Well, it really wouldn't match with their bollocks story about him causing the collapse of the global economy, if they supported him.

 

Although Osborne's desire to see a woman finally get the job is, I'm sure, the real reason!

Yep Blizz'ard, although you do have to question the wisdom of a man who really did ride a property and credit boom.  The signs were that the economy was overheating in the mid 2000s but no one expected the fall to be quite as dramatic.

 

Gordon did throw prudence out of the window sometime in the early 2000s.  The Tories are correct in their assertion that Gordon sold the gold at the bottom of the market.  He was warned against doing it by many experts.  His logic for doing it was valid but it has in hindsight cost the country billions. 

 

On regulation, anyone who thinks that self cert mortgages brought down the banks is a (Tory) fool.  Certainly, the Tories would rather have Tony Blair as their leader than having their narrative that Gordon caused the global banking crisis compromised by Gordon telling them the errors of their ways - which are many. 

 

A characteristic of Cameron's leadership is his lack of graciousness in victory.  He seems to take his cue from the foaming mouthed Torygraph readers who routinely accuse Brown of treason.  Cameron's arrogance and spite towards Labour and particularly Gordon Brown is as obnoxious as it is repellent.

I haven't seen any talk about ice cream vendors.

Maybe Joe means Mr Whippy Max Mosley?

Point taken, Carnelian.

 

Gordon did make mistakes, with hindsight, but it must be a bit embarrassing for Cameron and Co. that he has such a respected reputation as an Economist, with the rest of the world.

Well done Lilibet!

Oh I get it now.

 

Yay, a lucky guess!

He wasn't perfect, but Georgie Porgy Osborne needs to take his shoes and socks off to count beyond ten..

I wouldn't like to see Gordon Brown in charge of my school's PTA fund, let alone the IMF. 

He probably wouldn't bother to turn up for the PTA meeting.  He seems to have a low attendance/interaction at the HOC since losing last years election.

As GB seems to think that when in financial trouble splash the cash seems to be the answer then that would seem to rule him out of managing international budgets. 

 

I would have preferred the head of the IMF to have come from a non-European source since they (the EU) do not seem to know how to balance their own books.

I'd nominate Vicky Pryce for the job.

Selling off the gold is a  bit of a red herring. Due to a spot of the old smoke and mirrors no-one seemed to notice that the previous Tories sold off railways, water, transport, utilities, council services, and maybe later, the NHS to their pals in the city for next to nothing and a handful of beans.

I am afraid we will have to agree to disagree (as usual) about selling off the gold GJ, it was a testimonial to his poor financial judgement IMO.

 Me neither Growlybear..... and I agree with Squiggle, I would like to see a non EU(or US) head of the IMF.....

No thank you Broonie.

So! If you don't fancy either of the economic experts Brown or Madame Lagarde, who would you like? A Russian oligarch? Or mebbees someone from Glee?

Joe Pasquale.

Good choice!

I wouldn't mind the gig meself. Here are my credentials Senor Joe; Dual nationality so I can cover that Developing Country nationality remit; Magna/Summa Cum Laude in the field of Monetary DooDahs (inc. household purse keeping); I can draw graphs that bend and curve ; I can sometimes understand them ; I can sometimes explain them (even to pre-schoolers); I'm willing to travel and I just want everyone to get along.

He is respected, and IMO, rightly so.  He did make mistakes but his actions in the event of the banking crisis were the correct ones and the bank bail out was a necessary evil.  I have no doubt that had Osborne been running things in 2008 we'd be in a major slump.  Brown's work towards getting international cooperation on bank bail outs probably saved the West from a 1930s style slump.

I'm not sure that no-one noticed, the Tories squandered North Sea Oil as well as hawked off the family silver. They also wasted billions on a punt on ERM membership which, due to the  incompetence of John Major and the weakness of the British economy, led to Black Wednesday, costing the British economy over £3bn in 1992 money.  The year long miners' strike also cost billions.

 

 

I don't think selling off the gold is a red herring, it has cost the country billions. It was almost certainly Gordon Brown's worst decision, although it only looks like such poor judgement at the current time because gold is at an all time high.  IIRC, Gordon's motives were to balance the portfolio of British assets, which he felt was too reliant on gold, so that the British economic fortunes weren't at the whim of the gold market.  IMO, the right decision, executed at the wrong time.

According to the torygraph it cost a few billions, certainly less than the Olympics. Plus I suppose one would need to know what he was paid in and what he did with it. However it's an easy point for baffled Tory voters to attack since otherwise they would be criticising their own philosophy. By and large Blair n Brown stuck to the daft Thatcherite ideology. IMHYCO.

I thought at the time that it was a terrible decision and I still do.  I also felt he was an incompetent Chancellor and a rubbish PM.

Economics is a mug's game 

I agree Squiggle.... *puts on hard hat*

Pass us another one of those will you Baz

 *there ya go*

Tell me about it. It took me a while to distinguish between micro and macro, never mind the rest. Was good at statistics though.

Economics? Piece of piss! It's that English Language that's the difficult one.

That's hilarious!

Meanwhile Gideon has turned an economy in recovery under Labour into a stagflating economy with the threat of a double dip recession hanging over it. 

 

What should we expect from an economic illiterate who claimed “Ireland stands as a shining example of the art of the possible in long-term economic policymaking” in 2006, just before the their ludicrous property binge turned "The Celtic Tiger" into a basket case economy which has so far required two massive bailouts.

 

George Osborne: Look and learn from across the Irish Sea

 

How clueless is it possible to be?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t...rs/article733821.ece

An economy in recovery under Labour

 

George Osborne's policies in turning around our basket case economy have been widely praised by the wider economic community.  Left to Labour we would be facing similar problems to Greece and Portugal (oh and incidentally Ireland).

 

 http://diack.co.uk/fitaloon/20...5/mountains-of-debt/

 

Labour the modern day equivalent to Pontius Pilate, not responsible for anything.

Widely praised by whom, the flipping Tea Party?  Who cares what those nutjobs think!

 

Why would we be a basket case when hundreds of economists backed Labour's debt reduction strategy and the economy was showing an unexpected return to strong growth, which Osborne's killed stone dead. And for what?  So he can give a tax break to the rich before the next election?  Tax breaks for the rich in 2015 financed by tax hikes for the poor 2010-2014.  Typical Tory class warfare.

 

Don't think we won't require a bail out either.  You won't reduce the debt by flat-lining the economy.

 

Tories the human equivalent of goldfish, but with half the memory and intelligence.

that is extremely offensive to goldfish!

If Osborne turns the economy around  but at what cost is he prepared to go ... targetting the disabled and the pensioners heating allowance is what leaves a bad taste in my mouth,a year down the road there has been that many pauses by the tories because of the backlashes, nothing they have proposed has been thought through properly, when their five years is up I may have a different opinion of them  and if so I will put my hand up and say so ....I would love to be proved wrong for all the right reasons... but going by their previous history they dont care whose toes they step on along the way  with their radical changes and that is one of the  reason why I have  never voted for a tory government... please dont start me on the thatcher years... 

Hand me one as well

 Hi Kaytee  There ya go