Another day, another book swiping at Brown...

• Guest 655

  • Registered: 13 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 10,247
  11 February 2010     08:1040253
  #1      
  ...from a Labour insider!
  
  More stories of bad temper tantrums, more of how even junior staff at no10 get abused by Brown, Nokias sent flying.
  
  Yet the book potentially most damaging to Brown is still to be published, Andrew Rawnsley's. Because of his journalistic reputation his book will be taken more seriously than the others, simply because the hatred and tensions within the Labour Government are well known. Rawnsley is considered overall to be sympathetic to Labour but nevertheless has a spotless reputation as an impartial journalist. The press narrative on his book so close to an election can do nothing but damage Brown in particular and Labour's prospects of achieving the hung parliament they are hoping for.
  
  I can't help reflect that Brown must be the unluckiest PM we have ever had, everything he touches turns to dust. But then I also believe that we make our own luck and poor judgement over 13 years is biting him hard.
  
  This is what Mike Smithson of politicalbetting has written.
  
  """"""""
  The latest is by Lance Price, deputy to Tony Blair's communications director Alastair Campbell and the first part of its serialisation starts today in the Independent.
  
  One extract goes: "...When he believes a story is running out of control or that - the worst sin of all - the press office has been caught unawares, he can react with extraordinary flashes of anger. Stories of mobile phones hurled across the room in fury regularly appear in the press, although it rarely gets to that stage. Shouting at staff, jabbing an angry finger, throwing down papers, even kicking the furniture are far more common.
  
  His behaviour towards relatively junior members of staff can be "unforgivable" according to one person who has witnessed it. "It isn't a very nice place for people to work. However bad it sometimes looks from the outside, it's far, far worse from the inside. And the atmosphere is very much set by him.."
  
  My guess is that there'll be two main consequences. Firstly Price just adds to the picture that we've seen in the Peter Watts book and the reports of what's going to be Andrew Rawnsley's. And that of itself is damaging and could be narrative changing.
  
  Probably worse, the publication will do exactly what Price describes when bad news hits Brown Centrral - the PM could lose his stride and sure-footedness.
  
  For Brown is very much a confidence politician and once that goes all the problems seem to be magnified - not a good state of mind at the start of an election campaign.
  
  It's been noticeable how little barbs based on earlier revelations have knocked him off-balance at recent PMQs.
  
  And, of course, every news cycle that's taken up with Brown's management style is one less day when they can be attacking the Tories and putting the focus on Cameron's policies.
  
  Looking ahead the next big moment will be the serialisation of the Andrew Rawnsley book. This has already received fairly sensational coverage and will probably be more potent because of Rawnsley's journalistic reputation. """"""""""""""
  
  http://www2.politicalbetting.com/
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  11 February 2010     11:2140264
  #2      
  you said it in the last paragraph barry, the magic word "serialisation", then added "sensational coverage".
  
  sounds like mr rawnsley is on a nice earner, that always encourages a bit of embellishment.
  
  loss of temper in cabinet meetings and similar have been a feature of all governments in the past and will be in the future.
  not dissimilar to a lot of boardrooms.
• Guest 655

  • Registered: 13 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 10,247
  11 February 2010     12:0840271
  #3      
  But the whole point is that these stories of Brown are unprecedented and just before a General Election too....
  
  There is just so much hatred in the Labour camp for each other.
  
  Just read this following.
  
  """ Mr Price... quotes aides as saying that the Prime Minister's treatment of junior staff is "unforgivable". They claim Mr Brown is obsessed with controlling hour-by-hour media coverage and shows "extraordinary flashes of anger" when a news story runs out of control. Others accuse him of allowing his staff to undermine ministers, including the Chancellor Alistair Darling, by briefing against them to the media. Although Mr Brown claims others had let him down by behaving in ways he would not have condoned, one official described that as "typical self-delusion".
  
  One staffer describes as an understatement the claim that Mr Brown has "psychological flaws", a phrase attributed to Mr Campbell but denied by him. Insiders accuse Mr Brown of being "pathetic", indulging in "self-pity" when things go wrong. Another who has witnessed his behaviour told Mr Price: "He is psychologically and emotionally incapable of leadership of any kind."""""""""
  
  This kind of thing makes what has been said about Tony Blair, John Major, Mrs T and Ted Heath pale into insignicance. This kind of thing from Labour insiders too......
  
  """"""" (Brown....) is psychologically and emotionally incapable of leadership of any kind"""""""""
  
  Ouch!
  
  But what is more damaging we all know this is true, we have seen it time and time again.
• Bern

  • Location: Dover
  11 February 2010     14:2540298
  #4      
  And I guess all the cuddly Tories are hugging and sending each other warm little messages of love and devotion......................
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  11 February 2010     14:3140301
  #5      
  like it bern, when politicians see an opportunity for promotion they are like a pack of hyenas.
  
  when passed over for promotion, they write a book slagging everybody off.
• Guest 690

  • Registered: 10 Oct 2009
  • Posts: 4,150
  11 February 2010     14:3540304
  #6      
  Also when they see the opportunity to do a fiddle, again just like a pack of hyena`s. Laughing all the way to the bank.
  Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
• Guest 655

  • Registered: 13 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 10,247
  11 February 2010     15:1640306
  #7      
  Most go into politics for the right reasons Colin and most keep their integrity as well.
  
  Bern - you have never seen anything as bad or personal as this from the Conservatives, not even in John Major's last months. At least Cameron and Osborne are good friends and do not hate each other the way Blair and Brown always have.
  
  An interesting comparision between Brown and Thatcher made by Ian Dale on his blog:
  
  """And here lies the difference between Gordon Brown and Margaret Thatcher. Brown revels in bullying subordinates and junior staff who can't hit back. You cannot imagine him treating the likes of David Blunkett or John Reid in that manner.
  
  Margaret Thatcher, on the other hand, would revel in shouting matches with her most senior ministers - people who were her equal. But you'll never find any of her staff to say a bad word about the way she treated them. She was kind, respectful, considerate and appreciative of their efforts.
  
  And that's why Margaret Thatcher is a great leader of people, whereas Gordon Brown doesn't understand the meaning of the word. He's a bully, not a leader."""""