Labour will recover !!!!

Labour will recover, says Brown

Gordon Brown: 'It's not been the best weekend'

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said Labour "will recover" after its worst local election results in 40 years, and told the BBC he took the blame.

"I feel responsible. There are no excuses on my part at all," he told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show.

He admitted to some mistakes but said he had the "conviction and ideas" to take the country forward.

For the Tories, Liam Fox said Mr Brown was "caught in a mental rut" and should "stop patronising" voters.

Labour's poor local election results - in which their projected share of the national vote dropped to 24%, pushing them into third place behind the Lib Dems - were topped by Ken Livingstone's defeat by Conservative Boris Johnson in London's mayoral race.

In his first interview after the results were announced, Mr Brown said it had "not been the best weekend", adding that voters were worried about rising petrol and food prices and utility bills.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7382674.stm

It's bad and disappointing , I'll listen and lead!!!!

Gordon Brown says it has been a "bad and disappointing" election for Labour, as the party suffers its worst council results in at least 40 years.

BBC research suggests Labour won 24% of votes cast in England and Wales, behind the Tories on 44% and Lib Dems on 25%.

So far Labour has lost 310 councillors and key councils like Reading. Tory gains include Bury and North Tyneside.

Mr Brown insists his party will learn lessons. David Cameron called it a "big moment" for the Conservative Party.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7372860.stm

May 2nd Boris who ????

Saint Boris's Day?

Some religious calendars indicate this is the day to commemorate Boris

May 2, 2008 11:49 AM

My colleague Haroon Siddique mentions, in his live coverage of the election results that today is Saint Boris's Day. Well, yes and no.

Boris-Mihail I of Bulgaria. Photograph: WikiCommons
True, the Orthodox calendar of saints lists May 2 as the commemoration of Saint Boris (Boris-Mihail of Bulgaria) and of the translation of the relics of Boris and Gleb, princes of Russia, whose main feast day is on July 24. But the Russian Orthodox church uses the Julian calendar (though, confusingly, this does not apparently make it Old Calendarist). Consequently, celebrations at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in London today will be for Bright Friday, it being April 19 in the ecclesiastical calendar. Saint Boris (the Russian) will have to wait until May 15 in the secular Gregorian calendar. To make things a little clearer, the Bulgarian and Greek churches follow the Gregorian calendar, though not in all things, and thus for those churches it is indeed May 2. (Unless you're talking about the Old Calendar Orthodox Church). So, is it Saint Boris's Day? It very much depends on who you ask

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/05/saint_boriss_day.html

I was wrong over the 10p , but I'm listening and learning as PM !!!

Brown admits 'mistakes' over tax

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has admitted making "mistakes" in abolishing the 10p rate of income tax.

He told the BBC the government "didn't cover as well as we should have" losses to low earners without children and pensioners aged 60 to 64.

Mr Brown said he was "listening" and "learning" as prime minister.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7374860.stm

We need time !!!!!!

'Time needed' for 10p tax changes

Chancellor Alistair Darling has been accused of incompetency by the Conservatives The chancellor has admitted "it will take time" to finalise compensation details for people who lost out when the 10p income tax rate was scrapped. Alistair Darling told MPs he would wait until this autumn's pre-Budget report to outline the package, as changes to the tax system "can be quite complex". Concessions were offered to some low earners and pensioners under 65 amid fears of a rebellion by Labour MPs. Conservative leader David Cameron said the affair was "a complete shambles". "Even when it comes to making a U-turn, this government is incompetent," he added. "With this prime minister and with this chancellor you have always got to check the smallprint." The abolition of the 10p rate was part of Gordon Brown's final Budget as chancellor, before he became prime minister last year, and came into effect earlier this month. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7364344.stm

I'm not weak , indecisive or a ditherer and I wasn't pushed !!!!

Brown denies being 'pushed about'

Prime Minister Gordon Brown defends the changes The prime minister has defended the decision to compensate people who have lost money from tax changes, saying he was not "pushed about" by Labour MPs. Gordon Brown told the BBC it was important to "judge what is right at every point". Earlier, facing a possible Labour rebellion over the abolition of the 10p income tax rate, the government promised more help to low earners. The Conservatives accused Mr Brown of "weakness, dithering and indecision". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7362283.stm

I wish I could do this for the council elections !!!

Mugabe trying to 'steal election'

Secretly filmed footage of alleged attack victims in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is trying "to steal the election", over three weeks after the disputed poll, Foreign Secretary David Miliband says.

In a strongly-worded House of Commons statement, he said: "No-one can have any faith in this recount."

He said the "ludicrously slow rate" of the count fuelled suspicion that Mugabe "is seeking to reverse the results".

The world is witnessing "a charade of democracy", he said. The outcome of a partial recount has been delayed.

Electoral officials began the recount in 23 out of 210 seats on Saturday and said it would take three days.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7359104.stm

I'll act to head off this tax revolt NOW!!!!!

Brown acts to head off tax revolt

Mr Brown is trying to win over Labour backbenchers

Gordon Brown has met Labour MPs to outline the government's plans to look at helping those worst hit by the abolition of the 10p tax rate.

He was trying to head off a backbench rebellion by MPs angry that millions of low paid workers are worse off after changes in last year's Budget.

Earlier MPs were told an inquiry into child poverty would be widened to include those affected.

The Tories and Lib Dems are both calling for a compensation package.

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the fact Mr Brown had chosen to address the Parliamentary Labour Party showed he had accepted he had a problem - but many MPs wanted to know what he would do to compensate people who were left worse off.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7359278.stm

Of course you can't rewrite the Budget my darling I won't let you !!!

Darling: I can't rewrite Budget

Chancellor Alistair Darling on the 10p tax cut

The chancellor has ruled out a U-turn on axing the 10p tax rate, saying it would be "totally irresponsible" to "unravel...or rewrite" the Budget now.

But Alistair Darling told the BBC he "would return" in future Budgets to help those hit by the move.

Critics should look at it alongside tax credit and pension changes which had helped lower earners, he said.

But leading Labour rebel Frank Field said promises of "something undefined" in the future did not go far enough.

And Conservative leader David Cameron said Mr Darling should "get off his backside" and get into the Treasury to rewrite his Budget.

Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend that the Conservatives would be "trying to get the government to stop and think again" on a "pre-meditated tax grab" on 5.3 million people.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7357085.stm

I'm back to sort them out !!!

See this link

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7356183.stm