Bully Boy Brown

I can’t remember the last time I bought a Sunday paper, but I don’t think it was in the last two years, probably longer. Anyway, much more fun to go trawling the internet on a Sunday afternoon and pick up on the what others have been saying… much better to read when a few commenter’s have left their opinions also.

The story that caught my attention yesterday, but not seemingly a terribly wide audience was the not unsurprising revelations in the Sunday Mail that Gordon Brown is a physical bully… yes, we kinda knew that anyway. However, the story which is being tied back to a soon to be published book by Andrew Rawnsley and may be a taste of more revelations to come about The Prime Ministers capacity to cope with his job and yesterdays article is clearly a retelling of some pretty reprehensible behaviour that would not be tolerated in any other office in the land.

Here’s the charge sheet:

• Brown hit a senior aide who got in his way as he rushed to a Number 10 reception.
• Physically pulled a secretary out of her chair as he dictated a memo to her.
• Hurled foul-mouthed abuse at two aides in his hotel room in America in a state of semi-undress after reports that he had been snubbed by President Obama.

These stories will not go away, but instead seem to be growing in number and are not being convincingly denied by no. 10 nor Gordon Brown. He is clearly someone who is failing to psychologically cope with the pressure of being Prime Minister, things will surely only get worse as the pressure of the election ramps up. The laws of this land rightly protect workers from abusive behaviour, and yet again Brown lives down what we all seem to know about the dark side of his personality. How is a government supposed to function effectively if the head of that government cannot himself function effectively?  What kind of example could Brown possibly hold himself to be when the cracks are so evident.

The image of the Prime Minister was already that of a Nokia throwing, quick tempered depressive, and that is perhaps the polite version - but now we can add to the caricature the notion of him pulling secretaries from their chairs when they cannot keep up with dictation; swinging his clunking fist at those who seek to help his Government for daring to talk to him in the corridor and of a sad man who’s anger at not being able to court Obama’s inner circle left him flailing and shouting in a US hotel, Donkey Kong like, whilst only partially dressed. Hardly statesman like is he?  True or not, the image is sticking, like John Major tucking his shirt into his pants, Brown is a buffoon in the mind of the wider public.

And yet the time has passed when the Labour Party could have and should have put the Country above Party and seen Brown out of the door in an orderly fashion. They gambled that their impending defeat would be worse if a transition is made before the election, and now it is too late to change the leader. This year’s General Election must serve as a reminder to all in the future about the importance of public scrutiny and of election on Party Leaders; Brown will forever be referred to as the example of what you will get if you circumvent such conventions.

For those harmed by Gordon Brown, or fearing his wrath, I took the time to have a look and would recommend a read of this website on bullying; but don't let the boss reading it from your desk as he may come along and put you in headlock or something.