The Prime Minister has admitted he should have taken tougher action ten years ago to prevent the current financial crisis.Skip related content
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Gordon Brown, who at the time was Chancellor of the Exchequer, says he wishes he had pushed for international reform in the aftermath of the Asian markets crisis in the late 1990s.
In an interview, the PM said: "I take full responsibility for all my actions, but I think we're dealing with a bigger problem that is global in nature, as well as national.
"Perhaps ten years ago after the Asian crisis when other countries thought these problems would go away, we should have been tougher ... keeping and forcing these issues on to the agenda like we did on debt relief and other issues of international policy."
His comments stop far short of the full apology that his critics have been demanding but are the closest he has come to accepting a measure of responsibility for the current economic woes.
Last week, Conservative party leader David Cameron said "sorry" for his party's failure to foresee the looming banking crisis. The move was seen as an attempt to increase the pressure on Mr Brown to offer a similar apology.
Mr Brown also reportedly refused to rule out a further "fiscal stimulus" for the UK economy when Chancellor Alistair Darling delivers his Budget on April 22.
A planned spending review is also unlikely to go ahead, in part because the economic outlook is so unstable it is difficult for ministers to make meaningful three-year departmental spending forecasts.
Mr Brown said the "40-year-old prevalent orthodoxy" known as the "Washington consensus" in favour of free markets has come to an end.
He continued: "Laissez-faire has had its day. People on the centre-left and the progressive agenda should be confident enough to say that the old idea that the markets were efficient and could work things out by themselves are gone.
"That doesn't mean to say that what government does is always right. What it means is that both government and markets have got to be underpinned by values."
Mr Brown insisted the current situation should favour Labour - despite the Tories' continuing double-digit lead in the opinion polls - as "only progressive, centre-left governments can address the problems of the global change".
PM Says Iran Must Change Nuclear Plan
Gordon Brown is threatening Iran with "tougher sanctions" unless it changes the direction of its nuclear programme.Skip related content
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In a speech today, the Prime Minister said the country had the right to pursue "civil nuclear power" but that its current programme was "unacceptable".
Echoing his address to the US Congress he said: "Iran has concealed nuclear activities, refused to co-operate with the IAEA, and flouted UN Security Council resolutions.
"Its refusal to play by the rules leads us to view its nuclear programme as a critical proliferation threat.
"Iran therefore faces a clear choice: continue in this way and face further and tougher sanctions, or change to a UN overseen civilnuclear energy programme that will bring the greatest benefits to its citizens."
Mr Brown has announced his desire to create an international system to help all non-nuclear countries acquire nuclear power.
"Whether we like it or not," he said, "we will not meet the challenges of climate change without the far wider use of civil nuclear power."
Iran recently succeeded in enriching a tonne of uranium - enough for at least one nuclear warhead.
But Tehran has always insisted it is not planning to build a bomb and only wants nuclear energy to generate power.
IF IRAN IS GENUINE IN ACHIEVING ITS POWER GENERATION REQUIREMENT,WHY NOT GO FOR OTHER ENERGY OPTIONS LIKE SOLAR OR WIND ENERGY GENERATION ?
AND IF THE THE U.K. AND THE U.S. ARE REALLY GENUINE IN SOLVING THE MIDDLE EAST TENSION, WOULDN'T IT BE MORE REALISTIC IF THEY GIVE IRAN A BETTER INCENTIVE TO CHANGE ITS STANCE - FIRST AND FOREMOST, TO TACKLE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM - THE PALESTINE SITUATION;
TO SORT OUT THE HAWKS FROM BOTH SIDES -TO ENSURE THAT THE NEW ISRAELI ADMINISTRATION CHANGES IT STANCE ,TO RECOGNIZE A FUTURE PALESTINE SOVEREIGNTY AND TO LIFT THE GAZAN BLOCKADE AND THAT THE HAMAS FACTION DISARMS AND RECOGNIZES THE SOVEREIGNTY OF ISRAEL .
AND WILL THE U.S. AND THE U.K. IN TURN RECOGNIZE THE REGIME IN IRAN AND PROMISE THAT THEY WILL NOT INSTIGATE A REGIME CHANGE TO INSTAL A PUPPET REGIME IN IRAN TO GET THEIR HANDS ON THE IRANIAN OIL IF IRAN UNDERTAKES TO ADOPT A PEACEFUL STANCE !?!
US GIVES SUPPORT TO NORTHERN IRELAND PEACE !
17/3/2009 Tuesday
Euronews
Washington has repeated its support for the peace process in Northern Ireland, as revellers on both sides of the Atlantic prepare to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
On Ireland’s national day, the country’s foreign minister met his American counterpart in Washington.
Hillary Clinton joined Michael Martin in praising reactions to the recent murders of security personnel in Northern Ireland.
She said: “I want to commend the entire leadership of Northern Ireland as well as the Irish and British governments for the constructive statements and their strong resolve in the face of this attack.”
The leader of Northern Ireland’s republican Sinn Fein party was also in the US capital and will meet Clinton later today.
Gerry Adams said the attacks targeted the peace process itself, adding “we got where we are in Ireland through dialogue. When dialogue was shut down, when people were censored, when there was a ban on talking, then that gap was filled by violence. That’s not going to happen again; so let’s continue the dialogue. Let’s continue the outreach; let’s continue to make friends with our unionist neighbours.”
In American cities with large Irish immigrant populations, such as Chicago and Boston, St. Patrick’s Day parades attract large and enthusiastic crowds.
Gerry Adams has drawn on support from within the Irish lobby in the US to promote the cause of Irish unity and an end to partition.
THE SITUATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE THAT PEACE IS POSSIBLE AND CAN BE ACHIEVED ONLY IF THE PARTIES CONCERNED ARE GENUINE IN THEIR DESIRES FOR PEACE ,TO SEEK RECONCILIATION NOT REVENGE !!!
4 comments:
Hi Ocho-Onda,
Re article 1:
And it's too late, baby, now it's too late
Though we really did try to make it
Something inside has died
And I can't hide and I just can't fake it
Re article 2:
Both sides are playing with the lives of the rest of us for their own advancement.
Re article 3:
Hear! Hear! And belated Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Take care and blessings to you as always.
*sigh*
Hi Paula,
The weather was bright and sunny today so there was a massive turnout at the Parade earlier. Everyone is in a festive mood and the celebrations will carry on till the wee hours of the night. Hope I don't have a hangover tomorrow - that's why I posted this article today and not tomorrow,lol.
Cheers. Have a great day !
Hey! wassup Ocho-Onda,
still recovering from the hangover? Damn! you must be really enjoying the Guiness there huh!
Gordon Brown admits that he could have done better, Najib on the other hand, is still waiting for his political and press secretary to prepare his speech admiting he lied and gave false hope to all Malaysians that M'sia wil not be going into recession...meaning it's not going to happen.
Ireland has done the Christians proud. We don't hear Mahathir using it as a comparison anymore.
I await with much anticipation to see the end of the current regime. Till then the struggle must go on.
Cheers
The head is still in tact,remarkably ! No major damage done that a few panadol can't handle,no prognosis to report,doc ! He he !
Looks like there will be a regime change in Boleh-land next month - under Najib,the leaders will walk like Egyptians and be in the Nile (in denial) .
Hopefully, I am wrong, doc, as a lot can happen from now till next month to change the course of history !
Take care. Cheers.
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