Is that a cereal? Perhaps Brown’s porridge! Not that he needs a high fibre diet at the moment. Nor any of his motley crew of also-rans!

Apologies if that paints an interesting picture in your mind as you read it. It did in mine as I wrote it!

I have NEVER understood WHY anyone in the Labour party with a spare brain cell thought Brown could replace Blair seamlessly – just like that – and we’d feel better for it. Brown was well-known to us, and never excited the voters.

Can’t say they weren’t warned!

I’ve been in a state of virtual mourning for almost a year since we were robbed of the best PM we’ve had for decades! And I wasn’t even a Labour member or supporter.

Yes, Lord Desai put it beautifully. I will probably do a post on this, if I can work up the enthusiasm.

Brown’s advisers seem to be all over the place. WHY did they not shift his USA visit when they realised it coincided with the Pope’s? [the timing - Bush's revenge for Brown killing off his buddy?]

Brown’s never going to be loved in America like Tony was … still is! But not to notice the clash was highly remiss of the Brown people.

As it is, it’s probably worse for him now. His visit has made some realise that Blair is no longer PM! It seems some Americans hadn’t noticed!

Neither have I, in a way.

Denial … denial … we’re all in it now.

Deeply.

How right you are! Sadly for Britain, the Labour party has realised this rather too late, leaving us with Mr Bore-them Brown as PM. What an unmitigated disaster his premiereship is turning out to be. I thought you might appreciate this little article:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3764205.ece

When I read it, I had to laugh. I’d not heard much from Lord Desai before, but I think he just about nails it with this rather damning statement:
“Gordon Brown was put on earth to remind people how good Tony Blair was.”

I couldn’t agree with him more. It’s just a shame he has only come to this conclusion now, rather than a year or more ago when it might have actually made a difference, particularly considering he is/was not a Blairite. What with him, Lord Jones and even the Chancellor expressing disquiet about Brown’s leadership (in)abilities, perhaps Britain may be in for a little regime change of its own soon… Small comfort

Everything you say about Blair v Brown over presentation/understanding/getting the message over /telling it like it is – is SO right. Brown seems to still be in the pocket of the left in his party and of course of the liberal press. I am absolutely SURE he knows what is going on with the Islamists in this country and worldwide. After all he speaks to Blair several times a week. But the press are as much to blame, since they are the channel through which we receive our information.

The Daily Mail, which, to its credit (and you won’t hear me crediting that rag with much), does highlight the Islamist issue whenever there is a high profile case. But even they run scared from raising the issue as something for the Tories and the country to take on. And the Tories are as weak as Brown on this. Perhaps more so, considering their support of Blair over Iraq, and their historical perspective on our history in the region, sic Afghanistan. They KNEW there were deeper issues.

Now they are all afraid of civil unrest!!!

Almost laughable, if you’re not already crying.

The Saudi/SFO business. You will recall that Thatcher’s son, Mark, has had his name tied up in various deals. It could be that this is another brake on deeper investigation. Strangely, and though I have no particular truck for Junior Thatcher, I, again would support the SFO/government if this is the case.

Backhanders – upfront – but secret, as it were, are part of the Saudi deal-making culture. And they all do it, always. In fact it is likely that if you DON’T take their sweetener they’d be suspicious!

We need to understand that our great moral high ground is NOT populated by ALL THE WORLD’S peoples. Especially not in international business deals. Much as it would be preferable if they had all signed up to the Human Rights Act too – so they could suffer along with us! It’s not real life.

I’m constantly amazed at the inability of the press to tackle these issues with a touch of realism and less of the “there, didn’t we tell you Blair was corrupt” nonsense.

And what exactly are they looking forward to, anyway?

Cameron? What a laugh. Pleasant enough guy. No vision, no political guts, nothing new to say.

No ‘Blair’, even if he wishes he were.

As for Brown on American TV – not good reports so far today. They are being reminded that Blair is no longer our PM, though it seems some of them thought he still was.

And next week he is in the states. Just the right time for a compare and contrast session!

Btw, it seems Mr Bush had a fair bit to do with the timing of Brown’s visit, and he suggested the same week that the Pope was there! Ulterior motive? Possibly. He’s as gutted as you and me that Blair is no longer our PM.

I agree with all you have said above, Brown is in real trouble and it is becoming more and more obvious by the day that they he shouldn’t have kicked out Blair. He must be so wishing right now that Tony was in the hot seat with some many issues giving him great cause for concern, but he is the Prime Minister and he has to deal with with like it or not, no hiding behind anyone, all eyes are on him.

I do think though as regards the 42 day detention day issue Tony probably would have had the same problem in getting the message across that it is necessary, it would appear that most of the population and others at Whitehall don’t see to have cottoned on to the fact that we are at war. At the same time though Tony did spell it out good and proper that we were at war and who we were at war with, unlike Brown who has decided to remove any idea what or who it is, even Tony doing all this explanation couldn’t get it through. What is it going to take for the realisation of some people to see that not only do we need 42 days we more likely need the full 90 days to cope with dealing with these suspect terrorists.As for what happened with the Abu quatada (can’t spell it) and not being able to deport him, don’t get me started !! what a ridiculous situation we are in if this ruling doesn’t send a flood load of extremists from aboard I don’t know what will !!. Also, not only would it help others of bad intentions come into the country, what about those already here who might be thinking of doing such deeds all they have to do is cry “Human Rights” and they don’t get deported to their country for detention.

As for the Islamicisation of the UK, is it becoming more and more prominent as times goes on and it would seem that the radical elements of Islam are getting their point of view more and more heard, before we look around Sharia law will be law with it being termed as being inclusive of all who live here, but what they don’t realise is that these radicals want to take over the UK including the Goverment and the House of Lords it isn’t a question of compromise or fitting in, they have no intentions of doing that. The Goverment must take these radicals at their word and not just see them as criminals , they are terrorists with terrorists intentions which aren’t good that’s for sure. The people of Iraq got a huge wake up call from these Alquaeda people, at first they believed them to be freedom fighters and because at the time the Iraqis in Ramadi, Iraq thought that the Americans were bad went to Bin Ladens side only to discover just HOW BAD these so called freedom fighters were. Thankfully the people of Ramadi, Iraq realised who the good guys were but this was not without losing a lot of very good people. It makes me think will it take something like this for the people of the UK to wake up and smell the coffee and realise that these terrorists are just about Iraq or Afghanistan they are about taking over the UK and setting up shop here. The one person that has got to get it through to the UK population is the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, but has he got the personality to get over something as important as this, I somehow think he does not. I feel every time he does a speech it is like Budget day and I tend to get bored easily, whereas when Tony Blair was doing his speech it was lively, questioning and it got you thinking, the speech was ALIVE !!.

I do think though that Gordon Brown is going to have to start to pull something out of the hat pretty soon, the population is getting impatient along with the journalists, and we know what happens when that gets going into full speed !!.

As for the Saudi/SFO thing it will be interesting to see what happens as regards that issue, will it be reopened? who knows. One thing is for sure this issue goes all the way back to the Conservatives under Margaret Thatcher, a deal that was done back then, so are the Conservatives likely to allow that to happen, doubt it somehow. If it does get reopened will also be interesting to see what happens with the Saudi’s will they threaten us like they said they would with job losses (no contract) no help with info on terrorists and diplomatic ties cut, would they really do that I wonder?? I wouldn’t put it pass them and that is what Tony Blair thought, he couldn’t take that chance.

Having seen the video clip of the ppm on American Idol couldn’t help but wonder what the audience at the American Idol show and beyond the studios thought?. I bet they were wishing Bring back Tony Blair!!!

From Shaz