[Curlyben]

Prime Minister Gordon Brown confirms UK's general election will be held on 6 May.

BBC News - Gordon Brown calls 6 May general election

About bloody time. After everything that has happened during Labour's tenure or nearly 12 years (3 terms) it's about time we had a change.

Labour have swung from one side to the other and have now become more Conservative than the Conservatives. (please note this has a different meaning in the UK then in America)
Labour, the party that stood up for workers rights against Big Business are now happy bed fellows with those same big businesses.

I suppose I'm slightly deluded in the fact that which ever Party is "in power" don't really run the country. That job is let to the Senior Civil Servants and Permanent Securities. Governments come and go, but civil Servants prevail.

[tomder55]

I suppose I'm slightly deluded in the fact that which ever Party is "in power" don't really run the country. That job is let to the Senior Civil Servants and Permanent Securities. Governments come and go, but civil Servants prevail.

It's what I call the permanent bureaucracy. The larger the government becomes the more entrenched and intrusive it is. Here in the US it is the biggest growth industry ;and the workers are generally paid and receive better benefits than the tax payers that support it.

So why is Brown calling them now ? Is there some strategery involved ? Does he face a challenge to his leadership inside the party ? Is the runaway national debt there an issue like it is here ? Is there an equivalent of an independent movement looking to shake up the status quo ?

[DoulaLC]

I've always looked at it as Labour are similar to Democrats and Conservatives are similar to Republicans in the US.

You are very much correct that much of the power is elsewhere. Very few politicians are able, even when they fully intend to, to do all that they plan, promise, hope to because the power is not their's alone by any means! Sometimes I think that can be a good thing however... :)

[Curlyben]

So why is Brown calling them now ? Is there some strategery involved ? Does he face a challenge to his leadership inside the party ? Is the runaway national debt there an issue like it is here ? Is there an equivalent of an independent movement looking to shake up the status quo ?

Simply put he HAS to, time is running out on him. UK governments can run for UP TO 5 years, but elections are normally called every 4 and mostly in May just before their summer holidays, ooops meant to say recess, until October.
After 3 terms in office and a recent leadership change, Blair to Brown, labour are losing the confidence of the voters AND business.

[tomder55]

Sometimes I think that can be a good thing however

I don't think there is any place for a permanent unelected and unaccountable government . I've noted often here about elected official's agendas being undermined by a non-compliant resistant bureaucracy that thinks it can wait out the terms of elected officials. It is the official that takes responsibility /blame if policy is a failure .Often it is not the policy that is flawed ,but instead the execution of the policy by the rank and file. Here in the states it is cabinet officers... My guess is it is your ministers there who bear the brunt of the blame when often the permanent bureaucracy is intractable.

[Curlyben]

Don't forget Government and civil Service are two separate parts of the same system

[tomder55]

After 3 terms in office and a recent leadership change, Blair to Brown, labour are losing the confidence of the voters AND business.

So he's calling them while there is still a chance he can salvage majority control of the government ?

[Curlyben]

So he's calling them while there is still a chance he can salvage majority control of the government ?

Or so he hopes, yep.
While the Polls show there's a chance of winning, might as well, but time is not on his side.
Last general was May 2005 so he has very little time left.

To make things more interesting for him, after the recent scandal of expenses misuse there are 114 MP's standing down. This is the largest number since WWII

[tomder55]

I think that is good for a government .Here in the US there are too many lawmakers who make a career of screwing up everyone else's lives . I am a big believer in term limits .Hopefully there will be a large turnover in our Congress in November .

[tomder55]

Is this for real?. a 50% tax on high incomes ?
High earners hit as 50p tax rate goes ahead - Times Online

This reminds me of the thing I was told about the old Soviet Union . A laborer would say (paraphrase )"they pretend to pay us and we pretend to work" .

[Curlyben]

Yep completely correct.
Anyone paid more than £150,000 basic (about $200k) gets that tax on anything over that amount. Of course, as with US taxes, there's always ways around the system.

Sounds bad, but remember Labour where the high tax party. In the seventies the top rate was 65%.
A like the Russian saying, certainly applies to "high flying" Bankers ;)

[tomder55]

Good point... hard to see where they merit the pay. Then again... it could be that it takes a lot of effort to be such a screw up.

No one listened to those of us who said let the zombie banks fail . What we have done instead was ,through legislation, we have subsidizing moral hazard.

[tomder55]

Question

I hear rumbling that the Brits are finally getting the fact that the putz POTUS wants to disengage from our "old Europe "20th century alliances and are considering (especially the Cameron Tories) dropping the "special relationship "Great Britain has with the US.

Can't say I blame you . This President gave Brown American DVDs that won't play on British players .He gave the Queen a "best of " collection of his speeches (unbelievable ego) . But the biggest insult was returning Churchill's bust.

The Brits ;like the Germans are beginning to grasp,and may soon conclude that their best bet in the future is in a relationship with the other major power on the continent... Russia.

Cameron does not lead the Tories like Thatcher did. From what I read he is leading the Tories towards a path of isolationism in foreign policy and appears to becoming more socialist than the current government . In fact ;I can't find too much difference between Cameron's rhetoric and Obama's... puzzling since the Tories are purportedly the "conservative" party of the nation . Did Cameron sip the Obama kool-aide ;and if he did ,why would he then be pushing to disengage with the US ?
So the question is ;what direction will British foreign policy go under a possible Cameron run government ?

[Curlyben]

Interesting points there Tom and, I'm sorry to say, to be expected of the ego of the USA (POTUS at least)

As for the comments on the Tories, well I can see what you are saying, but the main problem is Labour.
As the Tories have been sitting in opposition to Labour they have had to shift their stance while Labour moved further from their original heartlands and ideals.

Yes Maggie was a great leader and, while she didn't have faults, produced more for this country than anyone before or since. While the current party leaders clearly lack the charisma and sheer determination of Mrs T, they have their own strengths. I would much rather see Cameron serve than have labour again or the washed out Liberals.
Remember these parties are quite different to how you would see their functions.
I know that in some quarters both Conservative and Liberal are seen as swear words.

Of all the main parties, the only one that has stayed true to it's ideals are the Liberals. They also control the majority of Town and County councils, so at a local level are running things nicely.

[tomder55]

How do you think the debate went ? Was it a reality show moment ?

washingtonpost.com

I like the format the French used where the candidates just had a dialogue .

[Curlyben]

Debate, yeah right.
As expected to "leaders" of Labour and Conservatives spent the time slagging off each others policies, while the LibDems just kept to what they do and didn't get involved in the backbiting.

So all in all LibDem "won" the evening for being the most honest of the bunch.

[tomder55]

I'm surprised . The debates in the House of Commons that get aired here seem to be genuine and poignant .

[tomder55]

Is Nick Clegg the Brit Obama ?


Nick Clegg ? the British Obama? | Politics | The Guardian

They both disguise their radical left positions with "moderate centrism" rhetoric .

He concerns me because like Obama he appears to favor a move away from the Anglo transAtlantic strategic relationship with British sovereignty subservient to an EU-led "European foreign policy".

On a positive note ;when the Clegg koolaid wears off in a year your system allows for a quick removal .

[Curlyben]

The journos don't half write utter Ball Hooks!!
Least Obama had a chance of election ;)

[tomder55]

:confused:
Sorry Ben ;could you translate that into English ?