Gordon Brown (Chancellor) will be as tough as Lady Thatcher was in dealing with the EU, says one of his allies - as reported in the Daily Telegraph edition of 23.9.2006:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...3/nbrown23.xml

* If these alleged remarks correctly reflect the view of Mr. Brown and his supporters - is this part of a deliberate strategy by Mr. Brown to get the votes of those anti-EU people who were supporters of the Conservative Party but who now feel stranded and abandoned since pro-EU and anti-UKIP Cameron became Conservative leader? :shock:

Such votes (i.e. anti-EU or strongly eurosceptic former Conservative voters backing a Brown-led Labour Party at the next General Election)could be the difference between Labour winning and losing in at least 50 parliamentary seats at the next General Election (quite apart from the effect UKIP will have in at least the same number of marginal - i.e. key - constituencies.
[Rep]

If we believe this has any depth then we aren't very good at seeing through shady politicians...... brown may think he will be tough, but as soon as the carousel starts up, he will be sucked in as all are...... but he starts with an impediment..... we already know he is a lier, yet not quite as good as blair with the believable spin, but, he's a true labour politician, and won't do our country any good at all in his relations with the EU.

Look out for more sellouts and backsliding
[Rep]

As tough as Thatch eh.

IE give away huge swaves of power, then blub that she was conned afterwards.

Hardly inspiring.
[Rep]

Originally Posted by mkpdavies:
As tough as Thatch eh.

IE give away huge swaves of power, then blub that she was conned afterwards.

Hardly inspiring.

My thoughts exactly
[Rep]

I think the analysis above about marginal seats is correct. But Brown does not need to lure current Conservative supporters who realise that the EU has stuffed us for £50,000m a year. A third of Labour voters know we should leave the EU and the Labour party had leaving it as a policy until 1983. We need to appeal to left-wing Eurosceptics and the more that Nigel makes UKIP look like the Tories the more difficult that will be.
On the positive side all prime monsters from MacMillan on have wanted to be 'at the heart of Europe' but have made critical noises about it when the public has twigged how ghastly the EU is. I doubt anyone believes Brown would be as tough as Thatcher on it, although I agree with Matt Davies that that was not tough enough. 'I said "no" ' I believe she said. Well she oought to have said 'goodbye'.
[Rep]