Last night as I was walking down the famous staircase in Downing Street, the one with the pictures of all former Prime Ministers, I wondered if they had already hung a picture of Gordon Brown. So I whizzed up the staircase again to have a look. As I got back to the top I saw one of the permanent Downing Street staff looking at me rather quizzically.
"I was just seeing if there was a picture of Gordon Brown," I explained. "No, he hasn't chosen his picture yet," explained the staff member. "Well, I expect that will take him at least two years," I joked, thinking of his reputation for indecision. "I hope he takes much longer than that..." came the instant reply.
I took that to indicate there wasn't a lot of love for Mr Brown among the permanent staff at Number Ten. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
29 comments:
Never ever feel sorry for Gordon Brown. He did more damage to the UK than anyone else I can think of and since he will not realistically face justice, his punishment should be the undying hatred of all sensible people. Any photograph of him should be covered with a sheet of paper saying 'Economic Disaster' until the UK's debt is reduced back down to 1997 levels.
"I took that to indicate there wasn't a lot of love for Mr Brown among the permanent staff at Number Ten."
On the basis of a single exchange with a single individual you reached a completely unjustifiable conclusion about lots of other people? You do surprise me.
Personally I can't understand why no-one in his regular firing line ever had the cojones to slap the gibbering loon upside his head. Perhaps the queue was just too long.
Maybe, as he cannot make a decision, as usual, No 10 should just hang a picture of Mister Grumpy of the Mister Men there
Is there not a staircase to the cellar where Gordo can be consigned to.
Duncan, like Gordon, you obviously do not and never have, lived in the real world, no point suggesting you get a life as you would not know how to deal with it.... in any sense of the words.
Maybe he's trying to find a picture with a genuine smile rather than one where he looks like he's in pain.
It could be simply that they don't fancy the hassle of moving all the photos down one spot.
That's a lot of photos to move.
"On the basis of a single exchange with a single individual you reached a completely unjustifiable conclusion about lots of other people? You do surprise me."
Whereas you take the opposite view on the basis of not meeting anyone in No10 that might have worked woith him
Pot kettle?
Sorry for Brown? After he did what he did to our country? I don't think so. Should be prosecuted, like the ex PM of Iceland.
Whilst thinking about the atmosphere a 'leader' may generate, is there any sign that Ed Milliband will end the culture of bullying, character asssination, backstabbing or even fratricide which characterised Labour from the moment it won in 97?
Iain, mate, don't feel sorry for Gordon. God knows what it will lead to!
It was as if he was never there...
Actually WHERE IS Gordon (answers on a postcard)
That's pretty bad, but yeah, as Jules said it is a bit surprising that someone just didn't throw the towel in thinking 'I just don't need this nonsense'. Or, perhaps they did but it was sorted with a decent pay off and a good reference.
@Duncan
... then you must have missed all the anecdotal insider-source evidence that has been swilling around the media since 2008. Flying Nokias, printers, screaming tantrums, allegations of bullying, bargings, sulkings etc und so weiter. And even if 90% of that was exaggerated or fabricated, what's left still points to an unpopular, socially-inept mad dog in the No.10 kennel. Who in any other environment and in any other job would have been first disciplined and then dismissed for gross misconduct.
Are you a Gordon Apologist in disguise?
You could run a competition for a book or something for your readers to do a portrait of Gordon!
In the circumstances, maybe they should break with convention.
They could make the the excuse that they're running out of wall space, so that only PMs that leave the country in better shape than they found it can go on the wall.
Gordon has just applied the finishing touches to get that happy face just right. His portrait is available
here
For heaven's sake. Silly staff member. They could simply turn it to face the wall.
Not a sheep...
..wins the prize for being EXACTLY right.
A man without morals our Mr Brown.
Starfish, I never expressed a view on the subject.
@ Twig "They could make the the excuse that they're running out of wall space, so that only PMs that leave the country in better shape than they found it can go on the wall."
No.10 isn't a bungalow.
"a completely unjustifiable conclusion"
It is OK Duncan, he is not the leader of the Party now, it is permitted to admit that he was an incompetent shit.
@ Duncan
Iain was deducing from the openness of the staffer's comment that he did not feel any of his colleagues would take offence. A reasonable assumption, it would seem to me.
Conan Doyle appears to have been a snob, but that does invalidate analytical reasoning.
Like a skewering cartoon; a great anecdote (onwew for years to come).
It's nice when other people re-affirm your prejudices, that way you don't feel such a dick when you express them.
@longrun2 No mention that there were any other staffers in earshot, nor that the remark was made particularly openly.
Not a sheep, first comment, nuff said.
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