Thursday 27 November 2008

The Mandelson-Brown Pantomime Horse That Is Now New Labour

In clammy embrace, as they animate the poor old Dobbin of the Labour Party, Mandelson and Brown cavort their last on the political stage.

Mandelson speaks through the front orifice, reassuring us all that Woolworth's employees will keep their jobs over Christmas and that high level government intervention will defend pic'n'mix and the 'British' economy.

Brown's voice drones through the rear orifice, claiming to speak for the entire world, on everything from condemning attacks on hotels in Bombay to leading the planet to the sunlit uplands of fiscal probity and steady economic growth.

Given the complete lack of any constitutional or institutional rules or constraints it is impossible to visualise what will bring down the final curtain on this ridiculous performance.

10 comments:

Old BE said...

There has to be some way of forcing an election.

hatfield girl said...

Not that I know of Blue, short of a loss of a vote of confidence in the House. And even then New Labour would probably force a second, 'confirmatory' vote they would kill not to lose.

After all they have just had a Member of Parliament on the opposition Front Bench arrested under the anti-terrorism laws. And his parliamentary offices entered and searched by the police.

I can't believe I just typed that.

Bill Quango MP said...

This was a dreadful story of Browndelson saving jobs at Christmas. They are the saviours of the poor people's jobs.
Ahh Bless them.
The reality as we posted about Woolies
was that they were going into administration while a buyer was sought.
There was never a possibility of the doors being shut forever while millions and millions of pounds of unsold Xmas stock sits on the shelves.
Deloitte, the administrators, will sell off those items at about 33% discount, rising to 50% or even 75% after Christmas as the stock level falls.
I would guess that by 5th January {and much sooner maybe only 2 weeks for the smaller stores and less profitable massive rent unwanted ones} there will be almost nothing left to sell and the doors will close and a takeover emerge.
In the meantime staff have to be kept on to take the money and man the tills and pack up the equipment when there's nothing left. Then a % of those staff will be required for the new owners.
This happens in every administration and the one appointed for this one happens to be very good {see CU's post on woolies}

To take credit for this is like taking credit for the sun rising. It was inevitable. Mandelbrown's influence is zero.

MFI is much less certain to be bought up. Lets see how many jobs they have secured for Christmas there. I suspect the number will be the same as their influence figure.

hatfield girl said...

And stock for which they had to pay cash up front, it seems, BQ.

I've stopped looking at the papers first. First it's the blog list to find out what's going on. Then the papers to see how it's being lied about. Then Der Spiegel to see how Berlin is thinking. Then the WSJ.

Capitalists@Work cover much more in their spare time than full time journalists.

Electro-Kevin said...

Don't forget me, HG. I have my finger on the pulse too !

Anonymous said...

The image of Brown as the rear half of that horse - and especially behind Mandy - has just put me right of my elevenses. "He's behind you!!" Mandy would love that.

Is this your subtle way of intimating that Brown is (as our cousins across the pond have it) A Horse's A...? Just a thought.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Good point Hats, Brown and Mandelson can't be trusted, they've peen talking to pork for far too long.

I've got a similar experience going on my site...

hatfield girl said...

Nomad, of course. He even looks like one.

hatfield girl said...

I went over to look, Scrobs. Is the conduct of business reduced to paying New Labour appointees their Party 'share' before you can all get on in your work?

hatfield girl said...

Yes E-K. You're in the front line, let alone finger on the pulse.