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Gordon Brown to stand down as an MP

InMyArmsInMyArms Posts: 50,792
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Sky News Newsdesk ‏@SkyNewsBreak 1m1 minute ago
Sky Sources: Gordon Brown is expected to confirm tonight that he will be standing down as an MP
https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak
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    LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,662
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    Will anyone notice the difference?
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    Sid LawSid Law Posts: 4,706
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    LostFool wrote: »
    Will anyone notice the difference?

    The voters of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath will.

    Sky are reporting this as breaking news?

    There were reports about this in the Scottish media last week.
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    Aye UpAye Up Posts: 7,053
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    It's a shame, no matter what people think he is one of the last few who base their election on hard principles. This was a man who did a lot to help the no cause in the referendum, the fire and passion from him, is something not seen in a generation from the Westminster lot. His opponents we likely decry his premiership and blame him and his predecessor for the state we are now in, sadly that will be a poor legacy. At least he can say he fought for the causes he believed, something him and Salmond do share.

    Wonder who will seek his seat? I should imagine the SNP will be in with a chance?
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    mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
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    Aye Up wrote: »
    Wonder who will seek his seat? I should imagine the SNP will be in with a chance?

    If it's safe I'm sure there's a Blair junior who would quite like it, or they could do what they did in Birmingham and have a man (with party top brass and union ties) get to the top of the all women shortlist
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    glasshalffullglasshalffull Posts: 22,291
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    I tell you what I'd like to see...Brown get elected as an MSP and Salmond as an MP...neither beyond the bounds of possibility either :D
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    angarrackangarrack Posts: 5,493
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    How many more times does he need to announce this? It was news weeks ago.

    What a vain man he is.
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    GormagonGormagon Posts: 1,473
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    I tell you what I'd like to see...Brown get elected as an MSP and Salmond as an MP...neither beyond the bounds of possibility either :D

    I think that this is actually quite a likely outcome.

    While I don't agree with much of what Salmond says I do enjoy, for the most part ( he got a little arsy in the final weeks of the referendum campaign) listening to him. He's a very good orator, he's sharp, quick witted and he just plays the game of politics too well. I doubt that his ego will allow him to sit on the sidelines for too long. If he can sit in Westminster and take sideswipes at both the Conservatives and Labour, I'm sure he would love too.

    Brown, from what I hear from those in the business community that have met him, is liked, he's apparently very personable and witty, he's just not respected all that much, so I can't really see him being made too many offers to join the board anytime soon. I also don't think it's in his nature to do that. He's also a confirmed workaholic so unless he takes up a position with some form of think-tank, or more likely an academic position most likely in the US, I think a return to politics at Holyrood is quite a likely scenario.
    It's also not exactly a taxing commute from Kirkcaldy to Edinburgh either, so no excuse for not showing up, eh Gordon.
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    northantsgirlnorthantsgirl Posts: 4,663
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    LostFool wrote: »
    Will anyone notice the difference?

    A lot of the posters on here will. They won't be able to go on ad infinitem anymore about his lack of attendance.
    Perhaps after May 2015 they will be turning their ire on the lack of attendance of the backbench MP for Witney? :D
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    David TeeDavid Tee Posts: 22,833
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    A lot of the posters on here will. They won't be able to go on ad infinitem anymore about his lack of attendance.
    Perhaps after May 2015 they will be turning their ire on the lack of attendance of the backbench MP for Witney? :D

    Oooh, I think we all know who'll be doing that - don't we? :D
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    paulschapmanpaulschapman Posts: 35,536
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    A lot of the posters on here will. They won't be able to go on ad infinitem anymore about his lack of attendance.
    Perhaps after May 2015 they will be turning their ire on the lack of attendance of the backbench MP for Witney? :D

    While not good (about 10% when he first started as PM) - it is better than both Blair and Brown.
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    Ethel_FredEthel_Fred Posts: 34,127
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    "Be careful of what you wish for"
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    MeepersMeepers Posts: 5,502
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    Good riddance, he has held Parliament in contempt since 2010 since he started sulking and not showing up.
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    MeepersMeepers Posts: 5,502
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    Aye Up wrote: »
    It's a shame, no matter what people think he is one of the last few who base their election on hard principles.
    Laughable, he was a slimeball political opportunist who based his career on spin.
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    LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,662
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    Meepers wrote: »
    Laughable, he was a slimeball political opportunist who based his career on spin.

    Are you talking about Brown or Blair there? ;-)

    I was never a fan of Brown but I will accept that he was a man of convictions and intellect. However he was psychologically unfit for leadership especially in a modern media age. For a man who wrote a book called "Courage", he wimped out of the two biggest decisions of his life - to challenge Blair for the leadership and then to call an early election when he became PM.

    It's probably still too early for history to do a full assessment of him. Much of his standing will probably depend on how MIliband does if he becomes PM. In 5 years time people may well be saying that Brown wasn't that bad after all...
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    Malcolm_ReedMalcolm_Reed Posts: 517
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    A lot of the posters on here will. They won't be able to go on ad infinitem anymore about his lack of attendance.
    Perhaps after May 2015 they will be turning their ire on the lack of attendance of the backbench MP for Witney? :D

    The PM has affairs fo state to attend to.

    Back benchers should be in the commons far far more than Brown is.
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    GormagonGormagon Posts: 1,473
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    Meepers wrote: »
    Laughable, he was a slimeball political opportunist who based his career on spin.

    Brown was never a spinner, for his many faults that was not one of them. He out and out lied from time to time, but to call him a spinner would not be accurate.
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    AndyCopenAndyCopen Posts: 2,213
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    Unfortunately "Brown's burden" won’t fade away so easily
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    MeepersMeepers Posts: 5,502
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    Gormagon wrote: »
    Brown was never a spinner, for his many faults that was not one of them. He out and out lied from time to time, but to call him a spinner would not be accurate.
    Of course he was a spinner, and one of the worst.

    This was the guy who employed Damian McBride....
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    GormagonGormagon Posts: 1,473
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    Meepers wrote: »
    Of course he was a spinner, and one of the worst.

    This was the guy who employed Damian McBride....

    Brown employed McBride, as did Blair employ Campbell. Its an irrelevant argument.
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    GormagonGormagon Posts: 1,473
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    Brown also employed Wheelan, who turns out to be one of the most honest and non-corrupt of the lot.
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    LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,662
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    Meepers wrote: »
    Of course he was a spinner, and one of the worst.

    This was the guy who employed Damian McBride....

    And that lead to one of Brown's greatest quotes: "I take full responsibility for what happened. That's why the person who was responsible went immediately."

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8002085.stm
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    MeepersMeepers Posts: 5,502
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    Gormagon wrote: »
    Brown employed McBride, as did Blair employ Campbell. Its an irrelevant argument.

    No it isnt. No one is claiming Blair was some sort of decent principled politician. They are for Brown. He was just another New Labour spin obsessed grubby politician.
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    GormagonGormagon Posts: 1,473
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    Meepers wrote: »
    No it isnt. No one is claiming Blair was some sort of decent principled politician. They are for Brown. He was just another New Labour spin obsessed grubby politician.

    If you are under the impression that Brown was a principled politician you are quite mistaken. Brown's only principle was his ideals, taken mainly from 19C text books.
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    MeepersMeepers Posts: 5,502
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    Gormagon wrote: »
    If you are under the impression that Brown was a principled politician you are quite mistaken. Brown's only principle was his ideals, taken mainly from 19C text books.
    Erm, I'm the one who is pointing out he isnt....
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