1 Response to Our Lost Leader

1. AbsentMindedCriticofEmpire says:

   September 17, 2024 at 12:37 pm

   What I liked about Gordon Brown in government was that he was so serious of purpose in tackling poverty, both at home and (equally importantly) abroad.

   Of course, “seriousness” became his Achilles heel in the hands of his critics. A Victorian moralist transplanted to the internet age, once he succeeded the media-friendly Tony he was portrayed first as “dour” and then as “paranoid”, his Tory press foes aided by an extreme lack of discipline within the Labour party itself. What he did to provoke such animosity I’m not sure, but I suspect that frankness is not always a gift in politics, and he could neither dissemble away differences nor bring himself to destroy disloyal ministers.

   No doubt arguments will continue about whether the bank bailouts were wise or over-generous, and about whether his anti-poverty strategies were well-conceived or not, but a lot of what New Labour got right is associated with him.

   I suppose it’s not easy for Labour to follow that act today given the different economic inheritance. Someone commented the other day that they wouldn’t like to be in Keir Starmer’s shoes. Well, at least he should be able to afford a comfortable pair…

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