Today, with Brown away on holiday, Mandelson takes charge of the country for a week.

Can anyone else think of another country where a politician who has been sacked twice for being a crook is given a swanky new job within even so much as a by your leave to the electorate and then allowed to "take charge of the country"?

David Icke's 'Lizard People' theory at work!!

I think you'll find that Berlusconi is even less of an upstanding person than Mandy. He is straight, however.

Grace & favour roles are everywhere, not just a NuLabour invention.

I think you'll find that Berlusconi is even less of an upstanding person than Mandy

Burlesque-scone-head is a British MP?! 😯

Moses, a very valid point! Berlusconi takes crookedness to new heights!

Odd thing is, it's almost expected behaviour for an Italian (or French) politician to be a philandering old letch though!

He comes across quite well. It's a little comforting to know that Brown does have someone behind him that actually knows something about politics. Even if he is waiting in the wings to take his job.

Yeah…. but Italy is effectively a Banana Republic. If what goes on there was happening in Africa, we'd be sending the troops/UN monitors in.

Anyway… if I lived in northern Italy and earned a half-decent wage and could go riding in the Alps every day, I doubt I'd be fussed about what a lecherous pensioner in Rome was getting upto.

As it is I live in a rainy country which is effectively bankrupt. Ho hum

Given that Mandelson isn't an MP, and thus not elected in any form by the electorate. Doesn't this mean the effectively we have a dictator at the moment?

Is this a political post with the Captain having a pop at the Labour government 🙄

I may run a sweep stake on how many he does a month leading up to the election.

If it winds you up mon flashy ami, then can I nominate Harman to share his office and make sure he doesn't get up to anything too manly?

British "democracy" in action.

does it really make much difference who 'runs' the country
i mean its not like the PM purifies my water, recycles my sewage or generates the electricity to power my kettle

distribution of wealth is still piled in favour of a chosen few whether they are mps and ceos or generals and dictators

you dont really elect anyone anyway, you just elect a PR projected image of someone, infact as the 2 major parties have no genuine difference in the policies they will implement when in power do we have any sort of real democracy anyway?

Is this a political post with the Captain having a pop at the Labour government

What Junkyard? He does this a lot does he? Flash and the other tbs like nothing better than an easy target – and as long as they're on message every day and posting whatever some toryblogger's telling them to post on whatever forums they frequent, they're relatively happy.

Mind you, I bite some of the time and that shows me to be an eejit too.

Never mind…everyone knows the tories are getting a very very easy time from a largely right wing media (apart from the horrific left wing conspiracy that is the BBC, and wait and see how quickly the tories try to dismantle it when they get in) and the public at the moment. I'm saving the ammo for when it really matters. There's plenty in storage.

Harman's had her turn at the helm already!

Junkyard, not exactly a barbed thread at the Labour party per se, more about Mandelson and the fact that someone with his past, and who is totally unelected by the people, is to run the country!

someone with his past, and who is totally unelected by the people, is to run the country!

I didn't know you back then, but I suspect you never bleated on about the amount of unelected Lords that sat in the upper house.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/cartoon/2009/aug/10/martin-rowson-peter-mandelson

What exactly does 'running the country' mean in this context – does PM have the ability to set policy, change spending plans, start wars etc? Or is he just there as someone to keep GB's seat warm while he's away. I think a trained chimp could probably do the latter…

Trouble with Mandy is that he is very very clever. Way brighter than most of the combined front bench's.

I think history will show that a lot of the work he did in Ireland helped towards the end of that conflict. Not forgetting Mo Mowlem.

a trained chimp could probably do the latter

This move could put us in grave danger. Have you not seen planet of the apes?

I think I may be the only person in the country that really likes and rates Mandy. Can't stand the Labour govnt, but he's head and shoulders above the rest of the Cabinet. At least he sounds like he knows what he is talking about and doesnt turn into a panicking rabbit every time someone puts a microphone under his nose.

……and as far as I can tell he's done a damn good job in every major job he's had.

New Labour election strategist 1997 – check
Sec of State for Trade and Industry – check
N.Ireland – check. Mo Mowlam bless her was a disaster. All very well getting cosy with Sinn Feinn (and I'm not knocking that) but she managed to totally lose the Unionists, Mandy really did a job there.
EU Trade Commissioner – check. A lone voice of liberalism, noised up the French on CAP which has to be good.

…..and back to the DTI amongst all his other titles. The guy is impressive.

…I agree about his competence, but he didn't know the difference between guacamole and mushy peas.

🙂

politician who has been sacked twice for being a crook

CFH I know you are looking to start a debate but "crook"? really?

Sacking 1 – borrowed money from rich friend on the quiet. Implication of conflict of interest within the Labour party.

Sacking 2 – wrote to the home secretary to try and get a favour for a couple of businessmen who fancied a British passport.

Hardly hanging offences but after the Major years, sleaze of any kind was a big no-no. Go watch The Wire then talk to me abount bent politicians.

…I agree about his competence, but he didn't know the difference between guacamole and mushy peas.

Moses, darling (talking about PM has made me go all camp), the mushy peas episode was a joke and frankly a pretty good one.

Junkyard, not exactly a barbed thread at the Labour party per se

I seemed to have missed your ones saying anything bad about the Tories {scratches head in confusion struggling for a reason for this as you are clearly so neutral and fair]

I have seen the ones where you made a point of linking to Dave as a man of the people because he said ****t on radio (I think the ex News of the World media consultant …we all have one of those dont we?…. said it would make him look more common and down to earth.

McBoo, sweetiepie, I know. 🙂
And as a chappie with connections to Hartlepool, I find it even funnier.

He comes across quite well. It's a little comforting to know that Brown does have someone behind him that actually knows something about politics.

Id rather he actually knows something about running the country, personally 🙂

And, IMO, he does.
Im with mcboo, I rather rate him. He's intellectually miles ahead of the rest of the Cabinet – it is a pity he invests so much of his mental capacity in politicing though. As for his "offences" again, they're pretty lightweight in the scheme of things – his relationship with Deripaska is more of concern.

Maybe I like him because he's so not like the rest of the intellectually vapid, chippy, Parliamentary Labour party. There's a word for it I think…um….a Tory 😉

Junkyard, why does anyone have to be neutral and fair in anything? Should I also post in defence of how wonderful I think fixies are for riding in London?

Also, my post re Cameron saying a rude word was about the hope that a backlash about Twitter had begun, not about any political leanings. Then again, I suppose I'm not allowed an opinion on Twitter unless I also post one from the other side of the fence as well to be neutral…..

Maybe I like him because he's so not like the rest of the intellectually vapid, chippy, Parliamentary Labour party. There's a word for it I think…um….a Tory

so youre saying that george osborne isnt?!!?

I seemed to have missed your ones saying anything bad about the Tories

Junkyard, you clearly need to look out a bit more…

look more common and down to earth

Never mind, there is plenty of time for him and his fagging buddies to be found out for the people they really are. Which tory shithead was it the other day on the radio, when some organisation (not government linked) mentioned that there were signs of an economic recovery…I can't remember, it wasn't George Osbourne, that's for sure…

He sounded like he had Daves hands elbow length up his arse working his mouth. It's currently off-message for a tory to even sound remotely optimistic. Now they're all being told to call it "Gordon Brown's Recession" and warn the public that everything still is a mess, despite what anybody else says. Clueless, clueless and more clueless…screw talking about our lack of coherent policies lads, just stick to the message…no matter how stupid it makes you sound on the radio.

my opinion of George Osborne is slightly lower than my opinion of Gordon Brown.

Darcy, I think you dropped your tin foil hat. I'm not "being told to call it" anything. Sorry to disappoint.

Go watch The Wire then talk to me abount bent politicians.

Shhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttttttttttt

Darcy, I think you dropped your tin foil hat. I'm not "being told to call it" anything. Sorry to disappoint.

Well if you drop yours, Flash, it's safe to bend over and pick it up now; you're not in school with your old mates anymore. And as for not being "told"…that's what you think, I think you might be a victim of subliminal on-messaging…have you noticed any really quick flashing messages on the toryblogs you've been frequenting?

my opinion of George Osborne is slightly lower than my opinion of Gordon Brown.

That high Stoner? Brown and Osborne unarmed and naked (don't be having fantasies just because I mentioned George Flash)…opposite corners of the room, big (red) drill in the middle…whistle goes….

Brown and Osborne unarmed and naked

lathered up with a slippery inflammable oil should make for a little bit of fun before I throw the match in and do us all a favour…

Darcy do you have a problem with the gays? Do you subliminally long for a big hairy tadger up your bum?

You don't know me at all mcboo…but save to say, "no, and no again"

OK just thought I would ask. Just two posts in a row you brought up "fagging" and "bending over in the showers".

You sure?

I am quite sure…not sure what's going through your mind though…

"fagging"

I'm sure Flash will explain that this activity doesn't necessarily involve homosexual acts.

…showers

I don't recall mentioning showers anywhere…anyway, back OT…

hth

infact as the 2 major parties have no genuine difference in the policies they will implement when in power do we have any sort of real democracy anyway?

Just see what policies they'd have if you didn't have the power to vote them out. The fact their policies are so close is actually evidence that democracy (as overrated as that might be) is working properly – if they thought different policies would make them more electable they'd have different policies.

Despite not being a Labour supporter (for those who don't follow these things – I don't post on political threads as much as I used to), I also rate Mandy. I'm sure I've had a go at him on here before, but he has the distinct merit of being very intelligent, and at the end of the day I'd rather have very intelligent people who know what they're doing running the country, whatever their political persuasion.

Forgive my naivety (sp?) but doesn't Brown hate Mandy?
I was under the impression that he only took him back was because he really needed him because despite the fact that Mandy is a moral vacuum; he's actually good at what he does?