Isn't it strange that whenever our beloved PM finds himself in a crisis and being assailed on all fronts Gordon Brown disappears from sight? It happened in March with Cash for Peerages, in April when Prescott had his difficulties and now it's happening again. It brings to mind Harold Macmillan who, having goaded Eden into Suez, then conveniently disappeared and left Eden to stew in his own juice. But Macmillan inherited, having been Eden's Chancellor. Perhaps Gordon Brown has been reading his history books...
32 comments:
He has not got the guts to 'take on' Blair openly.As you say he is always "upstairs collecting fares" when something is happening. The man will be a major liability if he ever becomes prime minister.
It really is strange that we allow people who have never been tested in the real world to run our country and send our troops into war! Although Cameron has been tested in the real world of PR has he not?
As Richard Littlejohn says we are on the road to hell in a handcart (brought over by the Polish,Lithuanians,
Latvians, Romanians and Bulgarians) not to mention the rest of the whole blinking world.
Where's Gordon...hiding out in Kirkaldy with his newborn, dreading the end of paternity leave and then having to answer difficult questions re Israel and British foreign policy (or lack therof)...does he back Blair or does he make the Labour left happy by signalling he'll follow a different tack when he assumes the throne (North Korea style)...mmm difficult, but Gordon is a ditherer of the 1st order
not quite the same or maybe it is - Rab Butler was the favourite to take over from Eden see here and here.
So maybe that's Gordon's destiny - always to be the bridesmaid and never the bride.
It shows just how much trouble Blair has been recently that you ask this question almost on a weekly basis!:D
He's on paternity leave, rolling on into summer vacation, isn't he? Think it's a little unfair to blame him on this one.
Brown is a coward but a devious one, who always cuts for cover and then later comes up with some profound reason. He really is a git. I think New Labour sees this now and will never approve him as PM - this is his secret fear, which is why he has never really laid down the gauntlet. The unions will plump for either Milburn or Hain, with Hain being the popular choice in the constituencies. All of this is of course why we now have a labour stalking horse, to ensure that TB couldn't just hand over to GB. Poor Tony - he so wanted Milliband but won't get him for at least another 5 years. Poor Gordy - so deluded!
Strapworld - I think the final paragraph of your comment is unfair. The said peoples might, if the EU had given them a choice, opted to go somewhere sunnier, or with a lower cost of living, than the UK. And would you make such a comment about Welsh 'economic migrants' like myself living in another part of the UK ? I hope not...And most 'English' people are of German ancestry anyway.
Perhaps there is truth in the reports that Blair will now stay on as PM. Gordon will be sulking at home in Scotland.
anonymous...
I am part welsh, Irish and now you tell me german. I am a born Lancastrian, supporter of Essex County Cricket and Leyton Orient Football Club. Bit of an odd ball I accept.
BUT
dear dear anonymous...I am entitled to a view, am I not and if it offends your mind I apologise but stand by it.
Brown IS frit!
What exactly are you saying ;-)Are you saying what l think (know) you are saying...?
gunslinger, the Rab Butler precedent runs deeper even than that. Macmillan made it his life's work to stop Butler becoming PM/Tory leader, which is eerily familiar. (In this, Macmillan was 100% sucessful, of course.)
Anon 6:00 is right, someone else will stand. And, with the Blair machine onside, they will win. Add Livingstone to the list. He isn't an MP right now, but then again, neither was Alec Douglas Home, the man who beat Rab Butler for Macmillan's job.
But it isn't going to happen just yet awhile.
My missus and baby nearly bumped into Broon at the local library last week...thankfully they just missed him!
strapworld
Has Brown not been tested in the real world of television production? So one could argue he has a similar background to Cameron with his background in PR.
By the way where is David Cameron? I would expected a possible future PM to have uttered a few more words on the conflict? At least Ming Campbell has taken a stand, people might not agree with it but at least he has opened his mouth which is more than can be said for messers Brown, Cameron and much of the Tory front bench.
I'm going to stick my neck out. Lay it on the line. So to speak.
Gordon Brown will never become Prime Minister.
Nor should he. Or DC.
PS For God's sake go back to the turquoise! and stick with it. You're hurting my eyes.
He's in Scotland with the new child and he's apparently pissed by the fact that the Foreign Office has never tried to build up a relationship with the new Israel MP, so now they've 0 influence.
But I supposed you already knew it...considering it was in The Times (I think)
McCavity.........
Where's David Cameron?
On holiday with all the other MPs but available and willing to make comments/issue press releases.... unlike Broon still diving for cover whenever anything comes up that he can't face. HOW many votes for gay rights did he 'accidently manage to miss' then? Still waiting for him to explain why there were no funds for armour for our boys in Iraq yet Cherie Blair gets an armoured car!
Man's a wimp of the first water!
David -
I'm not aware of any David Cameron statements or comments on the subject of Lebanon. Could you point me to one.
David -
Or, if Cameron's statements/comments are unavailble. Maybe a statement or comment from the Shadow Chancellor? Just to show that he does not "[dive] for cover whenever anything comes up that he can't face" and is not a "wimp of the first water"
Words almost fail me.
As Inamicus says, Gordon is at home in Scotland enjoying his new baby son. As any normal father would.
The reference to Brown studying his history books appears to be lost on your readers.Care to spoon-feed us? we are all not historians....we are not getting the inference:-)Are we?
The comparison with DC is an interesting and fair one. I haven't heard much from him at PMQ's, and just like brown he wants to be the next Prime Minister, what does he think about this issue?
vikki - the history is indeed fascinating, there is nothing new under the sun, and those who ignore history etc etc
See gunslinger's post of 5:54 pm yesterday, and mine of 7.34.
Then see google.
Hold on guys!
If DC DID say anything at all, would you believe him?
Anyway, now that YOgi Blair is away and Boo Boo is in charge, why haven't we all got a picnic basket for free. Let's stick to the real issues.
I can exclusively reveal that the most likely reason for Gordon Brown's disappearance is that he has been Saved. Yesterday was the Day of Rapture keenly anticipated by "rapture ready" American evangelical Christians. You should by now be astonished by the realisation that lots of people you know have vanished, and if you are reading this you have - like me - been Left Behind notwithstanding the Rapture being trailed all last week on coast-to-coast American tv channels.
drewit, l was not writing literally:-)See my first post 7.34 Its another way of saying the message appeared to be lost on the readers with the exception of a few.
lain, would l be wrong in saying the readers did not get what you were trying to say judging by the replies? l stand to be corrected.
Good question Iain and one you should ask on a daily basis - like a Hunt for Gordo competition whenever the going get's hot.
Considering the number of journalists that read this blog they might just begin to question his supposed greatness and see him for the coward he really is.
He dumped tax credits on Red Dawn when they went wonky and snuck out an announcement on cuts at the end of Treasury Questions so he couldn't be questioned for long.
The fact he is almost invisible when things go badly for Labour shouldn't be a surprise. He has no guts to face the big issues. Prime Minister in waiting my ass.
So go for it. The daily "where's yellow belly Gordon hiding today" competition.
I still haven't had an answer...
Where's Cameron?
I'm unaware of any comment or statement by him on the current crisis in the Middle East.
Are people who are outraged by Brown's silence equally outraged by Cameron's?
Cameron has at least said this. A bit out of date, I admit.
glasshouse: could be wrong, but I'm not sure Cameron hopes to be PM by October.
Then again, Gordo has probably lost hope too. So they both have an excuse.
Vikki, I have read your various comments and I am lost as to what the hell you're on about! I was drawing a historical analogy between Macmilland Brown and pointing out that Brown always seems to disappear from view whenever Blair is in trouble. Just like Macmillan did to Eden. What is there not to "get"?
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