Filed under: Brown
Word of Gordon’s accession as Prime Minister has not been warmly received by everyone in the Gulf. I refer to a letter in today’s ‘Gulf News’ from one ex-pat who comes from Gordon’s homeland of Scotland.
‘Gordon Brown will do what all Labour governments have always done; increase tax for those that work and hard it over en masse to those that keep them in government. Such as Labour voters who enjoy living of the state because they are too idle to work. This is exactly why people like me have spent so much time working in countries like the UAE – here the money you earn belongs to you!’
Well someone had to say it………!
Filed under: Small business
While the world awaits the details of Brown’s ‘big tent’ Cabinet, I’d like to comment about the appointments made so far to one area that interests me; Brown’s Business Council for Britain. This Council is dominated by the big beasts of business such as Sir Alan Sugar, private equity boss Damon Buffini, Stuart Rose the boss of M&S, the CEO of the Government’s favourite supermarket, Tesco’s Sir Terry Leahy, and Dr Jean-Pierre Garnier, head of pharmaceutical giant Glaxo SmithKline. This big name line up reminds me of Blair’s obsession of being surrounded by big and influential names, whilst grabbing a few headlines along the way. The real travesty of Brown’s Business Council is that Brown has failed to include or engage the real growth drivers of our economy – the thousands of small and medium-sized business across the UK. Having come from a small business family myself, the government’s obsession with big business has been depressing – more so in light of the regulatory burdens that have been placed upon smaller business in the last decade. So here we go again. Yet another Labour government ignoring the energy and talent of Britain’s small business sector, just to favour the high-flying glamorous world of big business. So no change there then Gordon.
Filed under: Blair
Unlike everyone at PMQ’s today, I am not paying tribute to Tony Blair. Instead I would like to wax lyrically at David Cameron’s performance at PMQ’s. It was spot on in terms of tone and the points he made to the departing Mr Blair. In addition to his questions on the recent floods and what Blair’s first priority would be in his new Middle East role, David also paid a very generous tribute to Blair. He congratulated him on his 10 years as PM, he paid tribute to Blair’s achievements on Northern Ireland, and also to his support to the developing world. I guess as they say, this was totally in the spirit of the occasion. But more to the point, David’s approach prevented the usual kick about which would have only given more oxygen to the Labour side. It was the perfect way to send Blair off.
I have just come in from the blistering Gulf heat to catch a glimpse of Blair’s final PMQ’s. But before I could watch the final farewell, I had to endure what I can only describe as the over the top and somewhat ‘gushing’ coverage on Sky News’ of Blair’s departure. Clearly the British media has lost all sense of perspective over the Blair/Brown handover. I appreciate that we would expect to see an increase in media coverage of the back of a change in leader, but please! This type of coverage is down right excessive. With such back to back coverage, is it any wonder that Brown is allegedly considering an early election….
Filed under: Private Equity
I read today that another mega bucks private equity business deal has been secured involving the merger of Saga and the AA. Large numbers have been banded around in relation to the value of the overall business and the payouts for the key business players. However, not much information has been provided on how these figures were reached or how the deal would be financed. Surely a week after the Treasury Select Committee humiliated industry figureheads for the secrecy behind their deal making, these chaps would have worked out that a bit more transparency over this deal would have been a step in the right direction. Unlike their listed company counterparts, private equity has a long way to go before it will ever be recognised as a trusted business. They should also bear in mind, that after decades of open and transparent business practices and proactive public relations many well known companies and brands are only now starting to change the way in which they are viewed by the public. Private equity now needs to catch up fast.
Filed under: International
In the past few days the world has seen a number of significant activities in the Middle East. The first was the distressing video message from Alan Johnston wearing a bomb vest and the other was the audio tape released yesterday by Hamas of the captured Israeli soldier, Sergeant Gilad Shalit. Having met Sergeant Shalit’s parents last month, I could not help but feel a small sense of relief that they have now heard the voice of their son. But at the same time I felt pure despair for them as it is clear that Sergeant Shalit is in need of medical help and his voice was full of despair. From the talks held yesterday between Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, it is clear that these two sides will continue to isolate Hamas and that they have not quite worked out how to resolve the hostage situation without force. In light of this very desperate and depressing situation, the timing of Blair’s confirmation as Middle East Envoy could not come too soon enough. Without a doubt this is one of the toughest diplomatic challenges anyone could take and Blair knows it. Let’s hope that he can harness the force of his personality to move things forward and help to make a lasting difference in the Middle East.
Filed under: Labour
I am currently in the Gulf, a part of the world where women tend to have a more ‘traditional’ outlook in terms of their role in society. Women here support their husbands, look after the children, the home, and in general tend to keep their views to themselves. Before you all get to excited about this general description, this is my own simplified observation. And yes, there are off course many successful professional women across the Gulf states with high profile roles in society. But while discretion is much the norm here, ironically the one woman who is being talked about is Mrs Sarah Brown. And why? Well precisely because she too is a discreet and grounded women who just happens to be the wife of Britain’s new Prime Minister. As one commentator put it to me yesterday, this is a refreshing contrast to the ‘over the top, look at me’ approach of Mrs Blair. Now, not even the British public could disagree with this statement!
Filed under: Crime
I’ve just caught a glimpse of the Governor of California, yes, Arnie himself arriving at No 10 to talk about climate change with Blair. Amusingly, Arnie was sporting a rather dashing green tie, not too dissimilar to that striking green tie we often see worn by David Cameron. While I am all for ‘talks’ on issues of climate change – a fitting subject in light of the unseasonal weather that has gripped the UK, I could not help but wish that Blair would ask the Terminator himself for some words of wisdom on how to tackle one of Blair’s areas of failure – law and order. In light of the recent stabbings and shootings that have gripped the streets of Britain, I hope that Arnie will be back, to give us all a flavour on how the hard man himself would get tough on crime and the causes of crime.
Filed under: Labour
While I bask in temperatures of over 45 degrees, I have escaped the rain at home, but not the avalanche of media coverage surrounding Labour’s new Leader and Deputy Leader. Gordon was his natural solid self yesterday when he pushed all buttons required for his Labour Party audience. However, the real congratulations if the day has to go to Labour’s new Deputy Leader, Harriet Harman. Her political career once rose, fell and has now risen again from the ashes of the Blair era. That said, I could not help but notice a quote in one international newspaper today from a nameless Cabinet Minister about Harman’s victory (no doubt a Blairite) – ” A Harman victory would be a throwback to the past. I would sooner leave the country than watch her deputise for Gordon at Prime Minister’s Questions’. While I suspect we will not get to see Harman deputise for Brown, it looks as if not only the Conservative Party will be giving her a hard time in her new role!
Filed under: referendum
I am currently overseas and therefore far away enough from the EU and the dreadful so called ‘deal-making’ of our European leaders. However, irrespective of this geographical distance, I cannot help but wonder how an earth Gordon Brown can persuade us all why Blair’s ‘deal’ (which he has agreed via phone calls during the Summit) should not be put to a referendum.
The deal as I understand consists of a Treaty, which will include most of the main points of the previous failed constitution – yes, that very failed constitution which was emphatically and rightly rejected by French and Dutch voters a few years ago.
The new treaty proposes the following:
· a full-time president of the European Council
· a new foreign affairs chief (for ‘chief’ read Minister), with their own profile and budget to give the EU ‘more clout’ on the world stage
· fewer national veto powers
· a voting procedure that lowers the threshold for approval
· more powers for the European Parliament
The points listed, effectively will involve the handing of more power (and no doubt money) to the EU – an effective surrender of ‘clout’ from parliament over to the EU. How can an earth this be in Britain’s interest?
Blair’s own language at the Summit press conference was defensive and full of his typical euro zeal and enthusiasm. He spoke about how Europe has changed over the last ten years and he said that ‘t his deal gives us a chance to move on ‘.Indeed, he can and will move on, but not so for the British public who will still have to put up with the endless nonsense and interference from Europe which impacts upon the way we live our lives.
Neither Blair or Brown has the democratic mandate to sign up to a new treaty that transfers powers from Britain to the EU by pushing in parts of the old EU Constitution. The time is more than right for a referendum precisely because the last one took place 32 years ago. As a result a significant percentage of the British population has never had a say over our relationship with Europe. The British people must now have its say so that this issue can be settled for once and for all. The politicians can then get on and do what they were elected to do – to serve the British public and to put Britain’s interest first. Now give us our referendum Mr Brown.
