sorry folks can't stop, Andrew Lansley is going to abolish a huge chunk of the NHS services - got to get to a protest meeting, lol."

With the spectacular mess that Mr Brown has made of the country's finances, I'm afraid that there are going to be some tough decisions ahead. For any Chancellor.

You see it all has to be paid for.

And when you've managed to get into massive debt in boom times (more jobs = more tax & less benefit claimants) then you just know that come a downturn, we are in for a rough ride.

Our standard of living is a privilege, NOT a right. It has to be paid for.

Our businesses have to compete in global markets (and thanks to Labour & the EU, have loads of extra red tape this is now even harder).

Not that such things are of any interest to the Labour Party or its supporting army of public sector bureaucrats or benefit claimants.

Just blame any business person/entrpreneur/employer. And scream about the 'class war'...Tory toffs...exploitation of the proletarian masses...false class consciousness etc!

Come the revolution brothers!

But still it has to be paid for.

PS. Your name calling and abusive terms, belittle your already threadbare argument.

[carol-ann liverpool 22 Apr 2008 15:22:25]

BREAKING NEWS

5000 mortgage lenders who lent too much money to millions of people without taking account of the global situation as well as the ability of the borrowers to pay and eat at the same time - thus leaving these people at severe risk of becoming homeless..are to appear at the Old Baily on Friday to answer charges of treason by causing serious dama
ge to the UK economic systen. They could all face long prison sentences......
OH DEAR, I WAS ONLY DREAMING... SHUCKS........

Was I dreaming about those blokes from Northern Rock going to jail, also? Damn!

[Stephen Williams 22 Apr 2008 15:15:37]

John (Northumberland),

I agree with you in wanting Gordon Brown & Labour massacred at the next general election so that it’s a hell of a long time until their back in power, but unfortunately in doing so this also means having to put up with 2 more years of selling us down the EU river of Brussels, bleeding us taxpayers dry more & more, more economic incompetence, leaderless drift, more money wasted in Britain, more money given away to hard luck story countries & so on. If only there was a way to bring them down as even if it went to a vote of no confidence in Brown, once it came to the crunch the Labour MP’s would never vote for their own parties demise by forcing a general election & possibly doing themselves out of a job, those with big constituency majorities might hang on to their seats.

The political suicide for Gordon Brown on the economic side of things is that he certainly can only go so far with his "I feel your pain" rubbish because if he admits that prices are rising at a rate way above the official CPI inflation figure that then is an admission that the inflation figure is complete rubbish, which we all know anyway in the real world.

The same applies on immigration as an admission that the recent house of commons select committee report is correct would blow Labour’s immigration policy out of the water, so it really is another case of chickens coming home to roost with their own lies & spin coming back to haunt them, not before time.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 22 Apr 2008 15:04:26]

News Flash
Tax rebellion by 40 Labour MP's sign up...WOW.
An attack from the rear on Mr Brown by his own men and possibly women, back last summer impossible, today credible.

[carol-ann liverpool 22 Apr 2008 14:30:10]

Sorry folks can't stop, Andrew Lansley is going to abolish a huge chunk of the NHS services - got to get to a protest meeting, lol.

There's Cammers trying to assure us he is all touchy feely goodness - knew it wouldn't be long before the truth started to leak out.
True colours beginning to show now that they are getting cocky.

Does Cammers know? I wonder if it turns nasty will Rawnsley have to take over as Dave's 'fag'.
Might as well get Giddy to be Health Spokesman, he seems to spend a lot of time resting - as actors say- when he gets wobbly and Nurse gets him to take his brimstone and treacle.
What's next: Child Benefit?

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 22 Apr 2008 14:02:41]

Stephen Williams
You have alson cottoned on what the Labour rebels are planning.
But some people have long memories and they won't forget having Gordon Brown forced upon them...revenge is so sweet they say.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 22 Apr 2008 14:00:19]

Rick, UK
Thanks for the info, but as you can see you are totally stuffed by this Labour government, like or love them they don't give up...torture to the end!

[Stephen Williams 22 Apr 2008 13:55:42]

Elizabeth,

Yeah, you would still see some gullible electorate voting for them though such is their blinkered delusion rather than judging it purely as the obvious spin to save their seat under another party name if Labour MPs in threatened seats did become independents for the next General election, then they would distance themselves from everything that they have supported Labour doing since 1997.

Typical Labour hypocrisy.

[John (Northumberland) 22 Apr 2008 13:40:47]

Brown is a hostage to events now. We are seeing the results of his post-2000 public spending bonanza and house price bubble. Sheer madness.

The economy is on the way down and despite 15 years of growth and the highest tax take in our history, the Government is heavily in debt.
So he has tied his own hands and is unable to do much of anything now.

Added to this, is Brown's total lack of vision and absence of leadership qualities. Now his Party are beginning to squabble amongst themselves.

His popularity like the economy will only get worse from here.

Personally, I hope he survives. Because:

1. I want to see Labour humiliated at the next election.
2. Because with him there point 1 is far more likely!

[Rick UK 22 Apr 2008 13:31:03]

Elizabeth

They would have no choice..as a Supply Bill they have to resign...it IS a vote of no confidence in the government in its own right..if they didn't the queen has the power to dissolve parliment but even this PM isn't stupid enough to let it go that far.

However, as I said, the gutless wonders in the Labour party will protect their own skins in the end....so it will never get to that.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 22 Apr 2008 13:10:30]

Rick, UK
Don't think for one moment NuLabour would have one ounce of decency to resign over a failed bill.
Blair didn't resign over all the mess he caused, he was pushed by the "Bulldog" into going.
Labour have invented the art of staying on when they are not wanted.

[Rick, UK 22 Apr 2008 12:52:15]

"Let's hope this episode forces a vote of confidence and we can get this shower out earlier than May 2010."

It doesn't need a vote of confidence. Voting down the finance bill is a vote of confidence in it's own right. The governmemt must resign.

Which is why all the hero Labour MPs will think again and vote to keep their noses firmly in the trough.

[Bill, Middle England 22 Apr 2008 12:36:08]

It will be interesting to see if Gordon finds some hidden pennies in his purse to sooth his rebels.

If he can, perhaps he'll then explain to the police why it couldn't be found for their pay.

If he can't, it will be yet more evidence that Gordon has landed us in so much debt he's got to increase taxes on some of the poorest in society.

New Lab is no different to Old Lab - economic incompetence hitting the very people they purport to defend.

Let's hope this episode forces a vote of confidence and we can get this shower out earlier than May 2010.

Otherwise, we are in for 2 years of New Lab imploding at the voters' expense.....

..and it's taken them a YEAR to wake up to this issue!!

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 22 Apr 2008 11:49:27]

Stephen
How true ...no safe Labour seats. The Labour MPs who are in threatened seats are probably going to become independants for the next General election.

[Stephen Williams 22 Apr 2008 11:11:45]

"I feel your pain", how the hell would he know what it feels like when he is on £188,000 a year, have you ever heard a bigger load of pony.

Until he publicly acknowledges (which he won't) that over 5 million people are worse off because of yet another one of his famous tax grabs then this will be seen for the blatant spin that it is which is quite simply damage limitation before the local elections & the Mayor of London election.

[John Delaney 22 Apr 2008 10:55:04]

Sarah, SW 22 Apr 2008 10:09:52

go and see the guardian poll

[Stephen Williams 22 Apr 2008 10:42:32]

JC,

Show me a Labour MP that actually does live in the real world.

They are all either in a parallel universe or up in their ivory towers!

[Bruce Hulmes 22 Apr 2008 10:38:26]

T. England.
May I correct you, Mr Brown looks after the white working class, but you have to move North of the border.
Reported today "a record number of free central heating systems installed for the over 60s in Scotland.

[JC, Deep South 22 Apr 2008 10:25:14]

Does anyone actually believe that Gordon Brown has seen the error of his ways and truly wants to change things for those loosing out because of his new tax plans... or is he just talking the talk after seeing the shocking predictions the polls are making for the forthcoming elections, trying to limit the damage that will be done to him and his party?

I mean, what is actually being done to change things?

Nothing.

As far as I can make out, they've announced that they'll widen the scope of their poverty review (yes, another review) to include the tax changes...

In other words they're saying, "We'll look again at this at a later date, and may or may not decide to do something about it"... hoping this will placate enough MPs for long enough to get the finance bill passed.

Two things amaze me - that Labour MPs are actually being taken in by this, and that they also think the electorate will fall for it... unbelievable.

[Sarah, SW 22 Apr 2008 10:09:52]

How can The Morning Mail say this when Brown has just had the worst drop in the polls since Atlee...?

Is the Morning Mail biased at all?

[Stephen Williams 22 Apr 2008 10:01:23]

Elizabeth,

Do you think they could find Tony Blair as safe Labour consistency seat that has a by- election coming up?

There is no such thing as a safe Labour seat anymore!

[Khalid 22 Apr 2008 09:58:52]

Well [Grace Jones] how ironic, they scream with joy, wave their papers, jump up and down etc, because everyone else is doing it, yet haven't a clue as to why they are cheering. Now, politics is indeed a tough business, but surely for the experts of book keeping to get it wrong after the dye has been cast is tantamount to the good old saying [She's Lost Control].

[Stephen Williams 22 Apr 2008 09:56:52]

The Morning Mail,

When the Tory opinion poll lead is massive you are the first to spout off that the next election is 2 years away yet when the Tory lead drops off a few percentage points you can't wait to spout off that the Tories can't even secure an election winning lead.

So obviously in your world the opinion polls are only credible when Labour has cut the Tory lead by a few points given as you say that the next election is still 2 years away.

You can’t have your cake & eat it!

[Seb/uk 22 Apr 2008 09:17:58]

What was the point in introducing the 10% rate in the first place?.How much money has been wasted in administration costs?.

[Sid in Gateshead 22 Apr 2008 09:13:39]

He feels our pain does he, well he is going to feel a whole lot more come the May elections.

[Fluffy, London, England 22 Apr 2008 09:12:59]

And the electorate reply "Rusty, you are a pain...!"

[Merv. Beszant, Dubai 22 Apr 2008 08:21:31]

Jon,
I certainly wouldn't put Browne and Prescott in the same bracket as Frank Field when it comes to integrity, and 'Toady' is a perfect description of Browne, who hasn't exactly excelled as Minister of Defence, and is presmably worried about keeping his job.
As for considering Prescott to be brave for admitting his eating disorder, I don't suppose Brown was too interested in the Prince's visit to Headley Court yesterday, an institution where truly brave, and seriously injured, Service men and women don't have all the facilities that they need because our caring P.M. refused them the money to build them!
'Very Human Brown'; what a joke, and all he is interested in is himself!

[T. England 22 Apr 2008 08:05:18]

Gordon is the last person in government to be touchy feely!
Gordon DOESN'T get it!

This man as far as I'm concerned does not in any way feel the pain & fruastrations of the public!
A great example of how out of touch he is was Gordons government not looking after the indiginous white working class & putting everyone else it seems before them, how in tune was Gordon with this mistake?
He wasn't! Thats why he needs to import immigrant votes!

Now this may seem a side line to the hard times to come, but people who feel they should have been LOOKED AFTER
by this government BEFORE this credit crunch have no faith in someone who would rarther give millions away to foreigners than look after their own!

Gordon & his government have NO IDEA! how we feel, all theyr'e thinking of is themselves & who will vote for them!

Touchy feely! More like , ignorant, arrogant & thinking of themselves!

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 22 Apr 2008 05:48:14]

Gordon Brown must have found the right door to go through last night but did he find the right words with the right effect.
Quote Brown:
"We will not allow people to go into poverty"...too late Mr Brown that has already happened.
But this is more like it from Mr Brown:
"We cannot have the budget defeated"...that's more like it, but Mr Field has other ideas it seems.
"Brave" Prescott is weighing in as well to save Gordon from himself!
They could go back to Blair and ask him to come back I suppose.

[The Morning Mail 22 Apr 2008 01:32:49]

I understand GB has the support of Shakira. She is a rather stunning and attractive individual, I recall a recent chart hit 'Hips don't lie', pity Dave Cammers and Gideon Osbo don't take her advice.

[J, Herts 22 Apr 2008 00:34:19]

"A transformation" "Brilliant"

Yeah, but what did Charles Clarke say about "very human" Gordon's performance ?

[The Morning Mail 22 Apr 2008 00:32:07]

Labour has survived attacks over 10p tax and Gordon Brown's credibility as prime minister, according to a Guardian/ICM poll published today. It suggests that the Conservative party has failed to establish a secure election-winning lead, with support for the opposition party falling while Labour has gained.

Dear Liz from Cape town, so much for your leader Dave Cameroon. He should be surging ahead of the Government at this time. Perhaps you should save the champagne, the spinning PR machine isn't too popularand isn't making much of an impact. Maybe Davie Davis would do a better job, who knows.

[Allan Giles Reading 21 Apr 2008 23:17:49]

Gordon Brown,when he was in New York, must have contacted Mark Penn the american pr man for advise,he cant wait to waste more money on advisors,Mark Penn may have helped Hillary Clinton,the jury is still out, the English public can only be fooled some of the time,we all thought give this government enough rope and they will hang themselves,its only a matter of time,we can only hope that they leave something behind to build on,we fear the worst,having sold of 415 ton of gold and everything else thats going on,it no wonder that they have to resort to taking money from the people that can least afford it,wake up England before its to late.