Brown to launch leadership bid in Basildon and Stevenage tomorrow

Mr Brown's message: I am going to be Prime Minister for Middle England.

When we have more location details we'll post them.  It's 2.30pm Stevenage and 5.30pm in Basildon.  Please don't go and disrupt these events by holding placards about Gordon Brown's stealth taxes, pensions raid, working credits fiasco, wasteful public spending, private debt mountain...

11/05 update: It looks like there will be a walkabout in Stevenage's town centre followed by a
short informal speech.  Afterwards he's planning to go to Basildon's leisure centre at around 5pm. Do take some time off work to make him feel welcome.

11/05 afternoon update: Brown will be in Harlow at 4pm.

Comments

[Geoffrey G Brooking]

Brown must be bricking himself if he's going to Stevenage.

[Jack Stone]

I don`t think you would class Basildon as middle England. Its a run down area with lots of poverty, crime and terrible housing.Its the sort of place you would go if you want to show how badly Labour as done these last ten years not how good.

[Daniel VA]

"Mr Brown's message: I am going to be Prime Minister for Middle England."

Gordon Bennett! If Stevenage is what passes for Middle England these days, then the country really has gone to the dogs over the past decade...

[Jaz]

I'm going to see what Cameron has up his sleeve Vs Brown + honeymoon.

Perhaps some new policy announcements for the conservatives?

[Ted]

Stevenage I can understand - with only three Labour councils outside London south of the line from the Wash to the Severn to choose from it was there, Luton or Reading and probably there wasn't a school available in the other two for a Brown visit. Basildon? is there an educational establishment there about to open/newly opened or refurbished where Brown can have another photo op with pupils. That seems the pattern from the Scots elections.

[Peter]

I live near Stevenage and I shall certainly say hello. And if anyone starts shouting about rocking horses or bogies, I will ask them not to be so puerile.

[Daniel VA]

"Stevenage I can understand - with only three Labour councils outside London south of the line from the Wash to the Severn to choose from it was there, Luton or Reading and probably there wasn't a school available in the other two for a Brown visit."

I can't imagine him going to any schools in Stevenage, seeing as they've been plummeting down the league tables like a Glenn Roeder-managed football team in recent years.

There used to be some wooden horses at the kiddies' playground in Fairlands Valley Park - wonder if he'll be paying a visit...

I daresay Babs Follett will be bending Gordon Brown's ear trying to wangle a job too.

[malcolm]

'Please don't go and disrupt these events.....'very droll Tim. I'm sure you know all of us well enough to know that no self respecting Conservative would do such a thing. We all look forward to an open and honest debate with Brown.

[YHN]

But Cameron today said on webcameron that we are incredibly lucky for having a successful economy.

Your leader seems more than happy with Brown's handling of the economy.

[Ted]

DVA but does Gordon ever make a public appearance outside of schools? The Scarlet Pimpernel of politics can be damn elusive y'know in his dark windowed 4x4 but schools seem to attract him into the light.

Perhaps though its not Baroness Orczy but Joanne Rowling who has the real key to Gordon - Voldermort is rarely seen except around schoolchildren and on school premises...Hmn

His acolytes skulking, his enemies undergoing curious transformations leaving the scene in disgrace or apparent loss of ambition...hmn

[pricedout]

There's a protest this Sunday afternoon, organised by pricedout, against Brown who will be in Brighton to make a speech on "Courage".

Please feel free to attend and express your opposition to Brown and his failed policies:

http://www.pricedout.org.uk/Campaign/ProtestEventBrowninBrighton/tabid/175/Default.aspx

"We have organised a protest to coincide with Gordon Brown's appearance in Brighton this weekend (Sunday 13th May 2007, 2.30pm)

The planned schedule is as follows:
2.30pm (sharp) - Congregate outside the Old Court Room on Church Street, Brighton
2.40pm - Photo opportunity
2.50pm - Protesting, & presentations from Audacity
3.10pm - Disperse

[austrian economist]

If Cameron has indeed been praising Brown's stewardship of the economy then he is either very foolish or is playing some sort of game.

Cut through all the hype and you will discover that economic "growth" in this country has largely been an illusion of rampant consumer spending primarily on imports leaving us with a debt hangover and trade deficit that we will be paying for for years to come. Once the housing bubble bursts (not long now) the party is well and truly over.

Government spending has also been profligate in the extreme and will require massive tax increases and/or huge cuts in public services.

The end result for the UK economy will be stagflation, and financial misery IMO within 2 years the blame for which should be laid firmly at Brown's door.

[Jaz]

There is a perception that the economy is doing extremely well. There is a perception that Gordon Brown is responsible for that.

Cameron, therefore, can to be credible on "the economy" must accept that Gordon Brown has done a job.

[YHN]

Jaz, that was a desperate response. I'm struggling to find a similar speech from Blair in 1997 where he praises the economy under the Tories...

Cameron is either being honest and accepting that Brown is doing a good job or he is being dishonest and lying for political gain.

Neither answer is a positive for the Tories and more importantly, for the country.

[Alexander Drake]

Chad, are you moonlighting as "YHN" these days? I'm guessing the distinctive (and rather fun) YHN logo from Blogger that also appears on the old ukiphome site gives this away.

If so, and you are about to leave UKIP, why not return to a party that is actually in a position to form a government rather than banging on from the sidelines, and pointlessly denying the Conservative Party seats where it does no-one except Labour any good, like Vale of Glamorgan.

Come on in, the water's fine....

[Serf]

Cameron today said on webcameron that we are incredibly lucky for having a successful economy.

He is right that we are lucky, it certainly wasn't skill on the part of tax and waste Brown.

[Graham Checker]

YHN 6:14 Hello Chad!

Show yourself...!

;-)

[YHN]

;-)

Time to dig up Ted Heath?

[William Norton]

Alexander Drake: Chad, are you moonlighting as "YHN" these days?....If so, and you are about to leave UKIP, why not return to a party that is actually in a position to form a government ...

Is it our turn to have Chad this month? My calendar says he should be with Plaid Cymru for May.

[ray]

hi my name is ray i was watching you stevenage visit and some of the facts aint true i lived in stevenage for 12 years and i coused most of the trouble enething you want to no about youth trouble in stevenage talk to me i no the ins and out of all te drugs the figts and prank calls and the criminal damage and the graffite but ther is also good things to come from stevenage