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PM urged to 'stop talking big'
Joe Murphy, Political Editor30 Jan 2009
GORDON BROWN is being urged to tone down his "global superman" image as another poll showed it falling flat with voters.
An Labour ally of the Prime Minister said: "He has got to stop going on about the global problem and talk in a calmer way about people's problems at home.
"We need some fresh thinking to give the PM new language that will speak to ordinary people."
Today's poll found more than half the public think Mr Brown has managed the economic crisis badly. A third partly blame him for letting borrowing get out of hand.
Downing Street has dismissed claims that Mr Brown was "tearful" at meetings with Labour MPs this week. Backbencher John McDonnell claimed the PM looked weepy meeting Heathrow runway rebels to beg them to be loyal in Wednesday's vote. Mr Brown is famous for his appetite for hard work but some Labour MPs are worried he is overdoing it.
Today's YouGov survey for The Daily Telegraph is the third this week to show David Cameron strongly ahead. The Tories were on 43 per cent, with Labour trailing on 32 and the Liberal Democrats squeezed to 16. In October, 36 per cent thought Labour were best placed to handle the crisis but that has sunk to 28. Backing for the Tories on the economy has shot up from 29 to 35 per cent.
Reader views (20)
A new class is needed in parliament which commands the respect of the people and which leads and sets standards which the majority will try to aspire to.
- Dave Morris, Sunderland, 01/02/2009 04:25
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Democracy arrives in Irak whilst here in the UK we have a Prime Minister we have never elected,Ministers in the House of Lords created by that same PM & Lords who will change laws for money.The same Prime Minister can mortgage future generations with no reference to the electorate.Even when talking big this jawdropping buffoon fails.
- p.doff, filey uk, 31/01/2009 15:05
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Brown talks so much rubbish I just switch off when I hear him speak as I imagine alot of people do. It would be refreshing if he just shut up for 5 minutes as all he seems to be able to say are either outrageous lies or a dig at anyone who dares oppose him, He is like a broken record churning out the same old lies in the vain hope that if it is repeated often enough people will eventually beleive it, when the reality is most people with half a brain just switch off and will only listen to him again when they hear the only words '' goodbye cruel world''. For everyones sake Gordon Brown SHUT UP
- Mark, Diss, 31/01/2009 14:13
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I think he is talking about Mick - the Gorbals problem !
- Wills, Soton, 31/01/2009 13:49
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Let no one forget that it was Gordon Brown who sold our gold in May 1999 for an average price of US$275 an ounce ( a 22 year low).Current price over US$900 an ounce!He didnt sell an ounce of our gold at this price;Oh no it was 395 tonnes of it.Brilliant stuff just like his 5 billion pound theft of pension funds
- brian french, Penang,Malaysia, 31/01/2009 06:15
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Why can there be no election?? Remember Zimbabwe?!
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London, 30/01/2009 21:03
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We must have a general election now, to get the NuLiebor enemies of this country, out of office.
- Dee Jay, Fleet UK, 30/01/2009 18:15
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Gordon Brown the man that took up politics at school, and saw it as a career has had one single endeavour in mind, to talk big. With no work experience, what else is left for him, it’s a case of talk big or disappear into obscurity.
- Ian, Reading, England, 30/01/2009 18:12
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Oh dear. Who will rid us of this oh so tiresome man and his retinue of clowns.
- Mel Barrows, Tenerife. Canary Islands., 30/01/2009 15:56
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We are fed up with hearing Gordon saying this is a golbal promblem other countries are worse off than us.We what him to do something about it.And please do not say it was worse under the others.We want action for the problem with us now.
- Dave Smith, Croydon, 30/01/2009 15:41
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Broon, stop talking and do something! Now, tell us what you are doing! Oh not the hair of the dog again, surely.
- Sandy, Ealing, UK, 30/01/2009 14:38
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Talk is cheap as the popular adage goes. The time for less talk and more effective policy should be Labour's mantra. The immediate past Labour Chancellor should bear most of the blame for the poor handling of the credit crunch in Britain. After all he created the FSA and has been in complete control of UK economic policy since May 1997
- Toks, London,UK, 30/01/2009 13:53
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But talking big is all he knows how to do. Brown really doesn't believe or understand that our ability to respond effectively to the global crisis is essentially down to his mismanagement of the economy in the last 10 years. He'll never accept or acknowledge that, so all he CAN do is try to blame it on the USA and a Global crisis. I expect we'll continue to hear the same mantra - "It's a global crisis that started in the USA"; "we need a global response to a global problem"; "The UK went into this global crisis well positioned to deal with it"; "I'll do everything (i.e. ANYTHING that involves borrowing & spending more money) I can to avoid people losing their jobs or their homes".
- Malcolm, London, 30/01/2009 13:08
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GB = Great Britain, Gordon Brown and Gone Bust. Hope he is proud of what he has done the past 10+ years
- Mike, London England, 30/01/2009 13:08
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How about just stop talking full stop, and maybe a bit of actual doing instead?
- Marianne, SW France, 30/01/2009 13:01
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He CAN'T get off the rollercoaster he started. How can Brown maintain the spurious claim the "rest of the world" is following his lead, if he suddenly changes tack and starts to pay attention to the plight of UK voters?
Brown has been using the "rest of the world" as a fig leaf to cover his own incompetence, his dereliction of duty and twelve years of absolute mismanagement of the UK economy.
In his dubious language and without their tacit agreement, Brown is trying rope other leaders of developed nations into adopting the same dangerous initiatives he is starting to remedy the UK's ailing economy, in a futile attempt to justify the excessive borrowing programme.
This has all the hallmarks of a conman.
- Bingham Macnamara, lymington, hampshire, 30/01/2009 12:39
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"We need fresh thinking to give the PM new language to speak to the people". This leads me to believe that Brown has been saying only what he has been told to say - and that those telling him are now trying to finds new words for him to use. There is really only one way of saying it - "Brown and Darling have brought this country to the brink of bankruptcy and are too arrogant to admit that their positions are untenable
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 30/01/2009 12:27
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Carry on Gordon you're doing fine, after all, no one in their right mind will vote for you in the next election will they?
- Bob, Cheam, 30/01/2009 11:55
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I think the PM should stop talking altogether.
- Isabel, Woking, 30/01/2009 11:39
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With Mr Brown's great Global ideas it looks as though he could become the scapegoat for deepening global chaos.. ha, ha, ha.
- Tony Islander, Herts, 30/01/2009 10:35
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