Gordon Brown resigns as UK prime minister

[Deleted-171178]

Gordon Brown has announced he is resigning as UK prime minister.

Mr Brown has officially tendered his resignation to the Queen at Buckingham Palace, and recommended Conservative leader David Cameron succeed him.

Speaking alongside his wife Sarah outside No 10 Downing Street, he said the job had been "a privilege" and wished his successor well.

Mr Brown is also stepping down as Labour leader and as an MP with immediate effect.

His decision comes as the Tories and Liberal Democrats are poised to agree a deal to form a government.

Mr Brown said he had taken the decision to resign after concluding he would not be able to form a government after days of talks between the parties.

'Privilege to serve'

In an emotional farewell speech outside No 10, Mr Brown said he had "loved the job" and it had been "a privilege to serve".


"I loved the job for its potential to make this country I love fairer, more tolerant, more green, more democratic, more prosperous and more just - truly a greater Britain.

"In the face of many years, challenges up to and including the global financial meltdown, I have always tried to serve, to do my best in the interests of Britain, its values and its people."

David Cameron is expected to go to Buckingham Palace later on Tuesday to accept the Queen's invitation to form a government.

Anticipating that, Mr Brown said: "I wish the next prime minister well as he makes the important choices for the future."

His two young sons joined him and wife Sarah for his brief statement which ended with the words: "Thank you and goodbye."

Failed talks

Mr Brown also said he would stand down as Labour leader with immediate effect.

Mr Brown succeeded Tony Blair as prime minister in June 2007 after spending ten years as chancellor of the exchequer.

His resignation follows Thursday's general election in which no party won an overall majority but the Conservatives won the most seats and votes.

Both Labour and the Tories have since been trying to persuade the Lib Dems to join them in a coalition government to run the country.

Mr Brown had previously said he would resign as Labour leader, but stay on as prime minister until September, if Labour could agree a deal with the Lib Dems.

But after this possibility ended, the BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson said Mr Brown decided he could not form a government and should stand down.

Nick Robinson said Mr Brown had made his announcement before the Conservatives and Lib Dems had formally announced they would be combining to form a government.

Before making his announcement, Mr Brown consulted with his wife Sarah and close colleagues including Lord Mandelson, Douglas Alexander, Ed Balls and Ed Miliband.

Mr Brown also spoke to former prime minister Tony Blair by phone.

Labour's ruling National Executive Committee has indicated it wants Mr Brown's successor as leader to be chosen as soon as possible, possibly by the end of July.

Source: BBC News

 

[Law]

"I loved the job for its potential to make this country... more democratic"

More democratic by creating ways to keep the corrupt in power.

Thanks Gordon.

(edit: although he isn't to blame personally, he was just the puppet that Labour were using)

 

[mew512]

finally im only a id but even i know he did a bad job

 

[Hadrian]

People shit on Labour but they did a far better job then the Tories did previously.

 

[Psyfira]

It amuses me how now, if Labour get in, we'll be in exactly the same position we were in 5 years ago where the PM isn't actually the person anyone voting for the party was voting for.

 

[Hadrian]

It amuses me how now, if Labour get in, we'll be in exactly the same position we were in 5 years ago where the PM isn't actually the person anyone voting for the party was voting for.

They're not though, at the press conference Brown clearly said that the leader of the opposition would be taking over.

 

[Calafas]

So, uh, is Eastenders gonna be on or what.

 

[Pliskron]

Good job there Brown. UK debt ballooned to almost 70% of GDP under your stewardship. Try solving that one with a hung Parliament.

 

[RupeeClock]

So, uh, is Eastenders gonna be on or what.

My mum was wondering that too.
Looks like BBC thought the news was SO important, that they postponed Eastenders, lol.

 

[Hadrian]

So, uh, is Eastenders gonna be on or what.

My mum was wondering that too.
Looks like BBC thought the news was SO important, that they postponed Eastenders, lol.

Pfft its hardly Doctor Who.

 

[Jamstruth]

finally im only a id but even i know he did a bad job
Thing is that he didn't. His problem was mainly Public Relations and the media storms (which are all you've seen)

QUOTE(Gaydrian @ May 11 2010, 07:11 PM) People shit on Labour but they did a far better job then the Tories did previously.

Perhaps they have, I have no idea. I listen to my friends go on about how bad a Conservative government will be and I have to step back and say "Do you honestly know that?" I don't think that anythiing will get significantly worse in this country.
One of the important things is that this is a Coalition Government with the Liberal Democrats (or it will be anyway) meaning that the Tories have had to make compromises with a more central party on key areas. We're getting a much less extreme government than in the 80s or 90s.

Also: watch how its done America! Prime Minister change over in 2 hours! How long does it take you guys? A few weeks?! PAH! We are the real pros at this Democracy stuff!

 

[alidsl]

So, uh, is Eastenders gonna be on or what.

My mum was wondering that too.
Looks like BBC thought the news was SO important, that they postponed Eastenders, lol.

Pfft its hardly Doctor Who.

Amy is hot

On topic

I hope the coalition works, but the BBC Journalists sit talking about kissing each others hands more than politics, also the press now have a free license to give Gordon as much shit as they want

 

[BlueStar]

Remember this from the Tories during the campaign?

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/.a/6a00d...f2aae970b-500wi

Rather sickening to see that horrible snake of a man in power, but at least I cant see anything but miserable failure in his future.

EDIT: People still moaning about Gordon Brown not being elected? We don't elect the pm, its not a presidential system. You vote for your mp. John Major governed for 2 years unelected, the Tories didn't seem to give a fuck about that, did they.

 

[alidsl]

That's part of the "vote yellow, and you get Brown"

 

[iamthemilkman]

Pure evil gets the boot.

He woudn't have got back in and he knows it, thus he resigned.

Good.

NWO scum.

 

[TM2-Megatron]

Pure evil gets the boot.

He woudn't have got back in and he knows it, thus he resigned.

Good.

NWO scum.

This is about UK politics, not paranoid American political conspiracies.

The fact you feel the need to call any of the parties "pure evil" proves how much of an extremist you probably are. The UK Conservatives are hardly akin to the Republicans in their stances, anyway... I doubt much in the UK will truly change for the worse. American right-wing politics wouldn't fly over there any further than they would in Canada.

 

[Hadrian]

Remember this from the Tories during the campaign?

[url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/.a/6a00d...f2aae970b-500wi]http://conservativehome.blogs.com/.a/6a00d...f2aae970b-500wi[/url]

Rather sickening to see that horrible snake of a man in power, but at least I cant see anything but miserable failure in his future.

What do you expect from a man who leads a party who once had the slogan "If you want a n**** for a neighbour, vote Liberal or Labour".

Posts merged

QUOTE(iamthemilkman @ May 11 2010, 09:16 PM) Pure evil gets the boot.

He woudn't have got back in and he knows it, thus he resigned.

Good.

NWO scum.

Please don't comment on things you know nothing about.

 

[Psyfira]

They're not though, at the press conference Brown clearly said that the leader of the opposition would be taking over.

Ah sorry, I didn't realise there'd been a development since this morning. It actually says that in the article in the first post, I think I should learn how to read!

 

[iamthemilkman]

You guys should get your facts straight before bringing out the unnecessary comments.



Sorry, buds, I enjoy my sovreignty. Our economy is shit, but the UK's is a fucking disaster and a half.

In his own words, he wants a New World Order. But I made up the "conspiracy theory"? Try harder, buds.

Gordon Brown is an utter piece of shit.

PS: I'm not left or right wing. I don't play that game. Then again, I'm not fucking stupid, either.

 

[Jamstruth]

Huhn? In that speech he's just saying that in order for us to survive we need to radically change the way we conduct ourselves. We need to change a lot of things in order to survive after this Financial Crisis and in the coming Oil Crisis a century or so down the line. We need to move to a greener economy than what we have. There's no "conspiracy theory" its not like he was plotting to take over the world. He's far too un-charismatic to pull THAT off. Now Tony Blair, you should've been shit-scared of him! He could make us see black and think it was white!

Gordon Brown was not a "piece of shit". He ran our country well, the problem was that he didn't have the image in our country to carry through an election.