So asks Labour Transport Minister Tom Harris.

A Labour minister who demanded to know why Britons were 'so bloody miserable' felt the force of public outrage yesterday over the soaring cost of living.

Tom Harris took to the airwaves to apologise if he had caused offence when he insisted that the public had 'never been so wealthy' despite the credit crunch hitting the economy.

The bike-riding Transport Minister claimed he had been trying to start a debate about why people found it hard to find 'contentment when we have so much material wealth'.

He insisted: 'I absolutely was not telling people to cheer up' - but admitted that 'timing isn't my strong point'.


The response from some was not entirely unexpected...

Mr Harris was harangued by scores for his 'arrogant' approach at a time when families are struggling with rising food and fuel costs, falling house prices and below-inflation pay rises.

Several complained that a minister earning £92,100 a year and claiming more than £150,000 in expenses was ill-placed to lecture others


But wait! Here's the icing on the cake, folks...

His strategy also appeared to backfire when he suggested that voters - not politicians - are the ones who are 'out of touch'.

The Glasgow South MP told BBC Radio Five Live: 'The idea that politicians are out of touch is an out- of-touch idea because politicians live in their constituencies, we speak to constituents all of the time and have families of our own.'

With Downing Street desperate to show voters that it understands their concerns over food and fuel prices, ministers were aghast at the row.



Yep, it's us who are out of touch. How can we be so short-sighted?

But what of our Lord and Master, the clunking fist? What has he to say on the matter?

But Gordon Brown declined to criticise his minister. He said Mr Harris had been pointing out that Britain had become much wealthier over the past ten years - but had now acknowledged the pressures people faced currently.

'As he said this morning, people are facing very difficult problems in terms of food prices, petrol prices and mortgage prices and he recognised the problems that people are facing,' the Prime Minister said.




We've never had it so good, eh Gordon?

It reminds me of times at work when senior management reply to any comments with "I hear what you're saying" , "Good point, well made" or my own particular favourite "We'll take that on board".

I know when I'm having smoke blown up my erse, and I don't think I'm the only one.
We'll see who's "out of touch" at the next election. That ok with you, Tom?

I'm bloody miserable because arrogant, greedy, useless, prats rule the earth - okay?

Wasn't it the famous Mrs Mopp who said, "it's being so cheerful that keeps me going".
Cheer up everyone.

Here's Des Browne actually quoting the immortal phrase "You've never had it so good!"

As bills spiral, Scots are told: 'You've never had it so good'

SCOTLAND's most senior UK cabinet minister has come under attack after claiming that Scots have "never had it so good" under more than a decade of Labour rule at Westminster.
Des Browne, the Scottish Secretary, was accused of being "out of touch" with ordinary people at a time of soaring fuel, food and household energy bills.

He had claimed that the level of Westminster's investment in the Scottish Parliament had doubled to £30 billion a year since the late Donald Dewar became First Minister in 1999.

Mr Browne said: "Scotland, in that sense, has never had it so good." He added: "There can be no dispute about it. Scotland gets its share."



Well, there you go. If Des Browne says it, it must be true...

dws posted:
As bills spiral, Scots are told: 'You've never had it so good'

SCOTLAND's most senior UK cabinet minister has come under attack after claiming that Scots have "never had it so good" under more than a decade of Labour rule at Westminster.
Des Browne, the Scottish Secretary, was accused of being "out of touch" with ordinary people at a time of soaring fuel, food and household energy bills.
Do you think it will affect the result in Glasgow East? Will it have damaged Labour even more?

Brenna1508 wrote:
Do you think it will affect the result in Glasgow East? Will it have damaged Labour even more?

Alas, I doubt it. I have a strong suspicion that the folk living there don't exactly hang on to anything a politician says, and who can blame them? If they vote at all, they will base their vote on what they see on TV or read in the papers, and we all know how unbiased and objective the media are...

Brenna1508 wrote:
dws posted:
As bills spiral, Scots are told: 'You've never had it so good'

SCOTLAND's most senior UK cabinet minister has come under attack after claiming that Scots have "never had it so good" under more than a decade of Labour rule at Westminster.
Des Browne, the Scottish Secretary, was accused of being "out of touch" with ordinary people at a time of soaring fuel, food and household energy bills.
Do you think it will affect the result in Glasgow East? Will it have damaged Labour even more?

Hi Brenna
What surprises me is that Labour don't intend to appoint their new Leader in Scotland until after the by-election. I know this one is for a Westminster seat but even so I had thought Labour would want to have a new Leader at Holyrood in place beforehand. If the backstabbing leading up to that appointment is underway then it will hardly help. You can't ever call these things tho especially in Glasgow.

Clare wrote:

What surprises me is that Labour don't intend to appoint their new Leader in Scotland until after the by-election. I know this one is for a Westminster seat but even so I had thought Labour would want to have a new Leader at Holyrood in place beforehand.

I reckon it's so the new leader can't be associated with the loss of the seat (or so Labour would think) .

TLJ I think that may be one reason but Labour also gave the reason as giving the opportunity for every MSP to be out on the street campaigning for the MP for that area. Every party will want to stop an SNP victory in a Westminster seat especially as Alex Salmond has stated he wanted another 20 Westminster Seats.

LYDIA REID wrote:
TLJ I think that may be one reason but Labour also gave the reason as giving the opportunity for every MSP to be out on the street campaigning for the MP for that area. Every party will want to stop an SNP victory in a Westminster seat especially as Alex Salmond has stated he wanted another 20 Westminster Seats.

Hi Lydia
I can't understand anyone within Labour in their right mind expecting harmonious campaigning by all of them given the blood-letting that is going on over who will succeed Alexander.

If we stand back and look at all that has happened I would say Labour here in Scotland should be together behind closed doors having a no holds barred post mortem on the last year. The situation was bad before the election but since then their position has worsened like no one could have imagined. Their own responsibility for that should surely lead them to see the immediate priority.

If those festering sores, open wounds (and possibly worse in-fighting still to come) remain unaddressed leading up to this by-election it can only surely make things worse for Labour resulting in wounds becoming sceptic? Such wounds can prove fatal. I mean to say, look at the seething fury between Westminster Labour MPs and their MSP counterparts in recent months for a start. How can they possibly go out campaigning together with all of that still lingering? I think they must be mad to think it would succeed.

I'm so miserable because I want a shopping voucher for John Lewis as well!!

Now .... that's what may well cost them the by-election!

Martin wrote:
I'm so miserable because I want a shopping voucher for John Lewis as well!!

Now .... that's what may well cost them the by-election!

You're not alone in that, Martin. This groundswell of anger is growing at the Westminster village, who blithley waltz on awarding themselves ever higher pay and expenses, who baulk with indignation at any call for any transparency (and use taxpayers money to attempt to block it), who are in fact raking it in while telling us peons that we've never had it so good.

Oh yes, they'll suffer for it at the polls, but I think it's going to get worse before it gets better. The contented oinking at the trough is is to be replaced by the shrill screeching as they are pulled away and back into the real world, watch the rush of Quango appointments in the run-up to the next elections.

Clare wrote:
LYDIA REID wrote:
TLJ I think that may be one reason but Labour also gave the reason as giving the opportunity for every MSP to be out on the street campaigning for the MP for that area. Every party will want to stop an SNP victory in a Westminster seat especially as Alex Salmond has stated he wanted another 20 Westminster Seats.

Hi Lydia
I can't understand anyone within Labour in their right mind expecting harmonious campaigning by all of them given the blood-letting that is going on over who will succeed Alexander.

If we stand back and look at all that has happened I would say Labour here in Scotland should be together behind closed doors having a no holds barred post mortem on the last year. The situation was bad before the election but since then their position has worsened like no one could have imagined. Their own responsibility for that should surely lead them to see the immediate priority.

If those festering sores, open wounds (and possibly worse in-fighting still to come) remain unaddressed leading up to this by-election it can only surely make things worse for Labour resulting in wounds becoming sceptic? Such wounds can prove fatal. I mean to say, look at the seething fury between Westminster Labour MPs and their MSP counterparts in recent months for a start. How can they possibly go out campaigning together with all of that still lingering? I think they must be mad to think it would succeed.

Hi Claire,

I think you are right but that is the reason given for delaying the election of a leader.

No doubt they will manage to put on a wee smile for the punters.

Martin wrote:
I'm so miserable because I want a shopping voucher for John Lewis as well!!

Now .... that's what may well cost them the by-election!


Ask Santa


If he has not been bought or banned

LYDIA REID wrote:
Ask Santa


If he has not been bought or banned

You mean, Lord Nicholas of Lapland?