Thursday 29 January 2009

Joined-up Government in the Crisis


Nice to learn from briefings to all newspapers that the Cabinet tackles its tasks in a spirit of unity and brotherhood. The Grauniad informs us that the PM is

... being warned by advisers that he is at risk of becoming the "Minister for the Recession".

A problem indeed. And the remedy ? He has

ordered cabinet ministers to get more involved in the government's response ... Health secretary Alan Johnson has been singled out for his low profile and is due to meet the prime minister in the next few weeks.

This Baldwinesque sense of urgency is commendable: and it's good to know Johnson visits the headmaster's study from time to time ...

ND

7 comments:

  1. Lord Falconer on Question Time tonight.
    Hope He has been given the crib sheet.

    If not here are some of Gordon's Finest.

    Started in America
    Do nothing party
    Global financial crisis
    The IMF report isn't really very significant as it doesn't take into account ..{tractors,sewing machines..}
    Right thing to do
    Low inflation means that we can ..{do anything we like}
    Barack Obama is following our lead by ..
    saved the banks.

    {don't get involved in the cash for ermine debate. But it will be asked. }

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  2. Hmmm

    Cabinet members are being asked to 'share the blame' with Gordon; shadow cabinet members have had some success with slipping the phrase 'Gordon Brown's recession' into soundbites, but rather than taking the hit Gordon now wants to spin it as 'Labour's recession'. Some resistance there, methinks. They're putting as much distance as they can from Jonah right now.

    And how does this square with the strict instructions Labour backbenchers have had not to talk about the recession at all?

    They're on the back foot, allright.

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  3. Bill! Shame on you! Youy missed the best one:

    "For 10 years now I have been calling for better global financial regulation and an early warning system."

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  4. Anonymous11:11 pm

    I supppose this is ever so slightly O/T, but does anyone know why we aren't following Sweden's example from the early 90s? Privatising the banks, parking the shitty assets in quarantine, recapitalising and cracking on with service as normal?

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  5. It wasn't long ago the spin was that Gordon was once again in his element, dealing with, and solving the probelms of, the economy.

    Maybe I am wrong but it seems to me that Darling hasn't been very vocal. Especially since Mandy came back.

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