Gordon Brown

2007-07-26 04:29:32

#1

CameronPoe: Member; +2,925|6997

After initial reservations I am really beginning to come around to this guy. He unveiled a raft of measures yesterday in the UK aimed at combatting terrorism. A lot of them include the very things I continuously advocate.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6914834.stm

Border security in the UK will be enforced by a special new force whose sole task will be to man 'single primary checkpoints' for entry and exit points from the UK, which should mean that potential threats entering the country will fall. Passports will be able to be checked against a 'warning index' in real time.

He is promoting electronic screening of all people entering and exiting the UK.

The use of intercept intelligence and evidence will be permitted once a suspect has been charged with a terrorism offence.

All foreign nationals in the UK will have to be in possession of new biometric ID cards for tracking purposes.

The UK watch list of terrorism suspects will be linked into the Interpol database.

£70m will be used to help community groups with citizenship projects aimed at combating extremism and promoting inclusiveness.

In fact, the only thing I have reservations about is his veiled desire to extend the maximum allowed amount of time a suspect can be interned.

Bravo, Mr. Brown, bravo. Now all you need to do is withdraw from Iraq.

Last edited by CameronPoe (2007-07-26 04:29:59)

2007-07-26 04:55:01

#2

BVC: Member; +325|7138

I've never been a fan of biometrics to be honest.

2007-07-26 04:58:55

#3

JahManRed: wank; +646|7070|IRELAND

I have to say I was sceptical at first. The measures he is introducing are largely good. I however am not in favour of ID cards and the proposals to prosecute if you don't carry one. Reminds me of old WW2 spy movies "Papers!"
I am glad to see he is distancing himself from the Spin dominated Blair days. I would rather see a politician stumble his words than constantly displaying his acting credentials. Stepping away from unequivocal US foreign policy support is also a good thing. Although he is letting them set missile bases in the UK.

On a side note. The news carried a story of how emergency services and the military battled bravely to pump out and restore a water pump station, making it their "priority" it was a station that supplied water which cools the god knows what equipment in the US listening station in Northern England. Coincidence? The same listening station which spies on Europeans to steal military secrets as well as stealing industrial information which is then passed on to American companies who put patents on them.

2007-07-26 07:03:55

#4

CameronPoe: Member; +2,925|6997

Pubic wrote:
I've never been a fan of biometrics to be honest.

I think biometrics applied to foreign nationals - GUESTS - in a particular country is quite acceptable.

2007-07-26 07:15:02

#5

Braddock: Agitator; +916|6732|Éire

CameronPoe wrote:
After initial reservations I am really beginning to come around to this guy. He unveiled a raft of measures yesterday in the UK aimed at combatting terrorism. A lot of them include the very things I continuously advocate.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6914834.stm

Border security in the UK will be enforced by a special new force whose sole task will be to man 'single primary checkpoints' for entry and exit points from the UK, which should mean that potential threats entering the country will fall. Passports will be able to be checked against a 'warning index' in real time.

He is promoting electronic screening of all people entering and exiting the UK.

The use of intercept intelligence and evidence will be permitted once a suspect has been charged with a terrorism offence.

All foreign nationals in the UK will have to be in possession of new biometric ID cards for tracking purposes.

The UK watch list of terrorism suspects will be linked into the Interpol database.

£70m will be used to help community groups with citizenship projects aimed at combating extremism and promoting inclusiveness.

In fact, the only thing I have reservations about is his veiled desire to extend the maximum allowed amount of time a suspect can be interned.

Bravo, Mr. Brown, bravo. Now all you need to do is withdraw from Iraq.

I've been pleasantly surprised thus far as well, I admired his calm and measured response to the London and Glasgow attacks. I like the way he's been openly expressing his desire to move away from the 'joined at the hip' relationship with the US. I like the way he's attempting to gain cross party consensus on many issues, especially decisions on going to war. I like the way he's emphasising domestic security over foreign conflict (I believe they're investing in some shiny new battleships now too).

Like yourself I don't like his views on (de facto) internment. That was a terrible chapter in the Northern Irish saga and will only be a further source of alienation for the Muslim community.

2007-07-26 07:18:29

#6

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7023|SE London

I've always thought Brown would make a good PM. He may be dull as ditchwater, but he's very rational and all the decisions he's made so far have been pretty sensible.

2007-07-26 07:22:53

#7

Braddock: Agitator; +916|6732|Éire

Bertster7 wrote:
I've always thought Brown would make a good PM. He may be dull as ditchwater, but he's very rational and all the decisions he's made so far have been pretty sensible.

I think his dull, unsensational manor might be what is needed to restore a bit common sense after Tony the showboater's reign!

2007-07-26 07:36:17

#8

TrollmeaT: Aspiring Objectivist; +492|7115|Colorado

What's the debate or question here?

2007-07-26 07:37:35

#9

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7023|SE London

TrollmeaT wrote:
What's the debate or question here?

I suppose it's an agree or disagree type thingumabob.

2007-07-26 07:38:26

#10

CameronPoe: Member; +2,925|6997

Bertster7 wrote:
TrollmeaT wrote:
What's the debate or question here?
I suppose it's an agree or disagree type thingumabob.

2007-07-26 11:56:11

#11

TrollmeaT: Aspiring Objectivist; +492|7115|Colorado

Wouldn't that be a poll then? Anyways it's to early to tell with him just yet.

2007-07-26 12:10:27

#12

IG-Calibre: comhalta; +226|7184|Tír Eoghan, Tuaisceart Éireann

OT - Fuck Brown the wanker, the house market has been grossly inflated, you'd be hard pushed to find a house for under 200k now in the town where I live, and he wants to cut the minimum wage here back to 4.80 so he can give more to people in "London" ? - dunno how the fuck people are supposed to live with the cost of living here, while it's supposed to be the "minimum" wage paid, it's the glass ceiling for a lot of people and is all they can expect to earn,

Last edited by IG-Calibre (2007-07-26 12:10:56)

2007-07-26 12:20:04

#13

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7023|SE London

IG-Calibre wrote:
OT - Fuck Brown the wanker, the house market has been grossly inflated, you'd be hard pushed to find a house for under 200k now in the town where I live, and he wants to cut the minimum wage here back to 4.80 so he can give more to people in "London" ? - dunno how the fuck people are supposed to live with the cost of living here, while it's supposed to be the "minimum" wage paid, it's the glass ceiling for a lot of people and is all they can expect to earn,

All of those things make perfect sense. They're good policies.

In London you'd be hard pushed to find a house for £400K, hence the higher wages. In any case London subsidises the rest of the UK by billions and billions each year. Pumping more money into London makes perfect economic sense - it's where the bulk of the money is made for the entire country. Britains biggest earner is finance - London is now the biggest financial centre in the world, having fairly recently overtaken New York. It makes sense to play to your strengths - if you have a booming financial centre, then you should pump more money into it to get more money out.

House prices are going up. That has very little, if anything, to do with Brown.

2007-07-26 16:22:29

#14

IG-Calibre: comhalta; +226|7184|Tír Eoghan, Tuaisceart Éireann

Well I think I know what my answer to London would be - the point i'm making is that the general cost of living here has greatly inflated in everything, prices here are as expensive as in London, we are the western extremity of Europe, so, because of extra freight etc,etc prices here are as expensive as London (besides homes) the point I'm making is the minimum wage is an illusion - what people earn now doesn't go as far as it did when they earned a lot less and now Brown wants to pay even less, in other words it's bullshit.

2007-07-26 16:27:03

#15

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6942|so randum

Bit off topic, My mum met him in a meeting at Whitehall. She said to me "He's a nice enough man, pretty boring, and he's got a droopy face"

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2007-07-26 16:29:04

#16

pers0nah: Waste Kid; +271|7024|MANCHESTERRR

he doesnt seem to be very charismatic. I cant really comment, i dont follow politics.

2007-07-26 17:09:58

#17

BN: smells like wee wee; +159|7210

I am confused and perhaps you can help me Poe or anyone who is in the UK.

England has been under attack from terrorists for the last 30 years.

Why are these measures only now coming into place?

Is this a more deadly enemy?

2007-07-26 21:55:49

#18

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6847|North Carolina

BN wrote:
I am confused and perhaps you can help me Poe or anyone who is in the UK.

England has been under attack from terrorists for the last 30 years.

Why are these measures only now coming into place?

Is this a more deadly enemy?

Wow... that's a good point. I'll second that...

2007-07-27 05:45:39

#19

IG-Calibre: comhalta; +226|7184|Tír Eoghan, Tuaisceart Éireann

BN wrote:
I am confused and perhaps you can help me Poe or anyone who is in the UK.

England has been under attack from terrorists for the last 30 years.

Why are these measures only now coming into place?

Is this a more deadly enemy?

Obviously then, you never traveled between Ireland and England during those 30 years, eh? security was very tight, I used to get hauled in by Special Branch all the time, traveling to Birmingham was the worst, but the provies did blow it to pieces so it was to be expected I suppose..

Last edited by IG-Calibre (2007-07-27 05:49:48)

2007-07-27 05:48:01

#20

CameronPoe: Member; +2,925|6997

BN wrote:
I am confused and perhaps you can help me Poe or anyone who is in the UK.

England has been under attack from terrorists for the last 30 years.

Why are these measures only now coming into place?

Is this a more deadly enemy?

Because the Brits foolishly persisted with the idea of treating the issue as 'internal criminality' rather than admitting they were fighting a war against a military enemy basically. To use measures like that on what they viewed as their own citizens would legitimise the status of the conflict as a 'war'.

Last edited by CameronPoe (2007-07-27 05:50:26)

2007-07-27 06:27:47

#21

Chaos_nation: Anarchy in the UK; +6|6626|Wolverhampton

Let me remind you who was responsible for the Budget for the UK over the past god knows how many years. UK citizens pay more in tax now than ever before. Each budget that was announced gave you £50 and took £500.... it's a joke. Now this guy is running the country. Yes he has made noises to improve the situation but he is a politician and is looking for another term. Nothing the Labour party has promised has come to fruition, I dont believe it will change that much under Brown.

One further point, if (and I do mean if) we are to be forced to have ID cards, then the state should supply them FOC, not fucking charge you for them!!

2007-07-27 06:43:30

#22

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|7023|SE London

Chaos_nation wrote:
Let me remind you who was responsible for the Budget for the UK over the past god knows how many years. UK citizens pay more in tax now than ever before. Each budget that was announced gave you £50 and took £500.... it's a joke. Now this guy is running the country. Yes he has made noises to improve the situation but he is a politician and is looking for another term. Nothing the Labour party has promised has come to fruition, I dont believe it will change that much under Brown.

One further point, if (and I do mean if) we are to be forced to have ID cards, then the state should supply them FOC, not fucking charge you for them!!

If your going to criticise him for being in charge of the treasury throughout the UKs strongest period of economic growth then that's just silly. He did a lot good things while he was Chancellor.

2007-07-27 07:04:18

#23

JahManRed: wank; +646|7070|IRELAND

Chaos_nation wrote:
One further point, if (and I do mean if) we are to be forced to have ID cards, then the state should supply them FOC, not fucking charge you for them!!

We will pay for them in taxes anyway so it doesn't matter. The government doesn't pay for jack shit, we do. I hate the way they come out with statements like "the government will pay for disaster relief" then Browns approval ratings go through the roof as if its coming out of the labour parties pockets when we the tax payer pays it.

I have no problems paying high taxes cus money can be made available to people when the shit hits the fan as in the flood effected areas. I do however have a problem right now, paying high taxes to fund the futile occupation of the middle east.

2007-07-27 07:30:05

#24

Chaos_nation: Anarchy in the UK; +6|6626|Wolverhampton

Bertster7 wrote:
Chaos_nation wrote:
Let me remind you who was responsible for the Budget for the UK over the past god knows how many years. UK citizens pay more in tax now than ever before. Each budget that was announced gave you £50 and took £500.... it's a joke. Now this guy is running the country. Yes he has made noises to improve the situation but he is a politician and is looking for another term. Nothing the Labour party has promised has come to fruition, I dont believe it will change that much under Brown.

One further point, if (and I do mean if) we are to be forced to have ID cards, then the state should supply them FOC, not fucking charge you for them!!
If your going to criticise him for being in charge of the treasury throughout the UKs strongest period of economic growth then that's just silly. He did a lot good things while he was Chancellor.

Brown inherited a prosperous economy from the tories and now is selling off every thing the government owns to keep his deficit in order...He is a moron.

2007-07-27 07:35:41

#25

ShowMeTheMonkey: Member; +125|7144

I hate the way that the Mirror and Sun are slandering him every single chance they get. I do believe in giving the guy some time to actually getting his act together, it can't be an easy job to get the Iraq mess dumped on you.

Those measures do sound like great ideas. I'm sick of hearing "A Somalian boy of 17 shot a 13 year old child of Zarie decent". Honestly those guys are GIVING racists an excuse to hate them.

I say give the guy some time to get things straight and see what happens THEN judge him.

Last edited by ShowMeTheMonkey (2007-07-27 07:41:05)

BF2S Forums Gordon Brown

Pubic wrote:

CameronPoe wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

TrollmeaT wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

TrollmeaT wrote:

IG-Calibre wrote:

BN wrote:

BN wrote:

BN wrote:

Chaos_nation wrote:

Chaos_nation wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

Chaos_nation wrote:

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