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Gordon Brown



DIFFBROOK

Really Up the Junction
Feb 3, 2005
2,266
Yorkshire
Not seen any thread on Gordon Browns announcement that he will be standing down as an MP at the next election.

Will history judge him favourably?

This coming from the Daily fail - which is rather surprising given its politics

Even Quentin Letts in the Daily Mail says Mr Brown is "brooding" and "tortured", but is a man "with towering strengths".

Letts, a sketch writer not normally known for kindness to Labour figures, says, "it is fair to argue that without [Mr Brown's] working the phones, without his exhortations to other world leaders to prop up banks, the economic crisis would have been worse."

"Did he single-handedly save the Union? He certainly deserves much of the credit," Letts concedes.

So was Gordon Brown Mr Bean - an incompetent, or did he save the world economy and the Union?
 


glasfryn

cleaning up cat sick
Nov 29, 2005
20,261
somewhere in Eastbourne
my only gripe with him was not nationalizing the banks when he had the chance
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
59,205
The Fatherland
History will look favourably on him for first advising on a system to get the world's economy back on track and then saving the UK from being dismantled. A huge loss to UK politics.
 


Green Cross Code Man

Wunt be druv
Mar 30, 2006
19,632
Eastbourne
History will look favourably on him for first advising on a system to get the world's economy back on track and then saving the UK from being dismantled. A huge loss to UK politics.
On the issue of the UK's continuation, I believe he made a difference but long term it was only a postponement of Scotland going it alone. When the Scots find that they are in direct competition from the English regions and that their MP's are no longer allowed to vote on English only issues, they will become disgruntled.
 


DTES

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
6,022
London
It'll all come down to the financial crash. You know, the worldwide crash in 2008 that Labour/the UK Government was entirely responsible for. Not the potential worldwide 2014/15 one, that Cameron is warning us about, that will be nothing to do with the Tories/the UK Government.

In all honesty I think he will ultimately be looked on favourably - more favourably than Blair.
 




Dick Knights Mumm

Take me Home Falmer Road
Jul 5, 2003
19,588
Hither and Thither
It seems like he was a man promoted to his level of incompetency, paralysed making decisions as prime minister despite having spent a decade as chancellor.

I went to the Dome in the months before he became prime minister - when he was promoting his book. You would not recognise the brooding presence that characterised his time as prime minister. Charming, intelligent, insightful - I thought he would make a great prime minister.
 


Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,521
He didn't make a good Prime Minister and I don't think he was ever totally comfortable in that role. That said, he still had the kind of political force that Ed Miliband can only dream of. When Brown rode into town to rescue the Union it was clear just how lightweight Red Ed actually is.

I see he is some sort of UN envoy for global education. I actually think if Scotland had got independence he have made a decent leader.
 


West Hoathly Seagull

Honorary Ruffian
Aug 26, 2003
3,540
Sharpthorne/SW11
Favourable - making the Bank of England independent - very shrewd decision, something Ken Clarke should have done when we were forced out of the ERM and Norman Lamont had to resign. Obviously played a role as PM in sorting out the utter mess left by the banking crash, though most of the credit for that belongs to Alastair Darling. Keeping us out of the Euro - with the benefit of history since, an exceptionally sensible decision, especially as Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson were desperate to take us in.

Unfavourable - the gold sale and thinking that the only solution for the NHS was increased spending without any reforms. Supposedly it was he who put the mockers on Alan Milburn's reform plans. Yes, the NHS did need more funding, but it is potentially just a bottomless pit without serious reforms to the way it is funded. Saying that, no politician will take hold of that, so perhaps he can't be held solely responsible. On the banks, it could be argued that it was lack of proper regulation that at least partly led to the problems. Sure, the Tories opposed banking controls, but Labour had a huge majority and could have driven it through.

Overall, a decent bloke and as is clear when seen with his wife and children, a genuine family man. As for how he will be viewed, as Chancellor I think largely favourably. As Prime Minister, he wasn't really in office long enough for a lasting impression, though I think his time was tainted by his bitterness towards Tony Blair and his obsession with getting to Number 10.
 
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Vegas Seagull

New member
Jul 10, 2009
7,782
The only man on the planet stupid enough to TELL THE WORLD he was going to sell a lot of something so they could all offer less than they would otherwise. Cost us all billions. Numbskull
 


catfish

North Stand Brighton Boy
Dec 17, 2010
7,677
Worthing
He's one of those intellectual thinkers who make a very good cabinet minister but are totally unsuited to being prime minister.
 


atfc village

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2013
5,012
Lower Bourne .Farnham
Of course he wanted to save the union.he knew that like under Labour The Scots will hpld power one day again over the union.
 




sdmartin1

Well-known member
Sep 23, 2008
1,258
Nice guy and a smart man. Probably better than most Prime Ministers we will have in the next decade or so, but wasn't charismatic enough to make a lasting impression on the general public.
 




Soulman

New member
Oct 22, 2012
10,966
Sompting
Great news. The thought that he might come back in top position was worrying. Still the jocks will be pleased with his performance as chancellor and PM.
 






beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,265
pension raid, rampant PPI engagment, yet still overspending the increased revenues he had coming in off the the back of global economic boom... he should be rememberd for grossly overestimating his ability to control the economy, claiming the end of boom and bust right up until the bust. as i recall it (though dont know the behind the scenes) it was Darling that pushed for the international coordination. which incidentally wasnt much more than a unified front that "something would be done" to address what ever problem came up. it worked, but it was a bluff, because we know the EU certainly couldnt have (still cant) done anything to prevent a full blown economic collapse. they did restore confidence, which is what mattered.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
59,205
The Fatherland
If Jeremy Clarkson does not like you then you're clearly doing something right.
 


Mowgli37

Enigmatic Asthmatic
Jan 13, 2013
6,371
Sheffield


What a speech.

I think Brown was handed a very raw deal in his premiership. Good bloke but was sadly suited more to a cabinet role.
 




Leekbrookgull

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2005
16,237
Leek
He didn't make a good Prime Minister and I don't think he was ever totally comfortable in that role. That said, he still had the kind of political force that Ed Miliband can only dream of. When Brown rode into town to rescue the Union it was clear just how lightweight Red Ed actually is.

I see he is some sort of UN envoy for global education. I actually think if Scotland had got independence he have made a decent leader.

Have to fully agree with you about his 'Save the Union' speech,whilst Red Ed was being ignored on the streets Brown gave one of the best speechs of his life.
 


Surf's Up

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2011
10,147
Here
He was an excellent Chancellor but a thug within the Labour Party who ran a team of sycophants and like-minded thugs who championed the belief in his divine right to the Premiership. Upon eventually achieving this goal it quickly became apparent that the "Peter Principle" had swung into action - he was not up to the job. His legacy will be soured by his incompetence in the top job and by his internal labour party chicanery when Chancellor but buoyed by his success as Chancellor, his effective response to the banking crisis (which he'd helped create) and by his late but highly effective contribution to the Scottish Referendum debate. In fairness and on balance not a wholly bad legacy.
 



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