Apropos of nothing I thought it worth repeating something I write a week ago, while at the conference...
Strangely, there seems to be a mood of erie resignation to the fact that
Gordon Brown will indeed call one [an election].However, there was one
dissenting voice today that I encountered on this - and one I have a lot of
respect for. It was a private conversation so I won;t say who it was with, but
it was one the country's leading political journalists. He's convinced Gordon
Brown won't risk an election and thinks the polls are massively overstating the
Labour lead. He reckons the lead could disappear as quickly as it arrived. The
name of Ed Balls then came up. I remarked that I thought Balls was the most
overrated politician in British politics and reminded me of Alan B'Stard's
hapless assistant, Piers Fletcher-Dervish. No, no no, said the political
journalist. "Ed Balls isn't the most overrated politician in British politician.
That's Gordon Brown. He's a second rater." I picked up my jaw from the floor and
was about to ask him what he meant by that when someone interrupted the
conversation.
It's now clear what he meant, I think! Off to play 18 holes now - back at 2pm to continue the coverage of a momentous few days in British politics. And thanks to those who have emailed or commented saying they much enjoyed my coverage yesterday. Seventeen posts in a day is a record, I think, even for me!
79 comments:
I have always thought Brown to be overrated .
His record as Chancellor was plodding and devious ( stealth taxation ) and infuriatingly over- detailed. Basically he rode an economic upwave almost entirely not of his own creation - more like his predecessor's and Greenspan's !
He was and is a classic hoarder of information for use as a source and method of power . It worked fairly well as Chancellor , not working very well as PM though .
The classic sum up of Brown is the photo of him in the Commons sitting next to Blunkett with his arm curled around his notepad so that no one can see .
With regard to Blair he was always a jealous coward , hating the oily glitzball but never having the courage to challenge him .
His Scottishness has been played for all it is worth - in England
( it cuts no ice in Scotland where he is deeply unpopular ).
I suspect it doesn't cut much ice in England either , more like the opposite from the comments I hear in the pub .
Al in all , a flawed personality on a number of counts .
Gordon Brown is all about control. He's not a control freak, he just needs to be in control so that he is not made to look foolish.
He will not be looking forward to PMQ's. I wouldn't be surprised if he throws a sickie, or manufactures an emergency Cobra meeting.
Mr Anji Hunter speaks the truth.
The fact that Gordon is turning out to be a non-leader, as predicted by many, will not lost on the Labour Party.
Once talk of the non-election has died down, Labour will be staring at the gruesome prospect of a period of two years plus, with a freakish personality disorder running both Britain and their Party.
They didn't dare to challenge Brown while he insisted on his post-Blair coronation, which was now obviously a disasterous mistake. But who now will dare to start the ball rolling towards his removal as leader? Are Labour really going to force Brown on Britain for another two whole long years?
One way his early demise may come about could be in Parliament. When he attempts the ramming through of the Constitution, the Labour rebellion could have a double objective - getting rid of the Constitution, and at the same time, getting rid of Gordon Brown....two birds with one stone as it were.
If the government were to fall with the Constitution, labour would have a week maximum to select a new leader before facing an election. Who would they choose? Charles Clark? John Reid? or would they surprise us all and go eurosceptic?
I think to call him second rate is to overrate him. He is deeply flawed. His control freakery shows he knows it too as he tries to keep everything away from his "colleagues."
Yes, well done with the coverage Iain, an exciting afternoon. Still holding my breathe about whether this will all blow over within a few weeks though....
big headed i no ( just me am afraid) but I never thought hed go 4 it and said so at the conference on several occasions. hes not a gambler all this pretence is bizarre wot was he playing at? but he does have a track record.
Ed Balls: very agreessive IDS could nt get a word in when with him on daily politics. but has to be the sexiest politician. (OK not much competition)
Go on Adam Boulton!! He's got his fangs out and ripped Jacqui Smith to pieces, made her look the political lightweight she is!
AB to JS "What hard decisions has the Prime Minister taken?"
JS - WAFFLE just read off events not any real substance - just like this government
I think Brown will end up being more damaged by his and his colleages' attempt to put a postive light on this than by the decision itself. Unless he seriously gets his act together and learns to talk with more candour he will never win an election.
Having just watched Andrew Marshmallow interview Gordon Brown I think some serious questions need to be asked of the BBC. The entire programme, complete with Polly Toynbee interrogating Cameron on the couch, showed them acting as stooges for the Labour party. How ludicrous that Cameron should be given the third degree over the non doms, while Brown was allowed to romp away with his absurd excuse that he was 'listening' to the people and making a responsible decision about the election - surely you'd have to have had a lobotomy not to see through that spin. I hope the BBC is inundated with protests at this exercise in state controlled media.
Anyone who denies that Brown is now a lame-duck Prime Minister is either a liar or a fool.
It could be disastrous for Britain, however, that we have to struggle along for the next two or three years with this irreparably damaged, deeply psychologically flawed, and clearly dishonest and incompetent Prime Minister at the helm.
Marr spoke to Brown in their pre-recorded interview calmly and quietly. The programme then switched to his live interview with Cameron and Marr's voice clearly went up several decibels and he became agitated and somewhat worked-up. The contrast was obvious.
Nevertheless, Cameron wiped the floor with him but Marr's pro-Brown bias is sickening.
Ignoring the obvious error of judgement by Brown in allowing the election fever to be ramped up by his so-called "Three Musketeers" he then, at a time he needs all the media's goodwill he can get,he antagonises some of the most "powerful" political media figures by giving Andrew Marr "an exclusive" which was always bound to needle others in the media.
Despite Polly Toynbee asserting that this is "just a blip that'll blow over in a couple of weeks"(she must inhabit a different Britain to me then !) this will cause some friction within the Labour Party and has irrevocably damaged Brown's reputation as a slick political operator and revealed him for what he truly is - a person who when it comes to it - just hasn't the "killer instinct" although God knows people have only to look at his history to realise that fact.
Whilst it's too early to draw a firm conclusion that the Conservative revival has started, the polls at this time are notoriously volatile and it'll be toward the end of November before we can fully interpret the trends, Brown and the Labour Party have certainly been given a "fright" which means that they're likely to be fighting even dirtier in the forthcoming months and will try to sow dissent amongst the Tories.
Let us hope that having stared into the abyss, sanity has been restored to those in the Tory party whose ego's are exceeded only by the estimation of their own talents and that they allow Cameron to build on the Party's conference success and establish a larger and firmer lead over Labour
Breaking news! The Bogeyman's secret identity has been revealed - look out for the...Brown Bottle!
The BBC's role in this story has been extraordinary. I have followed the coverage on FiveLive, the 'news and sport station'.
Saturday evening...a couple of news bulletins, but no significant analysis. The Weekend News was cancelled because of rugby and boxing. So the first discussion was on Stephen Nolan's infantile late-night phone-in. Sunday morning, no breakfast news show because of motor racing. Then, at 10am, when the Sunday current affairs show comes on, the first half hour is taken up with chat about...motor racing. Eventually, at about 10.30, an interview with Ed Miliband, then quickly off to a discussion about computer games. What the hell is going on? This is probably the key political story of the year and they are virtually ignoring it.
Anon at 10.09 - Ed Balls is the sexiest politician?
You must be Yvette Cooper - finished the red boxes early this morning and have time to blog then?
To be sure there's no other woman on earth who would write such a thing!
get a load of The Sun's headline...
Gordon Bottles It
Methinks somebody at Murdoch Towers is incredibly cheesed off.
Nevertheless, Cameron wiped the floor with him but Marr's pro-Brown bias is sickening.
October 07, 2007 10:28 AM
Absolutely agree. Nothing should detract from Cameron's achievement and the BBC are looking ever more shabby as they try ineffectually to cover up for Mr Yellow. Cameron got it exactly right this morning in tone, demeanor and content. It's the BBC that have been left exposed.
Sky News - 11.40 Mark Penn will be on - about why Gordon Brown "reminds him of that Presidential LOSER Al Gore" (that's what Boulton just said...
then at 11.45 they've got Alex Salmond on - to gloat no doubt.
there's definitely an air of being exceedingly cheesed off at Sky Towers.
there is no doubt that this has backfired spectacularly on Brown. I can already hear the knives of the Blairites being sharpened.
First Fawkes, Now Dale. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Sky will get all the exclusives from now on.
Lets hope the media stay very annoyed with Brown and Co. Surely they had enough of the spin by now. Next few weeks will be interesting but there is the likelyhood that this will blow over.
However Brown is in a bit of trouble now. In two years time the electorate will think "we have given you a chance Brown, now it is time for a change".
Will also be interesting to see if Brown is better at running the country from No.10 rather than No. 11 where he was useless. All the headline policy announcements in the world are futile if you cannot implement them.
The Times : All Mouth and No Trousers
The name Clunking Fist is apt - (as is the Clucking update). Brown is so blinking obvious. You can read his every move, and hear the whirring sounds as he gets his brain into gear.
His biggest problem is that his not a people person. He doesn't like people. How can you lead what you prefer to avoid?
I must admit, I hadn't been onto your blog for a couple weeks now...
...BUT, once the story broke, this was the first place I came to get the REAL story.
interesting... Politics Show presenter Jon Sopel has said that the hacks have been told for weeks now by Brown insiders that an election would be called for November.
spin spin spin...
Brown has blown it big time and will never fully recover from this farce which has been entirely of his own making.
If the party is to stand a chance of winning another General Election then incompetent, useless, lying, cowardly Brown must be removed beforehand.
A week is a long time in politics - i always thought of Cameron as being somewhat wishy-washy.
But by god has he come out as being utterly decisive and Churchillian compared to the quivering , nail biting psychotic mess of Brownstuff.
why do think am a woman?
Do not underestimate the Leftist establishment. They may be dim and arrogant, but they will fight to protect their privileges with all the guile of a Member of Parliament filling out an expenses form.
The fact that the Left are intellectually and morally bankrupt is all the more reason to expect them to go into propaganda overdrive against Cameron in order to protect the reputation of their charmless bigot-in-chief.
The BBC for example will almost certainly avoid any critical analysis of the manifest failures of the last 10 years of Labour government.
There are aleady suggestions about in the media that Brown may excuse himself from this weeks PMQ's citing his attendance is required at a crucial security meeting.
Surely even he won't do a Macavity?
As spineless as his bogeys, I wonder how many he has munched in the last twentyfour hours.I bet the skid marks are showing a true brown.
Marr was hardly likely to knife Brown, but he gave him enough rope to hang himself. The airwaves today are full of spluttering Labour MP's trying to hang on to their ministerial salaries.
Are there any lefties here who believe Brown's supposed reasons for not calling an election? And if not, can they defend him lying to the electorate?
So our Home Secretary looks completely lost for words in the face of questioning from an obviously pissed off Adam Boulton.
Criminals and terrorists must be frightened to death. I know I am.
Gordon Brown is all about control. He's not a control freak, he just needs to be in control...
cont p94
For more piercing insights, please go here.
there's going to be fireworks at the Beeb - Nick Robinson wasnt in the loop about the Marr interview according to the Mail on Sunday!
ITV and Sky are furious as well.
Brown slammed for cosy BBC deal
Sopel aka "The Politics Show has also joined the Marr programme in asking those searching questions of the opposition parties ,which they have answered . Whilst asking those similar searching questions of the Brownites & getting evasive answers. BUT then they move on....not insisting or pressing the questions!!! very pally behaviour.
Only Adam Boulton has done his job today...as journalists should.(that i have seen)
BBC have done themselves no favours..Now , what will ITV, Channel 4 & Andrew Neils take be on this Labour debacle.
Labour MP and former Labour Leadership Candidate, John McDonnell, describes the Prime Minister's Election Climbdown as an utter Fiasco
John McDonnell MP said 'This climbdown is an utter fiasco. After weeks of political gameplaying by the inexperienced, testosterone fuelled young men in Browns team we have presented the Tories with an own goal, making a Labour leader look weak and re-associating the party with spin. The incompetent handling of the last few weeks has squandered the good will the people of this country felt towards Labour as a result of Tony Blair going.'
Only thing that puzzles me about this from John McDonnell is where is the 'testosterone fuel'? If they had any of that between them, they wouldn't be in the mess they've created by climbing down. They'd be fighting an election as we speak.
It's the ack of any balls in the Brown-Balls camp which is exactly the problem.
"Only thing that puzzles me about this from John McDonnell is where is the 'testosterone fuel'?"
I think he was referring to Ruth "careful what you wish for " Kelly
A bit late, what with an overgrown garden, the rugby result and a good DVD last night, I missed the news.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha, Ten years of hurt never stopped me dreaming.
Aneurin Bevin, Clem Atlee, Wilson, Challaghan, Foot, Kinnock, Smith, Blair and Brown.
You guys took one hell of a beating.
Call me Dave and the Tories stepped up the plate and gave you a masterclass in courage, tenacity and good popular policies. No spin, just charisma and passion.
It's all over for Gordon. ALL OVER!
Gordon Brown: the new Andy Pipkin
Will the parallells with Little Britain never end? If not, which character will he play next?
tapestry -> yeah. read that in the Mail on Sunday. Ed Balls, Douglas Alexander and Ed Milliband were the people behind the early election push. Labour MPs in marginal seats are furious...
expect a cabinet reshuffle at the very least i'd say.
Am I the only one who thinks Gordon Brown looks like an overweight drag queen?
I'm sure he wears far too much make up in front of the camera!
Anonymous 10:09 - This isn't Text Central.
I agree with those who say that calling Brown a second-rater is to flatter him. Like many others, I've always intuited that he is an inferior intellect and a frightened man. Enigmatic people are often credited with more wit and wisdom than they actually possess, but I have always felt that Brown was economical with his comments because he was frightened and didn't know what to say. That is why he is such a mean-spirited little hoarder.
Who remembers that horrible little wedding he had? In a room in the manse with the chairs pushed back against the wall. Anal retentive.
I think the important thing to remember is, he's a frightened, inferior man and can be bullied easily. There's no air of mystery about him. He's stupid. Labour will turn on him and I agree with the poster who said they would force him out using the EU Constitutional Referendum as the other blade of a double-edged sword.
Don't look for him to finish his term. My guess, he'll be gone within a year, and possibly even six months.
Anon says:
"Am I the only one who thinks Gordon Brown looks like an overweight drag queen?"
Actually, I think Gordon Brown looks like Richard Nixon!
PoliticalBetting.com:
Bottler Brown
Can anyone provide a link to the Boulton-Smith interview? And did anyone else think the record had stuck during Darling's interview on The Politics Show? Same prepared non-answer to every question.
"October 07, 2007 2:04 PM"
agree with you there Verity.
the Blairite knives will be out after this fiasco.
No. Richard Nixon looked like a canny politician who knew the score. Brown looks like plastacene. Rubbery. He's not just ugly, but there's something unsettling, something not quite normal, about his face. And he is certainly brimming over with resentment of something.
sorry verity (2.04pm) am too stupid to fully comprehend the implications of your snide remark, please illuminate.
No way brown will go in months
anon 10.04
Verity, Richard Nixon - canny? hahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa.
No, Gordon Brown and Richard Nixon - separated at birth.
Both = rubbery squidgy tongue rolling politicians.
:)
David Cameron can only be compared to Hugh Grant. :)
Re: Gordon Brown - I bet Cherie Blair is smiling knowingly...
wot GB looks like is irrevelant, it is his character that is flawed
I feel a purge coming on.
Anon says:
"wot GB looks like is irrevelant"
au contraire, looks are VERY important. Especially hair and shoes...
I don't want a fat Prime Minister.
Call me shallow - but looks matter.
:)
Anonymous 2:21 - If you're "too stupid to fully comprehend the implications" (presumably the use of Latin-based words is to demonstrate that you're not just a texting fool)of what I wrote, what makes you think you would understand an elucidation?
WARNING...WARNING!!!!! Chris Paul is calling you and Guido to account! If this is the best defence he can make of "The Great Helmsman".....?
Dizzy maintains it won't hurt Broon fatally.
Canvas - I agree. And so do most voters in the world. Ugly politicians don't make it to the top job. Chirac was handsome. Sarkozy is intriguing looking. Lee Hsien Loong is the world's best looking head of government. Anders Fogh is a babe. George Bush is handsome. (Oh, yes he is!) Bill Clinton was good looking. I thought Tony Blair looked slightly insane, but most people thought he was good-looking. Mexico's President Calderone is good looking, as was his predecessor President Fox.
It's only when you get to the dictatorships that the uglies come into their own.
Brown cannot last in a democracy.
For those not familiar with the Snob I recommend his latest piece Unbiased Hacks.
The quote at the end (I had to look it up) comes from this poem
Verity, spot on. Brown can't last. He can't even spin his way into attractiveness.
I think David Miliband is quite dishy. Let's hope he challenges Brown for the Labour leadership. Then we'll have the 'two Davids' battling it out. Bring it on.
Better on the eyes - and better for the mind and soul.
I can't think of a single handsome Labourite. Socialism is the ugly people's trade.
The annoying thing is that the Broon has cost me £500. He has, though, confirmed me in my title of World's Most Hopeless Forecaster:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/politics/danielhannan/october/brown-election.htm
Daniel Hannan - What did you bet?
The Three Musketeers are Three Very Unhappy Bunnies.
They are leaking that they are unhappy.
The Funking Twit should keep his back to the wall.
Verity - I think Ed Vaizey will go far. He is very handsome. :)
Canvas - I don't know who he is.
Obviously, looks alone aren't going to win elections; but the absence of looks can lose them. In Gordon Brown's case, this is going to prove an iron-clad rule.
Lack of empathy with others will also work against him. He cannot relate to other humans. He's too busy protecting his little castle of self.
The Duke of Wellington was a looker.
This post is about Adam Boulton and Iain Dale NOT about a NOT ELECTION NOT ANNOUNCEMENT.
Only a week or so after Iain Dale took his name out of the Right Top One Hundred - deciding that yes he was a "journalist" and therefore excluded by his own rules - he has let his insider hubris and giddiness "out" one of his sources. Rule Number One - don't reveal sources.
Adam Boulton will be spitting tacks.
Chris Paul - you think you have a lesson to teach the owner of the most successful blog in Britain and one of the most successful blogs in the Anglosphere? You honestly think Iain does not know the rules?
Do you get any visitors on your blog? Never been motivated by any of your comments to go myself.
I think David Miliband is quite dishy. Let's hope he challenges Brown for the Labour leadership. Then we'll have the 'two Davids' battling it out. Bring it on.
If you heard Alan Johnson on Desert Island Discs this morning you could almost believe it was the soft launch of a leadership bid. Of course it was all recorded before THE DEBACLE and was clearly programmed by BBC/nuLab as a curtain raiser to the election that never was. Still - Johnson is I think their best bet for the leadership - he has all the people skills Brown (and indeed Miliband who is nerdish) lacks. He's also not unattractive. And he isn't remotely posh. If clucking hadn't been such a tyrant Johnson could have run for the leadership. I bet they're rueing the day they allowed him his leadership walkover.
Transcript of the Marr/Brown interview over at the Mail.
"I bet they're rueing the day they allowed him his leadership walkover.
October 07, 2007 4:36 PM"
i agree Oscar. Johnson would be a Cameron-killer. He's got that cute glint to his eye that wins over the female vote - and its the female vote that is utterly crucial in the marginals.
however, i dont think anyone in Labour has the balls to topple Brown, beyond maybe the Blairites still fuming over the toppling of Blair.
Since you ask, Verity, I had £500 at 11-1 that there'd be an election in 2007. (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/politics/danielhannan/august07/election-this-year.htm)
Still, there are times when it's a downright pleasure to lose.
Yes, Alan Johnson's quite attractive, in a blokish sort of way.
I agree Alan Johnson is easy on the eye - he's attractive.
So, will Johnson or Miliband go for the Labour leadership? Let's hope so! Vote of no confidence for Gordy? maybe?
Verity, Ed Vaizey is a Tory MP - He has great charisma and charm - google him. Very dishy...
:)
Canvas - Yes, he doesn't look bad, although from the photos under Biography, he looks a bit like David Cameron morphing into Michael Portillo.
I think Alan Johnson looks as though he'd be more fun on a date.
Verity, fantasy-dating?! Brilliant idea.
Where would Alan Johnson take you on a date?
LoL
:)
My point is, Alan Johnson is more appealing to women, and that's a huge plus for Labour. Gordon Brown is a woman repellent.
Gordon Brown looks as though he takes himself very, very, very seriously indeed- and sounds like it, too. Johnson looks more lighthearted, even though he doesn't really mean it.
Let's hope he doesn't unseat Brown, because I think he would claw back some female votes.
I have to agree with you, Verity.
Gordon Brown looks like he needs a good scrub. He really does make me cringe.
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