The news coming from Great Britain is mixed, no clear picture yet as when the next parliamentary election will be held, though some news is indicating May 8 as the date.
The other piece of information that came from England in the past few days is that the conservative party- Tory- lead by Mr. Cameron has hired the international advertising firm Saatchi to revamp the party's campaign and put life back to the momentum that the conservatives few months ago thought they had to win the next elections.
The polls indicating that the Labour party is closing the gap quickly which makes it an election difficult to predict right now? The third piece of information is the announcement from the biggest tabloid newspaper, The Sun, supporting for the first time the conservative ticket rather than the Labour.
These three pieces if put together- aside from the Sun endorsement- would definitely tell us that Mr. Brown who everyone thought would be another John Major- the prime minister that succeeded Margaret Thatcher in the early 90s- might pull a big surprise and win the next elections.
If he wins, it would be one of the biggest surprises in Britain in generations. I say that for the following reasons: Mr. Brown succeeded the charismatic Tony Blair in a time that the Labour party has been in office for three terms, and one thing about the British is that they like change, probably as any other developed and democratic country, but also the British like to pump new blood in their political life. Tony Blair, as Margaret Thatcher before him, though won the elections did not stay in power for all the terms; the parties do not like to have leaders who stay too long even if they were winning leaders. The second reason is that Mr. Brown governs Britain in a time of economic downturn, housing market is down as in the US, unemployment rising and third which was a big one few months ago but started to lose steam as time goes by is the British participation in the war in Iraq.
These in my opinion are the main reasons that will shape and are shaping the next elections. The other sidetrack was the discovery of a financial scandal that rocked some members of the Labour party whom the news reported accepted bribes or gifts from lobbying groups to pass some projects.
Again, David Cameron does not come across as Margret Thatcher did when she brought down the Labour government and then broke down the solid influence the Labour unions England had prior to her won.
The times anyway are different. Mr. Brown had a guiding light on his side in Alistair Darling, the chancellor of the Exchequer- equivalent to the secretary of the treasury here in the US and usually the number two in the British government hierarchy- who is very articulate, besides the point right now if what he says stands correct or not, and very methodological in his thoughts.
I saw Mr. Darling the other day in a session of the House of Commons broadcasted on C-Span and I was amazed from the attention he got while talking, not only from his party but also from the conservatives, they were all just staring at the person.
In politics and in England this can be the ticket to win the elections. Probably, millions of people all over the UK who are ready to reshape the political map of England also noticed what I have noticed.
I hate to do this, but I am going to do it, and probably I am swimming against the tide or just being so naive that I think a speech from a politician would really make a difference but I think the Labour party might be on the verge of winning the elections. What Mr. Brown lacks in charisma, he does not have it, I used to change the channel when he first came to office, he compensates in steady political temperament and noticeable perseverance.
He withered all the storms since Blair left office, and he absorbed like a sponge the committee to investigate the Iraq war, the financial collapse, the scandals within his party and the multiple resignations of different cabinet members in the past year.
Mr. Brown reminds me in looks and in political shrewdness with our former president Richard- Dick-Nixon without the paranoia and the Watergate scandal. I even want to go further to say that he now looks more confident than Richard Nixon ever was.
Mr. Brown has Mr. Darling, if he wins, whom he needs to keep but revamp the cabinet, maybe change the foreign minister and other key members. He needs to continue to talk about how he has the plan to left Britain from the financial downturn and polish the dust off its status. He also might need to tackle the complete participation in the monetary system with the EU. Mr. Brown does not want Germany to be the only dealmaker in Europe.
The other piece of information that came from England in the past few days is that the conservative party- Tory- lead by Mr. Cameron has hired the international advertising firm Saatchi to revamp the party's campaign and put life back to the momentum that the conservatives few months ago thought they had to win the next elections.
The polls indicating that the Labour party is closing the gap quickly which makes it an election difficult to predict right now? The third piece of information is the announcement from the biggest tabloid newspaper, The Sun, supporting for the first time the conservative ticket rather than the Labour.
These three pieces if put together- aside from the Sun endorsement- would definitely tell us that Mr. Brown who everyone thought would be another John Major- the prime minister that succeeded Margaret Thatcher in the early 90s- might pull a big surprise and win the next elections.
If he wins, it would be one of the biggest surprises in Britain in generations. I say that for the following reasons: Mr. Brown succeeded the charismatic Tony Blair in a time that the Labour party has been in office for three terms, and one thing about the British is that they like change, probably as any other developed and democratic country, but also the British like to pump new blood in their political life. Tony Blair, as Margaret Thatcher before him, though won the elections did not stay in power for all the terms; the parties do not like to have leaders who stay too long even if they were winning leaders. The second reason is that Mr. Brown governs Britain in a time of economic downturn, housing market is down as in the US, unemployment rising and third which was a big one few months ago but started to lose steam as time goes by is the British participation in the war in Iraq.
These in my opinion are the main reasons that will shape and are shaping the next elections. The other sidetrack was the discovery of a financial scandal that rocked some members of the Labour party whom the news reported accepted bribes or gifts from lobbying groups to pass some projects.
Again, David Cameron does not come across as Margret Thatcher did when she brought down the Labour government and then broke down the solid influence the Labour unions England had prior to her won.
The times anyway are different. Mr. Brown had a guiding light on his side in Alistair Darling, the chancellor of the Exchequer- equivalent to the secretary of the treasury here in the US and usually the number two in the British government hierarchy- who is very articulate, besides the point right now if what he says stands correct or not, and very methodological in his thoughts.
I saw Mr. Darling the other day in a session of the House of Commons broadcasted on C-Span and I was amazed from the attention he got while talking, not only from his party but also from the conservatives, they were all just staring at the person.
In politics and in England this can be the ticket to win the elections. Probably, millions of people all over the UK who are ready to reshape the political map of England also noticed what I have noticed.
I hate to do this, but I am going to do it, and probably I am swimming against the tide or just being so naive that I think a speech from a politician would really make a difference but I think the Labour party might be on the verge of winning the elections. What Mr. Brown lacks in charisma, he does not have it, I used to change the channel when he first came to office, he compensates in steady political temperament and noticeable perseverance.
He withered all the storms since Blair left office, and he absorbed like a sponge the committee to investigate the Iraq war, the financial collapse, the scandals within his party and the multiple resignations of different cabinet members in the past year.
Mr. Brown reminds me in looks and in political shrewdness with our former president Richard- Dick-Nixon without the paranoia and the Watergate scandal. I even want to go further to say that he now looks more confident than Richard Nixon ever was.
Mr. Brown has Mr. Darling, if he wins, whom he needs to keep but revamp the cabinet, maybe change the foreign minister and other key members. He needs to continue to talk about how he has the plan to left Britain from the financial downturn and polish the dust off its status. He also might need to tackle the complete participation in the monetary system with the EU. Mr. Brown does not want Germany to be the only dealmaker in Europe.
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