Interestingly Adam Boulton is almost self combusting at the fact that Brown is giving an exclusive interview to Andrew Marr, alleging that it's unprecedented that such a huge announcement of such public interest isn't being made on a pooled basis. I would go further. There is a case to be made for him making this announcement to Parliament. It's a decision he may live to regret.
Portillo is on Sky now, saying that the media won't ever look at Gordon Brown in the same way again. He's right. But more importantly, nor will the country. Most of the media and most of the country had given him the benefit of the doubt. Readers of this blog will know that I never did. From day one I described him as a man incapable of changing. He's a control freak, a master of spin and a someone with a very thin skin. The reaction to this will reverberate across the country for some time.
Of course he can bounce back from this. But the short term damage to his reputation is undeniable. Even by the likes of Chris Paul.
UPDATE: Can I just say that Michael Portillo was absolutely brilliant on Sky just now. And I never thought I would see myself saying that!
23 comments:
I can't believe Andrew Marr has come out onto the steps of Downing Street to relay the thoughts of the PM to the nation! WTF!! Is he the Prime Minister's new spokesman!!
ITV News did not sound very happy with a comment on Brown having "called in a pet reporter" (or something like that),
MB
Callaghan bottled it, so has Brown.
Coming soon
'The Winter of Discontent 2',
"Crisis What Crisis"? - The Sequel,
and a visit from the boys from the IMF...
I would suggest that Brown's biggest mistake will turn out to be having kept Murdoch out of the loop and announcing this through the BBC.
Iain,
What about a list of pundits now this is settled - egg on face & smiley face?
ST
Portillo on BBC News 24 has just gone so far over the top that he looks like an even bigger idiot than before.
Iain, re my earlier comment about likening this to the end of The Battle of Britain film .... you might like to link to this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYoERWmZdZ8
I think you're going over the top on this, Iain. Guy was seeing some good polls so was thinking of having an election. Now he's looked at the numbers again and decided not to. Prime Ministers are always thinking about election timing.
Majority of electorate won't give a toss.
portillo given a tough time on bbc after soft interviews for pro-labour types. typical
Marr's could barely supress the smirk...! Also said that its was all Gordon fault. the bit about the polls not being a factor was frankly cobblers, and we all know it. The man now looks a prize pratt and we have him as PM, god grief!
you are dumb!
So if there had been an election, and the Tories had won, and the economy goes pear shaped as many predict it will, what would they or could they do about it? Surely an election now is one the Tories would not want to win. Better that Brown's chickens roost first, and win next time.
Portillo was also very good on News 24 a few minutes later
Gordon and Andrew sitting in a tree K. I. S. S. I. N. G.
This is Gordon's Black Wednesday.
It is. Feel free to use that quote at will, media.
The meida don't seem happy (especially Sky).
I think it will more question Gordon's judgement on big crises. He hasn't actually had to face any major problems other than Northern Rock which he put a sticking plaster on a still open wound.
I think that the problems in the last few years caused Labour are all to do with Gordon.
Gordon "Aspberger" Brown will now sink into a state of frustrated depression, unable to bear his carefully calculated plans being thwarted, as he will see it, by the unpredictability of other people (ie the public, whom he secretly despises for their weakness, or those in the public eye who dare to criticise him).
Michael White talking to the BBC's News24: "Take no notice of Michael Portillo. He couldn't even beat IDS."
This is a perfect example of what Gordon promised the country would not happen under him!
The announcement as an exclusive to his mate Andrew Marr and the BBC
An excuse about the Registration Roll problems (talk about spin)
This all followed on from his trip to Iraq and his announcement or re-announcement of troop withdrawals and statements being brought forward in the House to next Monday and Tuesday.
It is important to drive this home to the UK public now what a "ditherer" Brown is, all for ME (himself) to hang on as PM for two years longer.
Michael White - the Great Brown Apologist.
Doing the rounds of the studios on behalf of Downing Street - and his peerage, no doubt.
Portillo is Brown - and Brown is Portillo.
Both convinced of their own importance, both intolerent of other views, both with a big plan for the Country that they may deign to share with us
But most of all, both utterly incapable of spotting the crucial political moment and then acting decisively.
Both will now end as footnotes in History.
This is SUCH a HUGE blunder by Brown, it bears no comparison with anything that has gone before.
He has sunk hinmself and his Party into the abyss, when a weeka go he held the power to destroy us utterly.
Vacillating fool
Portillo is positioning himself for a ministeral post..now he can see the Tories might well win in 2009.
I dislike Portillo, he floats in whatever direction the wind blows...
As I said in my post on Thursday, in a different context, this confirms what I have been thinking for some time, viz. that in some ways Gordon Brown is actually a very clumsy and unskilful politician.
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