What do you think of Brown invoking Churchill - shouldn't he invoke somebody from his own party ?

Question

It's like Blair invoking Margaret Thatcher - have they forgotten which party they are in ?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article2163897.ece

Answer 1

winnie the great inspirer of his people, maggie the last time
we had some semblance of order and civilisation. Brown
has no one in his own party to invoke!

Answer 2

Everyone quotes Winston, except the warmongers never quite get around to Winston's most famous quote -
"Jaw jaw is better than war war".
Winston S Churchill

What Gordon Brown is doing is a good thing. We now have politicians of all kinds able to give good advice on serious issues to our government.

What the British people want is 'concensus politics' - a series of agreed principles held between the political parties so that none of the good which is created is ever destroyed by a new government.

We are in a war, a war on terrorism. We need political unity not sniping as we get now at PMQs every week.

Answer 3

He has no one to invoke from his own party has he? Think of the ones that bring a tear to the labour eye,Nye Bevan,et al. Although I agree with 'dragoner' on most of his answer I
can't go along with concensus politics. It was the cut and thrust of party politics that made parliament and Britain
great and W S Churchill was its finest exponent bar none;
but I agree with Brown and Blair invoking the two finest
leaders we ever had WSC & MAGGIE.

Answer 4

Nay, his own country.

In general terms, I think that there is a lot of truth in what 'Tom w' states, however, his generalisation doesn't work too well in the case of Churchill, because it was mainly the soppy Liberals and Lefties who wanted to go on appeasing Hitler, and thereby, as a consequence, oppose Churchill. Ideology, which is close to party politics, was definitely a factor.

So, although he acted in the interests of the country as a whole, it was his strong Conservative values and love of country that motivated him. By way of contrast, which party can't wait to hand us over to a Federal Europe? New Labour, of course.

The Monarchy represents the State, the heart and soul and traditions of a country, in a way that here today, gone tomorrow, politicians never can. In fact, by definition, they divide the country.

I doubt that Brown could think of anyone from his own party that was worthy.

Answer 5

Some things, quite rightly, should be above politics. Most people, whatever their political views, admire and respect Churchill's wartime leadership.

Quoting Churchill does not make Brown a closet Conservative. If anything, he has now gone up in my estimation!

Answer 6

The human obsession with political rhetoric and hatred must motivate you to feel that leaders do not represent the nation but only a political segment. Churchill did not fight the war from his party but as the leader of the nation. Poltics and political cultism are not a positive things for nations and your question indicates how destructive it is to the nation as a whole. That one political leader will quote or acknowledge a previous leader, regardless of party, is a good thing. You should explore that type of thinking and not be a party cultist.

Answer 7

No great is great and can be admired if not agreed by all.

Football is a case in point. Why can't fans applaud an excellent goal scored by the other side. I know you want your own side to win but surely it adds to your enjoyment of the game if the other side can be admired

Answer 8

You're wrong. Churchill transcended party politics - he was at different times a member of the Conservative and the Liberal parties.

Gordon Brown is trying to do the same by inviting talent from other parties to constructively contribute to his government. Surely this is a good thing. Give the man a chance.

Answer 9

yes. How about Harold Wilson's famously inspiring speech
"We shall fight them with our pipe stems" or Barbara Castle's
"I will build you a bridge across the Humber if you vote for me"
"then you can spend the next 100 years paying it off" or
Harriet Harman's "Lay down your arms and surrender to mine?"

Answer 10

No, I don't THINK so!

Remember, - before becoming Prime Minister, in 1940, - legendary Englishman, Sir WINSTON LEONARD SPENCER CHURCHILL, had been a LIBERAL M.P.!

So, NOW, who's CONFUSED? Certainly, NOT Mr. Brown!