The faulty memory of Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown is on the television talking about the 10p tax rate. He said, as if making a drop dead brilliant argument against the Tories, that the 10p tax rate wasn't the best way of dealing with poverty.

Hang on. He introduced it. He introduced it! Gordon Brown introduced the 10p tax rate.

Comments

[Wilfred]

Daniel, he introduced the 10p rate as a transitional phase before other poverty-reducing measures were fully effective and developed.

[David Moss]

This is a staggering instance of the Prime Minister's brazenness.

Martin Kettle in Monday's Guardian reveals another*.

Why is it that Labour MPs, unlike Conservative and Lib Dem MPs, made so little fuss about the abolition of the 10 percent tax band announced in last year's Budget? According to Mr Kettle:

"... it is too easy to lump all the blame on backbenchers. Much of the real blame lies on Treasury ministers [Gordon Brown and Ed Balls]. They did not tell the truth within the Labour ranks about the 2007 budget."

"did not tell the truth" = "lied". There's more.

According to Mr Kettle, Tony Blair asked Gordon Brown some days before the Budget how many people would be adversely affected by the change:

"I am informed that he told Blair that the number would be about 25,000."

This figure is out by several million and the question arises how to account for the disparity. Mr Kettle tries three explanations and concludes that:

"The gap between what Brown said to Blair and what is now acknowledged is so great that it appears fairly clear that Brown gave Blair false information. My information is that Blair thinks this is the case."

"gave Blair false information" = "lied to Blair"?

The allegation, then, is that the man who is now Prime Minister lied to the man who was then Prime Minister and, together with the man who is now Education Secretary, lied to the parliamentary party.

The allegation is made on the basis of what Tony Blair thinks is the case.

And the allegation has not been denied.

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* http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/martin_kettle/2008/04/the_10p_crisiss_biggest_loser.html

[Wilfred]

Ecky thump, David Moss, first it was Blair that was accused of "lies", now it's Brown, on the evidence of the "liar" Blair. For my part, I'm glad we have politicians who act like real politicians and not like Big Brother contestants, emoting and baring their souls to the world. Politicians, diplomats and intelligent lovers know how to tailor their statements in order to achieve their goals, which may be altruistic. David Moss, did you ever pause to ask yourself why people like Brown are in politics? No doubt you'll say it's for his own benefit. I'm afraid you may be projecting your own aims onto his. Now THAT'S how to do psycho-babble!

[David Moss]

As ever, we look to Peter Riddell.

As ever, he provides.

"Brazenness" is the wrong word. What Mr Brown has is "Presbyterian chutzpah".

[David Moss]

To recap, Martin Kettle said in Monday's Guardian [1] that Gordon Brown and Ed Balls lied to Labour backbenchers and that Gordon Brown lied to Tony Blair and that he, Mr Kettle, has this on the authority of Mr Blair.

Michael White, Assistant Editor of the Guardian and a former Political Editor of the Guardian, asked the question yesterday how much has the 10p tax row damaged Gordon Brown? [2] "The waters are now likely to close over the 10p system", he concluded, "life moves on quickly".

Not that quickly, judging by the comments elicited by his article.

He gallantly returns to the subject today [3] and asks "did Brown deceive MPs in 2007, or himself?" He provides no answer, saying instead that "most voters are less interested in the finer points of U-turns than politicians and pundits".

He may be right but the tangy comments on his article suggest that his readers would still like an answer to the question. Here is a flavour:

"So they are either stupid and callous, or just stupid and incompetent. Or they are stupid, callous and incompetent.

And you Mike are urging us to vote Labour, no thanks, the Tories will get my vote for the first time in my life." (April 24, 2008 10:45 AM)

and

"As recently as the 19th of this month he told journalists on the flight back from the United States.
'No one will lose out.'

I'll repeat that: 'No one will lose out'. At the same time Darling told the Today programme that the Treasury knew precisely how many people will lose out. Brown was privy to those figures.

Brown also lied when saying Angela Smith called him to say she wasn't resigning. As Nick Robinson replied to Brown: 'She phoned you up at the White House to tell you she wasn't resigning? Do all your Ministers do that?'"

So the question remains, the waters have not closed over -- is Tony Blair right that Gordon Brown a liar?

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1. http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/martin_kettle/2008/04/the_10p_crisiss_biggest_loser.html

2. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/04/turning_on_tenpence.html

3. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/apr/24/economy.alistairdarling

[tone]

I guess if Tony Bliar calls Gordo a liar he is probably right, after all he knows the criteria.