GORDON BROWN'S BURNING UP

GORDON BROWN'S BURNING UP

Brown’s media persona bears little resemblance to the real Gordon. You see the real Brown in the House. No confidence, no idea how to handle a brief or construct an argument. He just piles on detail upon detail hoping to bury questioners, and then switches into cliche mode for his finale (’British people’, ‘consensus’, ‘magnificent’ etc etc). It’s as if he wants to make a Budget Speech every time he takes to his feet.

If the idea is to persuade, it doesn’t. And it looks hard work.

It’s like the British Tax Code, now the most complicated and longest in the world. Brown likes to tire out opposition, bury it in quantity rather than allow it to focus on any one detail. As Chancellor, this defensive strategy, aided by Blair’s support absorbing most of the blowback, worked.

Being Chancellor is only about the monetary aspects. Imagine how hard it will be to play the ‘bury you in detail’ tactic as Prime Minister, when he will need to remember masses of detail across all aspects of government. And his cliches will be heard day in, day out, not just occasionally when he was forced out of his bunker.

Take that, and then remember that Gordon’s persona is already under stress, as it’s basically a dishonest one. He is not confident. He is being easily punctured by exposure to Parliamentary questions and debates. Some fag end. Gordon Brown’s stress level will be burning him out.