Its All Out War Over At Downing Street - Bunker Down

[John51]

On the bright side...

They are so busy with their internal problems that they are leaving the economy alone, exactly the correct thing to do right now.

[IP Newcomer]

I dunno, even though the Tories were a f****g rabble at the time at least Major was a nice guy, Brown is simply off the scale.

Major was a nice guy in some respects (as is Brown) but he was a nasty mean factional fighter who almost destroyed his party and only saved the country's economy when the markets forced him out of ERM.

[Abstra]

I can't keep up with all this...its just mayhem. Like watching 10 years worth of Dynasty in 5 days.

GORDON BROWN�€™S reshuffle has created a bitter rift between his two most powerful lieutenants, threatening to derail attempts to rebuild his shattered government.

A Downing Street insider claims that Ed Balls �€œwent nuclear�€� as the prime minister wavered over whether to make him chancellor �€“ and threatened to stop cooperating with Lord Mandelson.

The schools secretary, whose hopes of being moved into No 11 were torpedoed when James Purnell, the work and pensions secretary, resigned, is said to suspect the business secretary of deliberately undermining his chances of getting the job.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/poli...icle6446324.ece

Meanwhile over at No 11

How Mrs Darling persuaded her man to defy the Prime Minister and refuse to leave No11

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11...leave-No11.html

PM and Balls called darling F"""ing useless

However, friends of Mr Darling launched a fresh attack on Mr Brown last night, accusing him of a telling a 'blatant lie' by publicly denying on Friday that he intended to sack the Chancellor.

The relationship between the two men has said to have deteriorated badly in recent weeks.

Labour Party insiders revealed that at times they have barely been on speaking terms.

No10 and the Treasury insist relations between the two men, who have been friends and political allies for three decades, are still strong.

But that does not tally with the eyewitness account of a Minister who saw the two pass each other in a No10 corridor last week.

'They walked past without saying a word or even looking at each other,' said the Minister. 'It was chilling.'

I don't have that much popcorn in for when the nuke goes off.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11...bring-down.html

Blair: The darkness in Gordon's heart will bring him down

Tony Blair believes Gordon Brown's political future is doomed because of 'the darkness in his heart' and his 'lies' - and feels Mr Brown has no one to blame but himself.

The former Prime Minister's devastating verdict on his successor is a blow to Mr Brown's hopes of surviving further moves to topple him, expected this week.

Publicly, Mr Blair has kept out of the row. However, The Mail on Sunday can disclose that privately he shares the view held by Labour rebels that Mr Brown will lead the Party to a disastrous defeat at the next Election.

Is it over! It is now! I can't fuc KING believe it!

[Methinkshe]

The excerpt quoted below from the following linked article goes some way to explaining why Gordon and the power associated with high office should never mix.

Will his bunker mentality finally destroy Gordon Brown?

According to his critics, the Prime Minister's problems also lie deep within him. He is a man temperamentally incapable of reforming himself because of his absolute belief that he alone is right, a belief bolstered by a sense of moral righteousness that is under-pinned by his Presbyterian upbringing.

Alastair Campbell has denied describing Brown as "psychologically flawed" – some believe it was Blair himself who said it – but the label has stuck. Charges of paranoia, insensitivity to others and a volcanic temper are routinely levelled against him. He has been accused of hurling telephones and other objects about, allegedly getting through three mobiles in a week, and it has been reported that switchboard operators in Downing Street complained about the Prime Minister's outbursts.

Worse still, his unshakeable belief in his own rightness is reinforced by sycophants who are either too scared of him, or for their jobs, to oppose him, thus Gordon's self-rightness is prone to a positive feedback loop where he can only become more and more obdurately convinced of his own infallible rightness.

[three pint princess]

Very good piece in the Telegraph yestarday that makes a good point.

Labour are going to lose the next general election, Mandelson is now in charge.

Labour should promise anything and everything in terms of reform, because they won't be in power

so can use this to build during the next term in opposition. Lower taxes, increased PS spending, VAT

to 5% , income tax to 10%.

Anything and everything should be put out as a firm Labour commitment, If they win. Otherwise it's the

Tories fault. This freedom should relax and give them some confidence building on itself, once Brown is

gone Labour should bob up to the surface again.

[Abstra]

WELL! We have a mountain of international debt. No industry. No border controls. And no effective Government. GREAT!

[NSB]

I dunno, even though the Tories were a f****g rabble at the time at least Major was a nice guy, Brown is simply off the scale.

Would a nice guy commit adultery with Edwina Currie ?

[Patfig]

Would a nice guy commit adultery with Edwina Currie ?

maybe it was a honey trap

[council dweller]

Would a nice guy commit adultery with Edwina Currie ?

Love is blind.

[messychopper]

Oh jesus it gets better, this is an all out knuckleduster.

Blair has knifed him now.

Blair: The darkness in Gordon's heart will bring him down

OUCH.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11...bring-down.html

Tony Blair believes Gordon Brown's political future is doomed because of 'the darkness in his heart' and his 'lies' - and feels Mr Brown has no one to blame but himself.

The former Prime Minister's devastating verdict on his successor is a blow to Mr Brown's hopes of surviving further moves to topple him, expected this week.

Publicly, Mr Blair has kept out of the row. However, The Mail on Sunday can disclose that privately he shares the view held by Labour rebels that Mr Brown will lead the Party to a disastrous defeat at the next Election.

In a damning verdict on Mr Brown's character, Mr Blair said of the Prime Minister recently: 'The darkness in his heart and the lies will be his downfall.'

Friends of Mr Blair say he has been 'saddened' by Mr Brown's performance and believes that he has failed to show the necessary leadership or policies.

'Gordon's performance has confirmed Tony's reservations about his suitability to be PM,' said one source.

'He hoped he would be a success and has tried to support him and offered what advice he can. But he always feared Gordon may not have the right temperament or character to do the job and that's how it has turned out.'

Another source close to Mr Blair claimed Mr Brown's wounds were 'self-inflicted'. He added: 'Tony's view is that Gordon has brought this all on himself. He spent years plotting against Tony and is in no position to complain now that it is happening to him.

THE TRUTH IS OUT......

[SarahBell]

Major was a nice guy in some respects (as is Brown)

Invite them to tea. Major would be a delight, a charmer, a gentle chinking of cup against saucer and he nibbling on a crustless cucumber sandwich. Brown would need serving in a trough. The slack jawed maniac with his facebook grin.

*shudders*

[three pint princess]

Look at Mandelson go.

BBC live headlines

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Falconer wants Brown debate

Mandelson: Stop attacking PM

Mandelson e-mail 'not hostile'

Sugar 'must choose role'

Flint in fresh attack against PM

Even the master of dark arts can hardly keep up with the constant barrage landing on Brown.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11...eakfast-TV.html

"But after spending most of his interview on The Andrew Marr Show manoeuvring his way around Marr's questions - Lord Mandelson slipped up at the final hurdle by insisting that 'Gordon Brown's Cabinet was united against him'."

Mandelson is running 4 or 5 stories at once and trying to position himself while controlling the

government at the same time. He has to organise what Brown says and get the whips to enforce

the spin. It's only 3pm, could this be the point he draws too much power and consumes himself?

[Wonga]

I hope Brown suffers for many hours and days first. I want a slow, painful death, with a complete annihilation of the Labour party.

It's take a while in coming.... but hopefully the party of 100 additional stealth taxes will be wiped out for at least a generation.

Enjoy

PS. Alan Sugar is obviously a dick head too, and is about to get burnt...... BRILLIANT!

[darwin]

Look at Mandelson go.

BBC live headlines

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Falconer wants Brown debate

Mandelson: Stop attacking PM

Mandelson e-mail 'not hostile'

Sugar 'must choose role'

Flint in fresh attack against PM

Even the master of dark arts can hardly keep up with the constant barrage landing on Brown.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11...eakfast-TV.html

"But after spending most of his interview on The Andrew Marr Show manoeuvring his way around Marr's questions - Lord Mandelson slipped up at the final hurdle by insisting that 'Gordon Brown's Cabinet was united against him'."

Mandelson is running 4 or 5 stories at once and trying to position himself while controlling the

government at the same time. He has to organise what Brown says and get the whips to enforce

the spin. It's only 3pm, could this be the point he draws too much power and consumes himself?

It's the only time he feels alive. Mandelson's got skills, I'll grudgingly give him that.

[hedgefunded]

Love is blind.

Probably goes 'like the privvy door when the plague's in town'

[Methinkshe]

It is not within the human remit to keep afloat as many lies at once as Mandelson is attempting to do.

He WILL come unstuck - more so than he already has.

[hedgefunded]

It's the only time he feels alive. Mandelson's got skills, I'll grudgingly give him that.

True. I might despise him, but he's bloody clever.

[Sybil13]

I keep asking, Brown goes and then what?

According to this thread this week, nothing will be different as far as QE and property prices so can someone tell me how this will make a difference ?

HPC Link

While it’s not surprising that Labour, as the party in power, is in the firing line, the Tories, and others, all have their skeletons in the cupboard too. But for Labour loyalists, it is not enough to say that others are equally culpable; we feel that we have the right to expect better from Labour.

It is probably not too harsh to say that we don’t necessarily expect too much by way of principle from the Tories. They have always been a party of the self-interested. That self-interest is sometimes – in their better moments – tempered by a touch of noblesse oblige; but, in these days of the “self-made manâ€, there hasn’t been too much noblesse in evidence.

Politics is, we know, a difficult business which demands compromise and the adjustment of principle to suit reality; but Labour politics has always seemed to enjoy – even in an era of aggressive individualism - the redeeming influence of a genuine concern for others and for the well-being of the whole community. So, how did we come to this? How did Labour embrace a culture of self-aggrandisement, pursued even against the interests of the disadvantaged in that society that we like to insist, pace Margaret Thatcher, does exist?

It might be argued that we can’t indict the whole Labour Party because of the defalcations of a few. Well, that is indeed the question. Has New Labour’s “intense relaxation†about the “filthy rich†now been extended to ourselves? And does that indulgence cover the “filth†as well as the riches? Is this what New Labour now stands for in British politics?

Once upon a time not so very long ago the Tories were voted out because most had had enough of their politics for a decade it looked like they would NEVER regain power as New Labour was a palatable form of Conservatism whilst Tories became more and more like the "green party" as they tried to think of something that would help them gain power.

So what now, are we heading for another decade of Conservatism until we all wake up to the fact that their politics is not good for the country either ?

[lowrentyieldmakessense(honest!)]

It wouldn't surprise me is Broon has a major meltdown and actually suffers a mental breakdown. he is clearly insane anyway.

i think there is a good chance he will end it all

bit sick really

someone with the balls just needs to stand against him and put him out of his misery

and yes it shows how most of the politicians are looking after their own self interest - i.e. worried about getting reelected

[Als]

Gordon Brown — Date of Birth: 20 February, 1951

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Your stars for 06 June 2009

That you're reluctant to upset others is understandable. Still, if you don't stand your ground over certain increasingly tense issues now, things could deteriorate to the point that the problems involved will be really serious. And that would be all the more upsetting. Knowing that, say what must be said, and forcefully.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Your stars for the week beginning 31 May 2009

Even the most down to earth Piscean still has a deep belief in magic. So when last week’s fantastic aspect between the fortunate Jupiter and your ruler Neptune took place, and amazing if unsettling events appeared from nowhere, you were thrilled. Unfortunately, not everybody has your gift of vision, which means your main problem is preventing those who’re less enthusiastic about such events from halting their progress. Although they can try, and may succeed in the short term, with this aspect recurring in July and late December, there’s no stopping the tide of change. Or of opportunity. So let those who’re anxious do their thing. And you do yours, which hopefully, involves exploring everything.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Your stars for the week beginning 31 May 2009 in detail

For you, Pisces, the week of the 31st will be a week during which you'll be evaluating many things – but, ideally, not making many decisions. As the week begins, you may be frustrated by hearing that, simply because you'll have been anxious about certain matters and worried that if you don’t make decisions, there'll be problems. But then often, you, as Pisces, find yourself in that state - you will know that certain things need to be done or dealt with, but when you begin evaluating your options, you get lost in a combination of details and concerns about your own requirements, the requirements of situations and the needs of others.

This will be all the more the case as the week of the 31st begins and, only a few days ago, the planet that’s all about growth, the mighty Jupiter, met your ruler, Neptune. While these two planets have been together in the most strategic part of your chart for some time now, this encounter - which is the first of three this year - will lead to both personal insights and will also touch you in many areas of your life. It will accent what you need to do and what you could be doing. But, more than that, it will also expose you to brilliant new ideas. These may come from others, they may appear as a result of something you encounter by chance, or it could be something you devise on your own.

Whatever the case, because this is new, it’s obvious you'll need to gather facts and do some exploration. Yet you'll also be so excited about this that you'll feel that if you don’t organise things in some way – and do what might be termed, make this your own - then it could just vanish.

It's worth keeping in mind, therefore, that because this aspect occurs twice again this year - in July and in December - you’re in the midst of a cycle of exploration and, however important what’s arisen seems to be, there's yet more to come.

More than that, you'll also be untangling issues that have been a source of some concern. In early May, on the 7th, Mercury, the ideas planet, went retrograde, bringing with it the usual confusion, and it’s continued to be in reverse motion through all of the month of May, only ending this cycle on Sunday the 31st. Because Mercury is positioned in the part of your chart that has to do with your point of view and is joined by the dynamic, if somewhat impatient, Mars actually also on Sunday the 31st, either you'll feel impatient about getting things done or you'll be dealing with others who are equally impatient.

That alone would be worrying. But the fact is that, as is always the case when Mercury has only just ended its retrograde cycle, you'll need to spend some time untangling truth from falsehood, some of which will merely have been accidental and others which may have been somewhat more then mistakes, you could even discover that certain false-hoods were intentional.

What you learn will influence your thinking about any number of these decisions and will help you realise that the pressure you’ve been putting on yourself to be decisive actually is inappropriate. If others want to know what your intentions are, tell them exactly that, what you'd like to do. But by as early as June 7th, when the Full Moon crosses the parts of your chart that have to do with your priorities and the structure of your life, and when you're thinking about what you want more of in your life and what you don’t, you'll be grateful that you didn’t commit to too much. And, equally when, next week, Mercury challenges both your ruler, Neptune, and Jupiter, and either there are yet more revelations or differences with others, again, you'll be grateful you didn’t commit.

View the week of the 31st and the coming weeks, therefore, as the weeks of discussion and discovery that they are, and what you learn won't just be illuminating, it will contribute to the insights that will, ultimately, lead to important decisions - but, more than that, will lead to an illuminating journey to making them.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Your stars for June 2009

For ages you’ve sensed breakthroughs were coming but couldn’t define them. That’s because you couldn’t have anticipated the events triggered by the rare encounter between the expansive Jupiter and your ruler Neptune, on May 27th. This begins a lengthy and wonderful cycle of new ideas, offers and excitement. While it may throw existing plans into chaos, it’s a small price to pay for what comes your way. Some events are no surprise. But it’s those that come from out of the blue that will, ultimately, prove most welcome.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Your stars for June 2009 in detail

As a Pisces, and somebody who was born with a strong sense of vision, you, perhaps more than any other sign, are conscious that however permanent things seem and however fixed arrangements appear to be, they could change - and change in a twinkling. During your life you’ve had numerous experiences where circumstances have changed, your point of view has altered, or arrangements with others have been transformed, suddenly, often in a welcome fashion and sometimes in ways that were less welcome.

Whatever the case, you have learned that what seemed fixed or permanent isn’t and that therefore any decisions you make need be regarded as but one element in a cycle of decisions. For this reason, as the month of June begins, you'll be mulling over the extraordinary ideas or opportunities triggered by the encounter with the planet of growth and opportunity, Jupiter, and your ruler, Neptune, just as the month of May came to a close.

While this is an extremely rare planetary aspect, it occurs again in early July, which suggests that straightforward or clear cut as those offers that arose in late May could seem, they're actually only part of a cycle of questioning and exploration. What's more, because Jupiter meets your ruler, Neptune, again, late in the year, in December, you'll find that whatever you decide during this cycle is likely to be altered or evolve as a result of developments during the year.

For this reason, you'll approach the events of the month of June as part of a larger pattern of change and instead of trying to get everything arranged just so, as you might ordinarily do, you'll what to organise things in such a way that they can evolve over time. True, there'll be pressure to organise things and with the Full Moon, on June 7th, accenting the parts of your chart that have to do with the structure of your life, some of the changes you're talking about could be serious enough that you'll want to make fairly sure what you're doing and what you're getting involved in. Consequently, there may be the need for tough discussions and, equally, tough questions.

With Mars, the planet of energy, and as of June 6th, Venus, joining Mercury in the part of your chart that has to do with these discussions, and with both Mars and Venus brilliantly aspecting the truthful Pluto during June’s first ten days, it would appear that those discussions will be worthwhile and revealing. However, you'll also need to be tough and demand that others be frank or, perhaps, demand that you get the facts you require, particularly on the 9th and 10th, when Mercury confronts both Neptune and Jupiter. This means that you'll want to get to the bottom of things and ensure that any facts you're given are clear, adequate, and applicable to what you need to know.

Maintain this inquisitive attitude during June’s second half, when Mercury moves into the part of your chart that accents the structure of your life, and you'll be in exactly the right frame of mind to discuss those plans for the future. What's more, with, on the 21st, the Sun, moving to accent who and what you enjoy most, and with the New Moon taking place there a day later, on the 22nd, you'll also be considering the balance between various obligations and how changes would affect those, and how changes would shape your daily life, activities that you enjoy, and your relationships with loved ones.

Striking the right balance with these is always a challenge. But if you're aware that with Jupiter meeting Neptune, yet again, in July, and again in late December, this is a process of discussion and exploration, then not only will you learn from each of those discussions, you'll recognise that each is taking you closer to achieving the exciting goals promised by late May’s encounter between the expansive Jupiter and your ruler, Neptune.

[Guest pioneer31]

The English have always been better at backstabbing (fu king) than the Scots anyway

The best case ever - Tony f king up the country and getting out of the sh it just in time to load it all onto his best friend

Tony Blair has some Scots blood in him.

I would say that the Scots are exemplary at being s**t. Blair, Brown, Darling, Michael Martin.....

[Guest pioneer31]

The English have always been better at backstabbing (fu king) than the Scots anyway

The best case ever - Tony f king up the country and getting out of the sh it just in time to load it all onto his best friend

Tony Blair has some Scots blood in him.

I would say that the Scots always seem to occupy positions way above their capability. Brown, Darling, Michael Martin.....

[Guest pioneer31]

I hope Brown suffers for many hours and days first. I want a slow, painful death, with a complete annihilation of the Labour party.

Oh, me too!!

PS. Alan Sugar is obviously a dick head too, and is about to get burnt...... BRILLIANT!

of course he is. He's a shortarsed, wrinkly faced, little twunt who made a fortune from selling crap record players. Now everyone thinks he's the next Messiah, just because he sits in his high backed leather chair with a bunch of brown nosers, frightening young graduates to death.

Yes Sir Alan, no Sir Alan. thankyou for insulting me Sir Alan

[oracle]

It's the only time he feels alive. Mandelson's got skills, I'll grudgingly give him that.

no,he's a manipulative little bitch

hell hath no fury like.............

it's pointless trying to hold a rational conversation with him,it's just like talking to a partner with a permanent case of PMT.

[Guest sillybear2]

Would a nice guy commit adultery with Edwina Currie ?

Yes, nice chap, affable, easily pleased!

I'd rather a politician rodger a colleague than f**k the country and public finances.