Tuesday September 4th: It looks like Gordon has started a trend. George made a 'surprise' visit to Iraq yesterday to say that it's possible, that maybe, some day soon perhaps, it's potenntially conceivable, as the longest of long shots that US troops might be withdrawn. The boot's on the other foot now, isn't it? I guess Gordon got out the abacus at their last meeting and explained exactly how much much money - that lovely, crispy green money - was going to waste.
In a press conference this afternoon Gordon denied the charge that the UK and US weren't seeing eye-to-eye on Iraq. "We are on exactly the same path that I have set out," he says. The path that I have set out? There's been a definite changing of the guard there. The lapdog days are over. Gordon is not for jumping through hoops! No, siree Bob. In the immortal words of Staten Island's very own Bard, Ghostface Killah: "Sit down Mr. Bush, I'm in charge of the war..."
That bastion of well heeled Conservatism, The Times, exercised a little spin on their front page today. According to a poll, Labour only have a 1% lead over the Tories. The poll in question was The Times poll. Now that's messed up. They're basically saying that 36% of their readers, who are most likely Tory voters, believe that the opposition leader makes a better Prime Minister than their own boy. Like rats on a sinking ship...
The Herald Tribune reports that The Prime Minister is still not ruling out the possibility of an election early next year. Gordon has already shot down the notion of a televised debate, much to Diet Blair's chagrin. Apparently, "[he] urged Brown to reconsider, saying a TV debate would win the interest of a British public often apathetic to politics." Smart move. He's obviously hoping to repeat his performance at the first Question Time of Gordon's term, where he pretty much ran circles around him. Diet Blair has that broadcast-ready sheen about him. It's what I like to call his inner 'PR Weasel'. He's good, but he's still got some tricks to learn to get to Blair's level. Blair was a PR Weasel of the highest order. At any given time Dave is ready to fire his boyish grin directly at the camera and say the first thing that comes into his head - be it on immigration, the NHS, tax, the meltdown of society. Whatever. That's where that "bare knuckle fight" nonsense came from.
Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear oh dear. Gordon may have undone a great deal of hard work in the space of one interview. The Telegraph's website is running an article with the headline "Gordon Brown 'admires' Margaret Thatcher". The reason for his admiration is that the Baronness was a "conviction politician". Shit. You could say Hitler was a "conviction politician". Not being able to go back on your word isn't always a good thing. Look at George.
Prince has been exceptionally busy during the past 24 hours. Not content with ruling over London for a month and some change, he popped up in Prague yesterday to film the video for Somewhere On Planet Earth. A report on housequake.com, has him playing piano on a bridge in the middle of the city. He must have got bored of running around the capital with The New Power Generation. For some reason, I can't help but think of Prince and the NPG as a single entity. Like a funky version of the Ant Hill Mob from Wacky Races. When you're money's that long, I guess it takes more to keep you entertained than us regular folk can understand. The open-top bus tour around the sights, getting your caricature drawn in Leicester Square and dinner at the Angus Steak House just won't cut it. His next show is on the 6th so he has a couple of days to jet around Europe filming scenes before it's 'back to the grindstone'...
