Nightmare on Treasury Street

Oh Dear.

Gordon has put his foot in it good and proper. His side-of-the-mouth comments on Mrs Duffy in Rochdale were wrong, wrong, wrong. Not to mention disrespectful and hurtful. From his appearance after the event he is truly repentent, but the damage is reflected in today's newspapers, with a pretty unanimous flogging for the Prime Minister.

So, is this mistake the end of the road for Mr Brown and Labour?

In my opinion, and from the unsolicited comments I have picked up from friends and neighbours, not quite. Not yet. While nobody discounts the comments, there is a general feeling of "there but for the grace of God....". Who, after all, hasn't put their foot in it with unguarded comments? There is also a strong  feeling abroad that GB has been the target of an unrelenting and unfair press campaign, and that he is a better man than he is being given credit for. 

Where do we go from here?

Luckily for Gordon Brown, the third and final Leaders' Debate is taking place tonight, giving him the chance to move on and to play to his strengths. There is no doubt that the Labour team of Brown and Darling is stronger, and is generally seen as stronger, than the competing economic teams from the other parties. It is also clear that Labour has the best plan to address the recovery, and that the Conservative plans to reduce the economic stimulus as soon as they can is exactly the wrong tactic, more likley to cause a "double dip" recession than keep the economy on the current path to recovery. It is also clear that Cameron and Osborne do not have the strength of character or depth of experience to steer the country and the economy through the choppy waters of recession and recovery.

Gordon should repeat a simple mantra...

There is a Nightmare on Treasury Street and it is this:

Scene, Whitehall, May 7th, 9am.

Enter Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr George Osborne  ...

Mr Osborne "I say, could you turn my desk the other way please. And I don't really think I like some of the paintings in my office. I like them a bit bigger, with more blue in them, if you can. Thank you. Now, cut the economic stimulus... That should do it, I'm off for a stroll round the grounds".

 Distant echo from the money markets....."sell sell sell...."

Distant sound of economic indicators going though the floor..THUD!!

Increasing crescendo of rolling thunder as the economic storm approaches.....

Distant and increasing cry of regret from the British electorate... "AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!. What have we done?!!!"