Blair continues to voice his concerns about Ed Miliband's leadership

By Matthew Barrett
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Tony Blair appeared on BBC One's Politics Show today, and made more Coalition-friendly comments, continuing a recent trend. 

He was asked about Labour leader Ed Miliband, and appeared uncomfortable answering the question, saying "Well, you know there’s only a certain amount you can say really without saying too much". When pressed about whether (Ed) Miliband is "a torch bearer for New Labour", Blair answered:

"...he’s going to decide, you know, how he defines himself and what his position is, you know I can say and I have said where I think Labour – that Labour would win as a modern progressive force fighting from the centre. But I hope and believe that that’s what he’ll do."

Blair emphasised the need for the Labour Party to modernise:

"I mean I’m just – I’m just sitting here saying from where I’m sitting looking at, you know, Labour Parties, progressive parties around the world, those that succeed do so by constantly modernising, those that don’t modernise usually get beaten."

Blair also took a shot at the unions, saying:

"But you’ve got to understand today how fast the world is changing. And what you’ve always got to be careful of – particularly with public sector unions, is you don’t become 'small c' conservatives. You know the world is – we’re going to resist the change, we’re going to keep the status quo. So the only question for countries like ours is,  how fast can you engage with this process of change in the world?"

Introducing... the Arthur Scargill of 2011... Dave Prentis of Unison

By Matthew Barrett
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Dave Prentis is the General Secretary of UNISON, one of Britain's largest unions, and one with a huge grip on public services. He is also auditioning for the position of 2011's Arthur Scargill, if this speech is anything to go by. 

In the above video, Prentis starts off with some way over-the-top rhetoric:

"Don't underestimate the outrage at the savagery of your gratuitous attack on our pensions"

He then accuses the Government of instigating some kind of class war:

"their crude efforts to set public sector against private sector, to start a new race to the bottom ... an attack on over five million workers, 20 million people could be affected and all on the false premise that our pensions are gold-plated and unaffordable, it's a tissue of lies"

Prentis finishes off with a belligerent rallying cry:

"we will strike to defend our pensions and it will be a campaign of strike action without precedent ... we plan for the worst and our preparations are well advanced, but there is more, much more to do, and today, this is our union's call to arms"

Mr Prentis also recently urged Ed Miliband to stop making "reasonable statements". 

Labour's decade was worst for economic growth in whole post-war period

The FT has the report:

"The UK in the first decade of the new century recorded the lowest economic growth of the postwar period and the worst returns for stock market investors since the 1930s, according to a Financial Times analysis of official and market data. Information provided by the Office of National Statistics to the FT shows that gross domestic product, on average, rose by 1.7 per cent annually in real terms throughout the so-called noughties, Britain's weakest period of economic expansion of any since the 1940s. Manufacturing was particularly hard hit and, on average, after adjusting for inflation, output actually contracted over the decade by 1.2 per cent annually."

It's the same economic failure with EVERY Labour government. It's time for ToryBear's great video again...

The five best Brown gaffes on video from 2009

AT PMQs HE PROMISES A ZERO PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN SPENDING:

A HUGELY UNCOMFORTABLE BROWN SINGS OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM:

THE PRIME MINISTER WALKS OUT OF THE COMMONS AS HE IS CALLED TO MAKE A STATEMENT:

GORDON BROWN INCONVENIENTLY TURNS AL GORE INTO THE WRONG ROOM. A BROOM CUPBOARD?

AND THE WINNER HAS TO BE THE CRAZY SMILE (AND JIGGING ABOUT) IN THE YOUTUBE BROADCAST ON EXPENSES:

Brown urged to apologise for saying Spain is member of G20

At PMQs earlier, Mr Cameron asked the Prime Minister to admit that Britain was the last nation in the G20 to still be in recession. Mr Brown replied that Spain was in the G20 and was also in recession. Unfortunately for Mr Brown, Spain isn't in the G20.

The Shadow Chief Secretary of the Treasury Philip Hammond has now written to the Prime Minister urging him to apologise:

“Today when faced with a simple and direct question, you chose to mislead the House of Commons by stating that Spain is in the G20. This is simply not true.  While Spain has attended recent G20 meetings, it is not a member of the Group.  Indeed, you explicitly admitted in a press conference last year that: ‘Spain is not a member of the G20’ (16 October 2008). On Monday, David Cameron took the opportunity on the floor of the House to correct a factual inaccuracy from the previous Question Time.  I trust that you too will take the earliest opportunity on the floor of the House to apologise and amend the record.  I would also be grateful if you could confirm that, contrary to your assertions today, the United Kingdom will be the last country in the G20 to exit recession.” 

5.30pm: Guido's video comment on Brown's latest porky pie:

Can we believe what the Prime Minister says?

David Cameron taunts Gordon Brown after he abandoned plans for a honeymoon election. In this video from October 2007 the Tory leader says Mr Brown is the first Prime Minister in history to have flunked an election because he thought he could win it.