If he doesn't have a referendum then he will be called a coward again and feed the 'bottler' charge. If he changes his mind he will be painted as indecisive and yet again a follower of the Opposition not the leader of the country. So where can he go from here? Well we already know he's an obsessive tactical calculator, and the BBC is reporting that he's made it clear he will veto the treaty if he's not satisfied the ;red lines' have been met. Is that an idle threat or part of the fight back?
Think about this for a second. The argument is that the treaty is needed to make the EU work. That was the same argument with the rejected constitution as well, and the EU has ticked along anyway. Would Brown veto the treaty for short-term political gain on his character, strength, courage etc? It would please the Sun too and get him in the good books with them once more. I have no special knowledge on this but on recent evidence I wouldn't put such an act past him.
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His main problem (apart from his personality) is the fact that he promised to listen to the people and has refused three things with popular support: English Votes on English Matters, EU Treaty referendum and a General Election.
Unfortunately for him none of these three votes would go his way, and the his prospects of winning a general election will diminish as he delays solving the West Lothian Question and allowing people to have a decisive say on the EU.
There's an underlying feeling that he has no faith in our judgement, and will try any means of manipulation to get the outcome he desires.
Seems logical and I hope your brilliant forecast comes about. But now that you have suggested it and were that to become common expectation, he might not do it in consequence!
Dizzy,
But Mr Brown is a conviction politician, so surely would never do such an opportunistic things for short term gain............
I think gordo is falling to pieces everytime he opens his floppy gob he makes everything worse like kinnock.He wont be pm much longer either he loses or wont fight an election(the sick kid excuse) or his health (mental) will fail him.Wednesdays pmqs was an eye opener the body language the scared look on his face I thought he would cry.
If he vetoes the treaty he will upstage the Tories and make himself incredibly popular. But he won't do it, his chums in Europe would never allow it.
I have no doubt that he will try and kick up a stink to look strong etc. but he faces the problem that he has already said that the 'red lines' are all ok and defended, despite many people saying the contrary. Not least the Tories and the Labour EU scrutiny committee.
If he vetoes the Treaty/constitution he will be making another massive u-turn and face the charge that he is once again following where the Tories have led by recognising that the Treaty/Constitution is not good for Britain etc.
Oh what a pickle. my heart bleeds.
Well, Brown could resign and let someone more credible take over the Labour Party - that may help the recovery of his Party.
I'm sure some new Labourites are thinking 'bring back Blair' !
I expect he will go to Lisbon and demand more on the "red lines", claiming that without it he won't even be able to get the treaty ratified in Parliament.
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