Reply #11: Brown's about as socialist as Reagan [View All]

[Sorry.]

It's a myth that Blair and Brown have any significant ideological differences. Just a bone to throw the labour left if they start growing a spine (for instance, Gordon getting his namesake Nick to about-face on the tuition fees vote). Brown signed up for the New Labour project every bit as much as his boss. Under Brown, poverty in the UK has gone up, as has social inequality (which is growing faster than under John Major!). He put the bank of england in control of interest rates without anyones permission making the running of the UK economy beyond our elected representatives. And do you think all these privatisation ideas aren't coming from the Chancellors office? What the hell do you think he does in there?

Massive rise in regressive taxation (my council tax bill went up 24% this year!) - national insurance contributions, fags/booze/petrol tax all up. Meanwhile anyone caught mentioning taxes on the rich (like Peter Hain did a while back) gets savaged by the press with the PM's office not far behind.

Oh, and he's happily sat on one of the second most anti-union governments of the past 50 years.

Maggie's bastard children the lot of 'em, including Brown