Peter Mendelson

Not how I remember it being presented, a great deal was made of the gap getting wider, that being at odds with Labour's roots etc.

Of course, the media aren't exactly trustworthy the majority of the time and views will differ by location, but I don't see any great shout outs for governments fullstop - I find it's how the populous react to what they have, or are given that makes the real difference.

Trouble I have is I am much further left than the Labour party and I think there are things they got wrong and things they didn't go far enough in, but I find the media criticise the things Labour actually got right.

Like it seems odd to me. For example it's hardly been mentioned that Tuition fees were introduced by Labour in recent months. Despite the high profile protests and direct action they never criticise Labour in the media, despite them essentially starting it all.

On the other hand they criticise the universalism of benefits constantly. One of the things Labour did that I agree with.

I agree with all the above, but the Blair govt were the ones who depleted the coffers to the extent that we couldn't save ourselves from financial meltdown when the US Sub-Prime market fell on its arse. Brown by his own admission broke his own 'rules' and f***ed up his calculations. And let's not mention the war...

I don't know anything about him, so I can't say one way or another.

But I do like his voice and he can easily be a narrator to a book like Harry Potter and I would love it.

Thing is Mandelson was never involved in the economic side of government.

The banks were only part of it - ordinary people took credit, gleefully, with both hands, applying for mortgages far far in excess of their ability to pay and all with the approval/endorsement of Brown. He actively persued the banks and credit institutions to encourage the greed...

Essentially, I feel that people of all classes have an element of greed, that when the s*** hits the fan, then point the finger at anyone but themself.

Perhaps pointing the finger at Labour would mean pointing it at themself at the same time?

But something that started in the 80s.

Earlier I feel. Go back to the nightmare of the 70's, disproportionate union power, loss of industries that by the 80's were nowhere near competitive as a result.

The ease of availability to credit was introduced by Thatcher's government.

Union power I accept, something needed to be done as could be seen by how Jim Callaghan reacted to the Winter of Discontent but the problem of credit was firmly established by the Tories.

It had become something that was being offered to anyone by the time Blair and Brown were in power, with no consideration of the abilities to repay the credit. It was being pushed and people were all too keen to take it - the phoney standard of living that it gave won votes, something that both were happy to encourage.

There were some good things, like unemployment benefits requiring active pursuit of paid work (as opposed to the previous Tory line of paying those on benefits to keep quiet) but some of the good intentions were a logistical nightmare to follow through, resulting in a tick-box civil service etc.

Most of them are.

I agree but he is a particularly sly dodgy bastard.

Not only does he come across that way in his mannerisms and the way he words things but he genuinely is a crooked c***.