SIMPSON BACKS GORDON'S GAMBLE

Good quote in today's Morning Star from left-winger Alan Simpson MP ( always good for a one-liner) , who hails the news of Brown's U-turn on the Manchester supercasino as "the first sign of any inclination on Mr Brown's part to take Britain out of the casino economy.
"What I want now is for the same logic to be extended to PFI, PPP and all the other privatisation policies for public services - then we will have some real regeneration, rather than degeneration."

GORDON'S GAMBLE

Well done, Gordon ! Brown has seemingly decided that plans for the Manchester supercasino are to be shelved - forever. Instead, he says the Govt will look at alternative ways of regeneration. I'm very glad to hear this as the very notion of gambling as a way forward for socially disadvantaged communities was, frankly, totally out of line with Labour values. No doubt he will get lots of ire heaped on his head for this but in my view he's made absolutely the right decision. Manchester MPs who backed the plan ( with the best of intentions) should now turn their minds to more positive ways of boosting urban areas. Let's hope Brown does the same.
UPDATE: It has been suggested there ios something "ironic" and "right-wing" about not backing the supercasino idea. In my view, it represented much that was reprehensible and amoral about Blairism. "Investing" in the futures of working people by lining up with fat cats, crooks, and those who prey on the hardships of the financially vulnerable was never a move to be applauded. When was the last time you met a socially responsible casino owner? Presumably one of the reasons why left-wingers like John McDonnell opposed this idea in the first place. Yes, it would have brought jobs to the area. Now let's find some real ones, not sops which do lip service to the idea of regeneration but which really line the pockets of the money men.