UK could become 'a failed state' without reform, former UK PM Brown says

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UK could become 'a failed state' without reform, former UK PM Brown says

 

People walk on the Westminster Bridge, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in London, Britain, January 20, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Unless the United Kingdom is fundamentally reformed it could swiftly become a failed state as many people have lost faith in the way the country is governed by, and in the interests of, a London-centric elite, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said.

 

"I believe the choice is now between a reformed state and a failed state," Brown wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper. "It is indeed Scotland where dissatisfaction is so deep that it threatens the end of the United Kingdom."

 

"'Whoever in London thought of that?' is a common refrain, reflecting the frustration of people in outlying communities who feel they are the forgotten men and women, virtually invisible to Whitehall," Brown, who served as Labour prime minister from 2007 to 2010, wrote.

 

The five-year Brexit crisis plus the COVID-19 crisis have weakened the bonds that bind England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland into a $3 trillion economy.

 

Brown said Prime Minister Boris Johnson should reform the way the United Kingdom is governed.

 

"Battered by Covid-19, threatened by nationalism, and uncertain what the promise of a post-Brexit ‘Global Britain’ adds up to, the United Kingdom must urgently rediscover what holds it together and sort out what is driving us apart," he said.

 

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Kate Holton)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-26

 

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[rabang]

Whenever I visited London I couldn't help but notice the globalist agenda in full swing. The city is full of separate microcosms detached from each other. Parts of the city look like Pakistan or Middle East, others like Africa. Add to that the neo-liberal policies and the traditional British class society plus the separative nature of social media and it is no wonder there is no unity whatsoever. Nationwide there are also regional forces and separatist movements in play.

Edited January 26, 2021 by rabang

[JoePai]

Talk about the pot calling the kettle back – he was a disaster

[colinneil]

Gordon Brown speaking nonsense once again, the most useless PM in living memory.

Failed state, thats just where it was heading under his leadership.

[Surelynot]

I would argue that the "could" should be a "will"....

 

SNP are on a roll, big wins coming for them in May and then Indy2......all thanks to Johnson's total arrogance and dismissive approach to the other three nations.....he never has been and never will be a leader in any real sense of the word.

 

His lasting legacy will be the destruction of the Union.

[vogie]

3 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

I would argue that the "could" should be a "will"....

 

SNP are on a roll, big wins coming for them in May and then Indy2......all thanks to Johnson's total arrogance and dismissive approach to the other three nations.....he never has been and never will be a leader in any real sense of the word.

 

His lasting legacy will be the destruction of the Union.

"I would argue that the "could" should be a "will"...."

Do you mean 'hope,' many remainers cannot face the fact that they lost the referendum that some of them would rather see their country fail so they could say 'I told you so,' and if that is the case would you not consider that to be a spiteful action of individuals who hope for this.

 

You not liking Boris doesn't take away the enormous success of his delivering the democratic decision of the great British public, Johnson beside all the odds being stacked againgst him delivered what the public asked of him, he will go down in history as one of our all time greatest leaders, the backing that the electorate gave him is phonomenal. And the reason that remainers don't like Boris is because they didn't get their own way.

 

And no one is doubting that the SNP will do well in the elections, but it won't make a ha'penny worth of difference in them having an indy2, how can it?

[Surelynot]

2 minutes ago, vogie said:

delivered what the public asked of him

You've lost me...... presumably you don't mean Brexit, as that was decided before he came to power....so you mean the God awful trade deal that will drive businesses to the wall, financial services to move abroad and usher in the destruction of the Union...what leadership!!!!....I am in awe.

Edited January 26, 2021 by Surelynot

[vogie]

On 1/26/2021 at 10:44 AM, Surelynot said:

You've lost me...... presumably you don't mean Brexit, as that was decided before he came to power....so you mean the God awful trade deal that will drive businesses to the wall, financial services to move abroad and usher in the destruction of the Union...what leadership!!!!....I am in awe.

Quoting 7 words out of my post, you could at least have used a full sentence, If the voters voted for Brexit and Boris delivered, that in anyones terms is a democratic success.

Edited January 27, 2021 by onthedarkside
flame comment removed

[2530Ubon]

I agree with G.Brown - even though he was the most disliked British "pm" (unelected) and personally, I think he's a bit of a snake in the grass after what he did to Blair.

 

Problem is, if it had come out of literally any other ex-PM's mouth, it might have been taken more seriously.

[RuamRudy]

21 minutes ago, vogie said:

"I would argue that the "could" should be a "will"...."

Do you mean 'hope,' many remainers cannot face the fact that they lost the referendum that some of them would rather see their country fail so they could say 'I told you so,' and if that is the case would you not consider that to be a spiteful action of individuals who hope for this.

 

You not liking Boris doesn't take away the enormous success of his delivering the democratic decision of the great British public, Johnson beside all the odds being stacked againgst him delivered what the public asked of him, he will go down in history as one of our all time greatest leaders, the backing that the electorate gave him is phonomenal. And the reason that remainers don't like Boris is because they didn't get their own way.

 

And no one is doubting that the SNP will do well in the elections, but it won't make a ha'penny worth of difference in them having an indy2, how can it?

 

Haha - so your puff about democracy is all bluster? You only like democracy if it gives you the result you want? 

 

Don't forget, the SNP got a greater share of the Scottish vote than Johnson got across the UK, yet he is a contender for greatness? Oh, you never fail to make me laugh, Vogie. 

[RuamRudy]

19 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

You've lost me...... presumably you don't mean Brexit, as that was decided before he came to power....so you mean the God awful trade deal that will drive businesses to the wall, financial services to move abroad and usher in the destruction of the Union...what leadership!!!!....I am in awe.

And was supported by only 1 in 3 of the electorate. Brexiteers like to talk of the will of the people, but the reality is that it is the will of only one third of the people. 

[Surelynot]

On 1/26/2021 at 10:50 AM, vogie said:

Quoting 7 words out of my post, you could at least have used a full sentence, If the voters voted for Brexit and Boris delivered, that in anyones terms is a democratic success.

 

Article 50 triggered Brexit.....Johnson wasn't PM at the time? How did he deliver Brexit?

[vogie]

9 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

Haha - so your puff about democracy is all bluster? You only like democracy if it gives you the result you want? 

 

Don't forget, the SNP got a greater share of the Scottish vote than Johnson got across the UK, yet he is a contender for greatness? Oh, you never fail to make me laugh, Vogie. 

I think you should be consentrating on what is happening to your Nationalistic party in Scotland, they are losing ground daily with the lies and their refusal to be truthful on misleading the Scottish parliament. You have bigger fish to fry, actually Alex Salmond is beginning to grow on me, could be a great week for the SNP and not to your liking. 

But this is about G Brown, and with help from his partner in crime T Blair, they have created all this mayhem in the UK, it was obvious that giving the SNP devolution would cause nothing but division in Scotland, Nationalism thrives on hate, they need a bogeyman to be popular and no one is as popular as N Sturgeon. 

And to call democracy bluster is totally disingenuous, some of us cannot ignore it, nor should anyone else. 

[vogie]

15 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Article 50 triggered Brexit.....Johnson wasn't PM at the time? How did he deliver Brexit?

Got rid of the dead wood called remainers in the commons, easy peasy lemon squeezy. 

[RuamRudy]

On 1/26/2021 at 11:29 AM, vogie said:

I think you should be consentrating on what is happening to your Nationalistic party in Scotland, they are losing ground daily with the lies and their refusal to be truthful on misleading the Scottish parliament. You have bigger fish to fry, actually Alex Salmond is beginning to grow on me, could be a great week for the SNP and not to your liking. 

But this is about G Brown, and with help from his partner in crime T Blair, they have created all this mayhem in the UK, it was obvious that giving the SNP devolution would cause nothing but division in Scotland, Nationalism thrives on hate, they need a bogeyman to be popular and no one is as popular as N Sturgeon. 

And to call democracy bluster is totally disingenuous, some of us cannot ignore it, nor should anyone else. 

 

Read my post again... You will notice that I never called democracy bluster. I called your claim that you hold democracy as sacrosanct bluster. 

 

Glad to see you acknowledge how popular the snp and Sturgeon are. Some are suggesting that they might get 60%of the vote in the election - hardly a sign of a divided country, is it? 

Edited January 27, 2021 by onthedarkside
trolling comment removed

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, vogie said:

"I would argue that the "could" should be a "will"...."

Do you mean 'hope,' many remainers cannot face the fact that they lost the referendum that some of them would rather see their country fail so they could say 'I told you so,' and if that is the case would you not consider that to be a spiteful action of individuals who hope for this.

 

You not liking Boris doesn't take away the enormous success of his delivering the democratic decision of the great British public, Johnson beside all the odds being stacked againgst him delivered what the public asked of him, he will go down in history as one of our all time greatest leaders, the backing that the electorate gave him is phonomenal. And the reason that remainers don't like Boris is because they didn't get their own way.

 

And no one is doubting that the SNP will do well in the elections, but it won't make a ha'penny worth of difference in them having an indy2, how can it?

Surely you accept Brexit will inevitably have unforeseen outcomes?

[vogie]

On 1/26/2021 at 11:40 AM, RuamRudy said:

 

Read my post again, but this time more slowly. You will notice that I never called democracy bluster. I called your claim that you hold democracy as sacrosanct bluster. 

 

Glad to see you acknowledge how popular the snp and Sturgeon are. Some are suggesting that they might get 60%of the vote in the election - hardly a sign of a divided country, is it? 

 

Roughly half of the country wanting to be Nationalists and the other half not wanting this is by anyone language, a divided country. 

Edited January 27, 2021 by onthedarkside
flame comment removed

[2530Ubon]

13 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Surely you accept Brexit will inevitably have unforeseen outcomes?

 

The Brexit brigade never relent - don't try. So many Scottish independence threads with hundreds of comments skirting around your very apt question. To sum up - Brexit doesn't change anything according to them.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

Gordon Brown speaking nonsense once again, the most useless PM in living memory.

Failed state, thats just where it was heading under his leadership.

 

Hold on with the "living memory" bit. Boris's tenure isn't over yet.

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, rabang said:

Whenever I visited London I couldn't help but notice the globalist agenda in full swing. The city is full of separate microcosms detached from each other. Parts of the city look like Pakistan or Middle East, others like Africa. Add to that the neo-liberal policies and the traditional British class society plus the separative nature of social media and it is no wonder there is no unity whatsoever. Nationwide there are also regional forces and separatist movements in play.

 

Yup. But they haven't had three days of anti-curfew riots like over in Holland.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, vogie said:

...he will go down in history as one of our all time greatest leaders, ...

 

Whoa there Kimosabe. Put that pipe down and walk away.

[2530Ubon]

26 minutes ago, vogie said:

Less of the patronizing please RR, you wasn't always like this, maybe you have got yourself mixed in with the wrong crowd, but I still believe there is hope for you once all this talk of partitioning goes away. 

Roughly half of the country wanting to be Nationalists and the other half not wanting this is by anyone language, a divided country. 

So exactly the same as England then?

[vogie]

11 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

Whoa there Kimosabe. Put that pipe down and walk away.

I was trying to bring a bit of balance into the proceedings. ????

[RuamRudy]

38 minutes ago, vogie said:

Less of the patronizing please RR, you wasn't always like this, maybe you have got yourself mixed in with the wrong crowd, but I still believe there is hope for you once all this talk of partitioning goes away. 

Roughly half of the country wanting to be Nationalists and the other half not wanting this is by anyone language, a divided country. 

 

"Less of the patronising please; you wasn't always like this; I still believe there is hope for you." Seriously?

 

[Surelynot]

Just now, RuamRudy said:

 

"Less of the patronising please; you wasn't always like this; I still believe there is hope for you." Seriously?

 

I know...it should be "were not"

[vogie]

46 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Surely you accept Brexit will inevitably have unforeseen outcomes?

Of course, who could have possibly predicted that there would jelly shortages and if we have Stilton Cheese shortages can you just imagine the stink that would cause. 

[Surelynot]

Just now, vogie said:

Of course, who could have possibly predicted that there would jelly shortages and if we have Stilton Cheese shortages can you just imagine the stink that would cause. 

Stilton is all destined for Japan surely?

[Chomper Higgot]

3 minutes ago, vogie said:

Of course, who could have possibly predicted that there would jelly shortages and if we have Stilton Cheese shortages can you just imagine the stink that would cause. 

Right, so now all you have to do is come to terms with the Brexit outcomes you don’t, for whatever reason, like.

 

A boost to Scottish independence is once such outcome, there will be many more.

[RuamRudy]

6 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Stilton is all destined for Japan surely?

I tell you where its not destined - Northern Ireland. 

 

 

 

[Surelynot]

   2 hours ago,  vogie said: 

...he will go down in history as one of our all time greatest leaders, ...

 

Whoa there Kimosabe. Put that pipe down and walk away (NanLaew)

 

He will go down in history......that is certain.

 

 

Oh....and the end of the Union....just to stick the (jack) boot in.

Edited January 26, 2021 by Surelynot