Brown

Berliners topple during celebrations

November 11, 2009 By mikeymclintock Leave a Comment

By Michael McLintock

Over 1000 dominoes were lined up and toppled on Monday night in Berlin, marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall .

Thousands of people witnessed the incredible event, which was accompanied with a large fireworks display and lots of alcohol consumption. Many members of the crowd had personal experience of the wall.

The crowd were joined by members of the worlds leader, including Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel, Gordon Brown, Nicolas Sarkozy and Hillary Clinton. All of whom gave a speech regarding the wall and its impact in history.

Picture shows dominoes within Berlin. Picture supplied by Ecoworld

Clinton received masses amount of praise, saying “”Our history did not end the night the wall came down, it began anew,”She then added that the parties should not just remember the past and celebrate but also it “should spur us to continue our cooperation and look for new ways that we can meet the challenges that freedom faces now.”

Friedrich Fueller, a Berlin citizen who was a resident of east Berlin during the 28 years the wall stood, emotionally cried, “descriptions of that terrible period cannot be imagined, i would never want anyone to experience the entrapment felt, it goes against any human feeling”

Asked what specifically he was celebrating, Fueller answered, “I celebrate, with many beers, life and freedom”

Over 1000 dominoes were lined up and toppled to mark the fall in communism throughout Europe. Students from around the capitalised country designed each and everyone, drawing images and writing words on the sides of he dominoes of what capitalism means to them.

Barack Obama, unfortunately could not be at the event, he did, however, send a live video speech. He spoke of how Germany, along with the world, is a better place now the wall was torn down. He stated it was the start of the end for communism.

Filed Under: All Politics, Entertainment, Life and Society Tagged With: Angela Merkel, Berlin, Brown, Clinton, Dominoes, East Berlin, The fall of Berlin wall, Toppled, Wall, West Berlin

Bail out tussles in Brussels

December 11, 2008 By Charlotte Morgenthal Leave a Comment

At a time of bleak economic news where the Sterling is nearly matching the value of the Euro, the pound reaching an extraordinary low today – European heads of state gather in Brussels. The atmosphere is tense.

At PMQs Gordon Brown had a Freudian slip, saying that the government “saved the world” instead of “saved the banks”. At least he is supposed to be the ‘saviour of Europe’. His suggested bail out plan was officially taken up as an economic recovery plan by the European Commission. It is supposed to be decided on for all the other European member states in the current European Council meeting in Brussels.

“It’s the best way to restore citizens’ confidence and counter fears of a long and deep recession”, Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso told the BBC in November this year.

However, some member states like Germany which alreadyhave implement national measures to save their economies oppose a joint approach.

The United Kingdom implemented a £ 12.5 bn VAT cut last month which was harshly criticised by Germany’s finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck in a Newsweek interview yesterday. Steinbrueck said that the UK measures were “crass” and “breathtaking” and also said that a great rescue plan “doesn’t exist!” He said the cut would only pull the UK into greater debt instead of helping consumers.

Germany has already spent around £ 370.4 bn on a bail out of its banks, far more than the EU bail out plan is expected to raise. It is therefore now cautious about spending even more.

Other issues expected to be discussed at the summit are the Irish “No-Vote” on the Lisbon Treaty and climate change policies.

Filed Under: All Politics, Uncategorized Tagged With: Bail-out, Barroso, British Pound, Brown, Brussels, climate change, Council meeting, economy, EU, Euro, Eurozone, lisbon treaty, Merkel, newsweek interview, Sarkozy, steinbruck, steinbrueck

VAT Tax Cuts To Be Announced This Afternoon

November 24, 2008 By Jamie Leave a Comment

By Jamie Nelson

Brown and Darling arriving at The Treasury this morning to put final adjustments to the PBR.

Alistair Darling is expected to announce cuts to Value Added Tax from 17.5 percent to 15 percent in his Pre-Budget Report this afternoon.

Gordon Brown promised to use the tax cuts to inject a new vigour and interest into the British Economy.

Brown said: “Simply letting the recession run its course, to say there is no alternative, is not an option.”

The 2.5 percent cut in VAT is to be funded by another of the PBR main aspects – a 45 percent income tax increase to those earning £150,000 a year or more.

Conservative leader David Cameron was critical of the plans for change, calling it a “borrowing binge”.

He said: “ This lot are promising you everything, promising the Earth and they are going to clobber you with an enormous tax bill.”

The plans outlined in the Pre-Budget Report will put borrowing above £100 billion, leading the Conservative party to accuse Labour of creating and storing a “tax bombshell”

Brown rejected the claims and defended the Labour Party and Mr Darling’s stance, saying: “We have seen in previous recessions how a failure to take action at the start of the downturn has increased both the length and depth of the recession.

“Doing too little too late would mean more damage, more deterioration, the loss of vital businesses, a weaker economy, lower growth, eventually greater fiscal problems and in that event, higher interest rates and higher taxes.

“The best way for taxes to be low in the long term is for us to ensure that the downturn is as limited in length and scope as possible.

“And that means help when help is needed. Not when it is too late.”

Filed Under: All Politics, Economy and Business Tagged With: Brown, Tax, darling, pre-budget, report, VAT

Brown and Cameron at war over social services failure

November 12, 2008 By colleenreid Leave a Comment

By Colleen Reid

Gordon Brown was attacked today at Question Time by Conservative leader as the case of Baby P unravels

Neglect and systematic failure by the state led to Baby P dying at the age of 17 months after eight months of suffering. Since the first incident, Baby P was on the Child Protection Register in Haringey and despite 60 social service visits throughout his traumatic life, the toddler eventually died suffering injuries such as broken ribs, a broken spine, countless bruises and wounds.

Just days before Baby P’s death he was taken to a paediatrician in Haringey who failed to detect the eight broken ribs and spine. Dr Sabah Al-Zayyat failed the child along with several health workers who continuously ignored the suspicious injuries.

The case, which bares similarities to that of Victoria Climbie who was also on Haringey’s Child Protection Register, has arroused a nationwide attack on these so called ‘systematic failures’ leading to child deaths

The House of Commons was in uproar today as Cameron voiced his anger and disappointment within a system who receives £100 million in funding every year. He referred to the investigation into the case as ‘wrong’ as Sharon Shoesmith, Chairman of the Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board, was left to investigate her own departmental failures.

Brown accused Cameron of making this issue a case of party politics after which The Speaker reminded the Commons of the delicacy of the case and asked for respect to be shown.

Ministers have requested an independent nationwide inquest, led by Lord Laming, into the state’s neglect of this child and of others suffering all around the country.

Wes Cuell, acting chief executive of the NSPCC, said last night: “Even with substantial child-protection reforms, spotting the danger to an individual child remains fraught with difficulty – especially when the child is too young to speak out.”

Filed Under: All Politics, Life and Society Tagged With: Baby P, Brown, Cameron

Cameron Proposes Business Tax Cuts as Brown Fights Back.

November 11, 2008 By Lindsay Muir Leave a Comment

Leader of the Conservatives David Cameron who this morning announced Conservative Tax Rebates for Businesses.

By Lindsay Muir.

Leader of the Conservative party David Cameron this morning announced Tory proposals to slash the National Insurance contributions paid by businesses. The announcement comes less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Gordon Brown hinted at possible tax cuts in the face of a financial crisis that shows no signs of abating.

The Conservatives plan to save businesses £2,500 on their National Insurance contributions should they employ a jobseeker who has been out of work for 3 months or more. They claim that the scheme could save businesses around £2.5bn as well as creating 350,000 jobs. The scheme would be a saving on the £8,000 which the Tories claim is the true cost of unemployment benefit per unemployed worker.

Mr Cameron stated in his press conference this morning “we would like to take that money and give it to employers if they take people off the unemployment register.” His announcement follows, what he claims, was successful implementation of a similar scheme in the United States and Canada.

Gordon Brown has attacked the Conservative proposals after calls for him to “personally guarantee” that unemployment figures will not rise above 3 million. The Premier has defended the new deal scheme calling it “the best employment-creation scheme in the world”, a scheme that the Tories wish to scrap. Mr Brown also stated that the Tories proposal is an expensive one which would not necessarily guarantee the creation of more jobs. He also rubbished the Conservative rejection of tax-credits, which he claims offer the unemployed an added incentive to find work.

This morning’s verbal scrap between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition comes as a Populous poll for the Times newspaper put the Prime Ministers approval rating at 35% up five points on last month while the Tories were down 4 points to 41%. Interestingly 52% of those polled were of the opinion that Gordon Brown was still the best man to deal with the current financial crisis compared to just 32% in support of David Cameron. Nevertheless 42% still believe that David Cameron is the right man to lead Britain after the next general-election.

Filed Under: All Politics, Economy and Business Tagged With: Brown, Cameron, National Insurance, Poll, Tax, Unemployment