Brown's spend, spend, spend during his Chancellor's days has brought us into the current economy we are facing today. His appeal at a Downing Street meeting for the lenders to pass on cuts appeared to fall on deaf ears with HBOS, which owns the Halifax, increasing its rate on some mortgages from 6.09 to 6.59 per cent. Borrowers taking out this type of deal will now pay 46 more a month. On a two-year tracker, the rate will increase from 1.49 points above base rate to 1.99 points, giving a current rate of 6.99 per cent.

Other lenders are expected to follow Halifaxs lead.

If the Government wants the banks to lower mortgage rates to home owners - why not just offer them through Northern Rock? Everyone would rush to the Rock to get the loans forcing banks to match the rates or lose the business? Or maybe the government would then run into bigger credit crunch?

How can London compete with China's Olympics??? Their opening and closing ceremonies were spectacular. And Zhang Yi Mou has done a marvellous job.
Who needs Steven Spielberg anyway?

Some sections of the Chinese media approved of the eight minute handover segment of the ceremony, in which London was given the chance to showcase itself as the host city of the 2012 Olympic Games.

But others were less than complimentary and criticism was fiercer still among ordinary Chinese people writing on internet blogs.

Mr Johnson was accused of being "rude, arrogant and disrespectful" for accepting the Olympic flag with one hand, putting his hands in his pockets and not buttoning up his jacket.

London's handover pageant meanwhile - which featured a red double decker bus, the guitarist Jimmy Page, reality television singer Leona Lewis and the footballer David Beckham - was ridiculed for being beyond comprehension.

The Titan Sports Daily newspaper dismissed Page and Lewis as "not famous enough" to be known by the audience in China. It also criticised Beckham for allegedly failing to hit the right spot when he kicked a football into the crowd at the Bird's Nest stadium.

The paper said: "Just like any of his penalties at a football match, he totally missed it."

It went on: "Unlike the Chinese custom, which tends not to reveal their weakness to the outsiders, the British seem to like to laugh about their stupidity in a funny way.

"During the performance, when the London bus pulled over, all the passengers waiting for the bus rushed into the door at the same time, which truly damaged the 'British image'."

Another newspaper, Daily First, commented that the London performance was "casual" and "beyond our understanding".

Charitably, it said that the problem might be due to "cultural differences" between China and the UK.

However, the strongest adverse reaction was on the internet where Mr Johnson was singled out for attack.

One blogger wrote: "At such a formal occasion, he should have buttoned his jacket. If you dress informally or not properly, it can be seen as disrespect to the host.

"When he was stepping to the stage and down, he put his hand in the pocket of his jacket. This shows he was extremely casual, he did not seem to take this occasion seriously.

"After he took over the Olympic flag, he simply passed it to the Chinese standard-bearer. He was the only person who took the flag with one hand. This is very disrespectful to the Olympic flag."

Mr Johnson was also accused of ignoring the Mayor of Beijing when he shook hands with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge.

However, some sections of the Chinese media praised London's effort, with The Beijing News calling it "colourful".

Zhang Yimou, the internationally acclaimed Chinese filmmaker who directed the opening and closing ceremonies, also said London's performance was "very creative" and praised the inclusion of the bus and its use as a moving platform for the show.

London 2012 organisers have already been at the centre of a row after an image of Myra Hindley, the Moors Murderer, was included in a montage of British achievements at the closing ceremony. It was immediately condemned by Mr Johnson and Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Labour MPs Joan Ryan and Janet Anderson join open revolt against Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown is facing a growing revolt from Labour MPs who want to force a leadership election.

13 Sep 2008

Joan Ryan said there should be a "multiplicity" of challengers At least five more MPs joined the growing clamour against the Prime Minister by calling for a debate and a vote on whether he should continue as party leader.

Joan Ryan, the Labour MP for Enfield North, a vice chair of the party and a former minister, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that there should be a "multiplicity" of challengers to compete for the leadership. "I have written to the party and asked for nomination papers to be issued," she said.

Within minutes of Ms Ryan's comments, Janet Anderson, the Labour MP for Rossendale & Darwen, also asked for leadership nomination papers to be sent out.

Their comments have intensified the pressure on Mr Brown, who is now facing an attempted coup by a growing number of Labour MPs in the party.

On Friday, the Prime Minister was forced to sack Siobhain McDonagh, a junior whip, after she became the first member of his administration to call for a leadership election. Miss McDonagh said her call reflected the private concerns of many Labour MPs.

Others who are believed to have requested nomination papers being sent out are former ministers George Howarth, Kate Hoey and Frank Field. Backbenchers Jim Dowd and Graham Stringer are also understood to have issued the request.

Ms Ryan said today: "I think that in order to serve our constituents properly to the best of our ability, to face the big issues that are facing our constituents and to ensure that we have the best way forward to deal with those big issues, we need to have this debate about the direction and leadership of our country out in the open now.

"Because it's a debate that I haven't caused, but it's a debate that's happening anyway at all levels. The fact that it's a little more open now is healthy, better. It's happening at all levels of the party and it should be happening in a more open and honest way."

Ms Ryan insisted that she was not part of a "plot or a conspiracy" and did not know how many people have written asking for the nomination papers. But she said "a number of MPs" had expressed concerns to her after her summer break.

The Labour MP declined to say whom she would back in a leadership election. "I think we need to have a leadership election to trigger a deep and far-reaching debate and those people in our party who have something to offer and are capable of leadership need to put themselves forward," she said.

"We need a multiplicity of candidates. That's a healthy thing to do and that's part of the democracy of our party. It's happening anyway, as I say, but it's happening behind closed doors."

Ms Ryan has been critical in recent months of Labour's alleged failure to relate to voters. "I just don't think we're connecting on the doorstep," she said in May.

However, Tony Lloyd, the chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, said today that he was not aware of any widespread support for Ms Ryan's position. What it does represent is a handful of people who are not joined by the overwhelming majority of Labour MPs," he said.

Mr Lloyd also stressed how difficult it would be to actually trigger a leadership election. "A stalking horse it does not seem as if there is and don't forget that it requires the threshold of 70 Labour MPs and this handful of people who are coming out of the woodwork are not going to trigger a leadership contest," he said.

Other MPs who have requested nomination papers are said to include former ministers Janet Anderson, Kate Hoey and Frank Field, and backbenchers Jim Dowd and Graham Stringer.

More names are expected to emerge over the coming days as part of what appears to be a co-ordinated move to destabilise Mr Brown.

The rebels hope that the resulting pressure could force the Labour Party to issue nomination papers to all its MPs ahead of the Manchester conference. If that happened, they believe at least 71 would nominate somebody other than Mr Brown, prompting an election.

Gordon's head will roll soon...

I think Straw will take over but it is probably a question of timing as regards damage limitation. With plenty of soft and smelly still yet to hit the fan as far as the economy if concerned, it may be felt that it is better to let the new leader have lmited time in the position before the General Election and let Brown continue to take the flak for the time being. Still we shall see, either way it looks like Brown is finished.

Brown is definitely finished...when MPs ask him for a leadership challenge, he sacked them. He is totally threatened. This has happened to John Major but he took it gracefully and accepted the challenge. The party voted him back in the end.

But Brown is a total SNOB. He is totally out of touch. Thanks to him we are going into recession!

i am certainly no Brown supporter, but it is always convenient to forget the massive influence exerted by circumstances totally out of any gov't's control ..... everyone runs around blaming Mr B for the current recession in UK, but what could or more arguably should he have done to avoid the current problems? ...... certainly the price of crude is beyond any gov't control and had Mr B tried to interfere with the way the banks run/ran the businesses, what would have been the very justified outcry then?

Granted the Banks have alot to answer for but the situation has been aggrevated by the 'Brown Bubble', his determination not only to tax and spend but increase government deficits. Goodness knows how much off balance sheet liabilities there are. This incompetant should have been ditched long ago and his party knows it to its expense. Its a shame that Frank Field and co did not show more courage before when the 10p tax abolition fiasco emerged but, I suppose he did not get enough support. No Brown is not totally reponsible for recession but it may well prove deeper than it would have been.

Milliband looks the likely choice.

whats happened to free speech and democracy - sacking everybody who is critical says everything you need to know about this man.

I would be more suspicious of a party leader who does not have dissenters.

I am bemused by the public who wish to make money by crazy investment, but wish others to take the blame and bail them out when their own actions get them into problems.

I am not certain, but I think this is the form of capitalism and market economics that is being advocated by Cameron and his fellow clowns.

I think Brown will still be PM at time of next election. Whether he will win it is debatable.

But if the Tories get in, it is unlikely that Cameron will remain as its leader.

Recall Hague and some of the other clowns!

Read the book Squandered by David Craig (how Gordon Brown is wasting one trillion of our money) this man is a T---er.

The price of crude oil has dropped to US$100 from US$148 but the price at the pumps remains high. Certainly the government can reduce it a bit more. It is still 113.9p per litre for regular from 120.9p at its peak. This is definitely not proportional to the drop in price.

I remembered when crude was going up, the petrol price keeps going up the next day or two, but when it is coming down, it does not follow suit.

If Gordon Brown sincerely wants UK to be a better place and not line his own pocket, he can only do one thing,
RESIGN

This is called "MARKET FORCES" by the enlightened!

Cable has dropped nearly as fast as crude and the latter is priced in dollars. Will be interesting to see if those that fixed their energy bills this Winter will be better off or not

hlyeo98
I am no Labour fan but like everywhere in the world the incumbant government gets hammered for what is a world wide economic meltdown. Cameron and his mates would do no better. Overinflated asset prices around the world- especially housing- are the reason, and the determination of the big US banks especially to devise ever more impressive and complicated ways of lining their pockets through derivatives, based on these assets, that hardly anyone can understand. To suggest our PM, whatever you might think of his politics, is lining his own pockets is disingenuous. He has made mistakes- like you and I being in the market at present- but his biggest one was failing to have an election when the going was good. I think he is stuffed, because, as the saying goes, its the economy, stupid.

hear hear! .... and thank goodness he did not have the nous to hold thaty election

If he had decided to have an election no sooner than he had been made Prime minister....it is my belief that he would have scraped through....thank god he did not !.

he was a shoo in just after appt.

Oil is down to $US94...is petrol price coming down or the government is still fleecing us on fuel tax?