Ex PM Brown may be about to leave parliament.

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Ex PM Brown may be about to leave parliament.; politics,gordon-brown,labour-party
Topic Started: Nov 24 2014, 04:52 PM (110 Views)
Wat Tyler	Nov 24 2014, 04:52 PM Post #1
New Member Posts: 9 Group: Members Member #68 Joined: Aug 10, 2014	For years the press dubbed him ‘Macavity’ after the cat in Eliot’s poem who was always at the centre of events but somehow managed to disappear at the key moment. Former prime minister Gordon Brown may be on the verge of the last disappearing act of his career as rumours grow that he is about to stand down as an MP at the next election. Speaking to Sky News a close colleague in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Labour Party said ‘Gordon always holds a function for party members at Christmas and if I were a betting man, I would bet he will make an announcement then.’ On Sunday the BBC reported that senior sources within the Labour Party had said they expected him to stand down. Following the end of his luckless tenure as prime minister Gordon Brown has kept a low profile, in recent months though he returned to the limelight playing a major role for the ‘’Better Together’ campaign during the referendum on Scottish independence. What next for the man who waited so long to be PM and then failed so spectacularly once he secured the top job? It is thought to be unlikely that he will seek a seat in the House of Lords and he lacks the charisma necessary to join predecessor Tony Blair in the rarefied world of being an international peace envoy. Leaving parliament needn’t been an end for Gordon Brown; in fact it could be a whole new beginning. Set free from the shackles of the party line he could finally show the world Gordon Brown the man of principle, as opposed to the man possessed by his curdled ambitions; something he showed frustratingly infrequent glimpses of when he was in Downing Street. There is a precedent for second rate prime ministers reinventing themselves once out of office. One such was once a by-word for ineptness and indecision and yet now is a popular author of books about cricket and the music halls, regularly appears on television and even has his views about current affairs treated with a respect that would once have seemed unlikely. His name still brings a smile to the faces of people of a certain age; it is John Major.



Deleted User	Nov 24 2014, 05:03 PM Post #2
Deleted User	I tend to agree with most of this. Brown was utterly devoid of people skills and had little patience but I honestly believe that he was basically a good person. More suited to academia perhaps. Good luck to him.
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Deleted User	Nov 24 2014, 06:59 PM Post #3
Deleted User	Good riddance to the man who in the eyes of many was the worst Prime Minister this side of WW2 having already been the worst Chancellor. Mind you the two 'Eds' may even eclipse his appalling record, although it is looking increasingly unlikely they will be given the chance.
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Steve K	Nov 24 2014, 10:51 PM Post #4
Once and future cynic Posts: 33,990 Group: Admins Member #20 Joined: Jun 27, 2014	A wise choice by Brown. He's had his finest hour in that Scottish referendum and give him credit, what a finest hour it was. But he's never apologised for those dreadful years once Labour got their second term and that's what I will always remember him for. Maybe his wife will take up his seat. She always comes over as nobody's fool and would likely be a good backbench MP.



AndyK	Nov 24 2014, 11:09 PM Post #5
Senior Member Posts: 2,474 Group: Members Member #69 Joined: Aug 11, 2014	So that's Brown, Blunket, Hain, Darling, Straw, Blears and Jowell all going.



papasmurf	Nov 24 2014, 11:28 PM Post #6
Senior Member Posts: 17,280 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: Jun 27, 2014	AndyK Nov 24 2014, 11:09 PM So that's Brown, Blunket, Hain, Darling, Straw, Blears and Jowell all going. A lot more than that from all three main parties, even this list is now out of day with more to be added to it:- http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/retirements/



Rich	Nov 24 2014, 11:37 PM Post #7
Senior Member Posts: 14,463 Group: Members Member #30 Joined: Jun 28, 2014	AndyK Nov 24 2014, 11:09 PM So that's Brown, Blunket, Hain, Darling, Straw, Blears and Jowell all going. I think that the only one of your list who ever commanded any respect from his contemporaries was Blunkett and even he was not what I would call far sighted, (no offence meant towards his handicap in life which has been bravely borne) the rest were just and still are myopic chancers, especially Blears.



Steve K	Nov 25 2014, 12:48 AM Post #8
Once and future cynic Posts: 33,990 Group: Admins Member #20 Joined: Jun 27, 2014	papasmurf Nov 24 2014, 11:28 PM AndyK Nov 24 2014, 11:09 PM So that's Brown, Blunket, Hain, Darling, Straw, Blears and Jowell all going. A lot more than that from all three main parties, even this list is now out of day with more to be added to it:- http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/retirements/ Interesting list, ta My MP is right at the top of that list Sad though to see some good names leaving. Hague, Mitchell, Jowell and Jackson for a start. But with the idiot abuse decent MPs get from the ill informed would be rabble who can blame them?



Heinrich	Nov 25 2014, 12:49 AM Post #9
Regular Guy Posts: 2,920 Group: Members Member #51 Joined: Jul 22, 2014	The least said, the better.



Affa	Nov 25 2014, 01:47 PM Post #10
Senior Member Posts: 11,999 Group: Members Member #58 Joined: Jul 26, 2014	Most expressed opinions are imo prejudiced and unfair to the man. Though I have never liked the man I do think he has been the most capable Chancellor in my time. I say this knowing of how the banks were allowed to wreck the economy, and knowing that the same would have occurred no matter who was in the job of whatever party - even the Liberals. What reservations I do have regarding his 'mistakes' are from not easing up on borrowing post 2005, and of course his tenure as PM which was incompetent.



RJD	Nov 25 2014, 04:24 PM Post #11
Prudence and Thrift Posts: 12,499 Group: Members Member #9 Joined: Jun 27, 2014	Probably the worst PM since WW2, worse than Hume and that idiot Heath, but I think that fundamentally he was a good person who was totally outside of his comfort zone. He was not a natural leader of men, understood the political machine and was the real architect of New Labour not Tony Blair who know with the Bankers takes the blame for just about everything from those on the failed lhs.



papasmurf	Nov 25 2014, 04:28 PM Post #12
Senior Member Posts: 17,280 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: Jun 27, 2014	RJD Nov 25 2014, 04:24 PM Probably the worst PM since WW2, worse than Hume and that idiot Heath He has been overtaken by Cameron.



jaguar	Nov 25 2014, 04:33 PM Post #13
Regular Member Posts: 980 Group: Members Member #26 Joined: Jun 28, 2014	RJD Nov 25 2014, 04:24 PM Probably the worst PM since WW2, worse than Hume and that idiot Heath, but I think that fundamentally he was a good person who was totally outside of his comfort zone. He was not a natural leader of men, understood the political machine and was the real architect of New Labour not Tony Blair who know with the Bankers takes the blame for just about everything from those on the failed lhs. but I think that fundamentally he was a good PERSON who was totally outside of his comfort zone. He was not a natural leader of men, For a moment there, I thought you were talking about Ed Miliband.



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