Day: September 17, 2014

Categories
Scottish Referendum

Gordon Brown is Gifted with th Ability to Leave you feeling you are a lesser person.

Gordon Brown – Leaves you feeling you are a lesser person.

1. History will record that Gordon Brown’s record in government could be readily likened to a Greek tragedy. As a leader it was obvious early on that his undoubted intelligence persistently hampered his ability to access others.  Even his toughest critics accept that he is an intelligent man. It is a matter of record that Brown was studying History at Edinburgh University at age 16 and that he went on to get his PhD from the same university. Like the fate of talented, driven people before him, he was “promoted” for his brilliance and aptitude. He is an intelligent, ambitious man by all measures. But a better question for a Prime Minister might be “What effect does he have on the intelligence in the people around him?” There, Brown has struggled. Consider a few examples:

a. The Tyrant vs The Liberator. Tom Bower’s biography, Gordon Brown, Prime Minister offers detailed insight into someone described as “psychologically flawed”; a chaotic figure, prone to sudden and terrible rages. “Repeatedly he lost his temper, screaming obscenities at those he damned as dishonorable or incompetent,” writes Bower.

b. Decision-Maker vs. The Debate Maker. Brown has a gravity pull towards making decisions unilaterally or with a small group of inner advisors. Caroline Flint felt so underutilized that when she resigned she described being no more than “window dressing.” She wrote, “You have a two-tier government. Your inner circle and then the remainder of cabinet… In my current role, you advised that I would attend cabinet when Europe was on the agenda. I have only been invited once since October and not to a single political cabinet – not even the one held a few weeks before the European elections…I am not willing to attend cabinet in a peripheral capacity any longer.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jun/05/caroline-flint-resignation-letter

c. Micromanager vs. The Investor. Bower describes Brown as a control freak as Chancellor, determined to micro-manage not just the economy but the entire sweep of British domestic policy, even contractually binding government departments to do the Treasury’s bidding or else face a cut in their budgets.

d. Core Assumptions. Then came the moment just days ago, in the midst of the General Election where Brown was caught on a microphone calling Gillian Duffy “a bigoted sort of a woman” after just having told her to her face that she had a nice family. His disdain for her opinions revealed an amazing contempt for the views of ordinary people. There was no curiosity in his voice. Just accusation, judgment and blame of his handlers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/28/gordon-brown-bigoted-woman

e. When I think of Brown over the last three years I am reminded of something Bono wrote in Time magazine: “It has been said that after meeting with the great British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, you left feeling he was the smartest person in the world, but after meeting with his rival Benjamin Disraeli, you left thinking you were the smartest person.” By all accounts Gordon Brown falls into the Gladstone category.

f. I have often thought that the job of Prime Minister is now so complicated that it is impossible for a person—however intelligent—to be successful at it. It is no longer just how intelligent they are themselves that matters, but how well they can access the intelligence of the people around them.

http://multipliersbooks.com/prime-minister-gordon-brown-intelligence-diminisher/

Video Clips of Brown in Full Flow

The inside political story of the credit crunch, charting the roller coaster journey of Gordon Brown’s fortunes from the moment the recession began.

Is he fit for high office? It is a puzzle to me how such a flawed personality has survived in politics for so long. thank you for sharing this one and all the great documentaries on your channel.

Gordon Brown and Gillian Duffy, who he was later heard off-camera describing her as a ‘bigoted woman’.

Gordon Brown caught on Sky News microphone describing Labour voter as bigot (a microphone his team requested be attached to his lapel).

The woman that Gordon Brown called a bigot gives her instant reaction to what Gordon Brown called her.

And to think one of the most biting economic downturns was caused by a man who wrapped himself in ‘prudence’

Farage blasts Gordon Brown as he calls for New Global Order

Labour managed to spend the 3G money as well ! And the £35 billion they raided from British Pension Funds and every other stealth tax they invented. 10p in the £ anybody? And if 40p was OK then why is 45p wrong now? Hypocrites! You only get into debt when you spend more than you earn and borrow to make up the difference. Its really very simple. Even before the Bank bail outs we were in the shit with Labour. It now turns out the 2008 / 09 recession was 2% worse than we were told.

British troops have begun their withdrawal from Iraq after over six years of occupation. The war led to a disconnect between the British people and their elected representatives, as well as a backlash against the UK’s Muslim minority. It also led to much death and destruction in Iraq itself.

Scottish Referendum. Gordon Brown has no right to talk for the English. I for one will not let a Scottish MP and the one who ran the UK into the ground make deals to his own people on my behalf. Make note Scots anyone telling you the English will bribe you to stay has no authority. Don,t think you can have your cake and eat it. If you want to stay then great but 60 million English will not pay you to stay whatever Gordon thinks he can say on our behalf. English Nationalism will make a comeback so get ready for it.

Gordon Brown Launches Big Bribe timetable at Loanhead

Categories
Scottish Referendum

The Whistleblower the BBC / Herald and the Scottish Health Service

1. Impact of Referendum Attacks by the Better Together Campaign

a. I expected, “Bitter Together to hit back at the, “Yes” campaigners’ with a few scare stories in the last few days before the referendum and I was not surprised when the, (heavily biased) BBC and The Herald, selectively released information from confidential papers supposedly passed them by a senior NHS whistle-blower, who said they had become frustrated by the argument of the “Yes” campaign that the biggest threat to the NHS comes from the UK government.

2. The Health Service Budget for 2015-2016

a. The Scottish government remains committed to, “protecting and increasing the NHS budget” despite yet another reduction in the Block Funding Grant from the UK Government, in Westminster,(for the 5th consecutive year) of 7.2%. The NHS budget will be further increased in the next financial year meaning that, in real terms the budget will have been increased by £1 Million+ since the government took office.

b. Integration of services is particularly important so as to ensure the nations elderly population is kept well and provided with care in the best setting for their well being. The Health Service is always developing so that it is able to meet the changing demands of the people of Scotland, and that is the reason for the new legislation which is designed to integrate health and social care, (currently split) in Scotland from April next year.

c. Retention of status quo and preservation of existing models of care are no longer options given the pressing challenges the Service faces and in order to meet the goals health boards will be set an efficiency saving target of 3%+ so that funds of between £400-£450 can be accrued over the next 2 financial years.

d. Progress towards the agreed goals has been slower than anticipated due to a shortage of, “pump priming finance” needed to run dual care systems for a time and a need to purchase additional capital equipment meeting existing and recently enhanced patient care systems and consumables.

e. Radical and urgent decisions will need to be made regarding the shape and configuration of services and there can be no, “sacred cows” in terms of savings. All options are open for discussion but there is to be no implementation of any major change without the authorization of the Minister. It is of great importance that there is an unqualified commitment (on the part of health Board Chief Executives) to these priorities and full acceptance that significant changes will require to be implemented.

3. The Whistle-Blower and the BBC / Herald

a. In their analysis of the content of the confidential papers, (assisted no doubt by the senior Health Service Whistle-Blower clearly pursuing his/her own anti, “Yes” campaign agenda) a view was formed that there would be a £400 Million funding gap suggesting a radical cost-saving plan involving sweeping changes would need to be implemented in the Scottish NHS after the referendum so that boards would break even. This is not in dispute since details were already included in the papers

b. The Whistle-Blower is reported to have told the BBC, “Services are unsustainable right across Scotland from three emergency Centres in Lanarkshire, to emergency care at the Vale (of Leven) to Paediatrics at St John’s (in Livingston), and with particular issues for more rural boards, hence the problems at Grampian. “The current pattern of services is fully funded and underpinned but short-term money and fixes won’t stack up going into next year. Again this is not in dispute since details were already in the papers. He/she is flying a kite here. He/she cannot presume to speak for Health Boards other than his own since he/she has no direct knowledge of operational routine other than his own area. of expertise.

c. There is a complete gap between policy announcements about care in the community and more money for primary care, and the announcements and commitments which continually increase the cost of acute care. Clearly he/she is unable to read and understand the content of the papers. There is no new money at this time available for primary care. Savings will need to be identified and made so that finance released can be reallocated to these areas.

4. The Scottish Governments Reply

a. The Scottish government informed the BBC and the Herald that the, “consultation papers” formed the first part of a series of regular discussions routinely conducted among NHS leaders providing a vehicle affording time to plan NHS Scotland’s future strategy.

b. Health Secretary Alex Neil said, “We’ve protected Scotland’s NHS from the Tories” cuts, and with independence we can ensure that it is never again under threat from Westminster’s dangerous obsession with austerity.

c. He added, “To ensure we can continue to develop the NHS, it’s important that NHS boards regularly discuss their future plans to inform budget discussions with Scottish government officials, and to identify how we will continue to deliver quality care and treatment.”