Poor wretch must have been absolutely desperate

Peter Stuart, Johannesburg, R S A

The second and forth examples given in article seem rather similar to each other as well....

Jose Quintana, Twickenham, England

i agree with Guy Stevens...must be bcos we live in one the closest things to a democracy ..Switzerland. The UK should be taking leaves out of the Swiss book...but of course that would be giving up too much power to the people..much better to follow the US example of democracy bcos we know how well that works.

Zugerman , Zug, Switzerland

Oh God, is this really the only thing you can go after Brown for?

All political speeches - of the left and the right - tend to rehash the same old platitudes that stretch back through the history of democracy to Pericles.

So what about "Dave" Cameron and his "choose sunshine" speech? I don't remember him properly attributing it to little Pollyanna.

Sean Hunter, Glasgow,

The problem sometimes is that you have not got a past record to judge a person on so you have to rely on their words. I can safely judge Mr Brown on his record.

Brian Gilbert, HAMPTON, Middx

A bit of a non-story in my opinion

matthew masters, londo,

Guy Stevens "Geniune Humanist Socialism"

That is an oxymoron,

Humans by nature are animals, the individual, as the society and the state's pecking order are definied via survival of the fittest.

This is called evolution.

Trying to impose a set of laws that are against the very principles of who we are and how we come about is utterly doomed to failure.

Read some history books please

Cliff, Marseille,

All the examples prove is that political rhetoric is for the most part not very original. That does not apply just to Mr Brown's speeches. The only genuine match here is when he says 'I will not let you down.' What leader wouldn't say that?

Paul Monaghan, Ramsgate,

No surprises there then, rehashed speeches rehashed policies, and the essential ZaNu Labour belief that the population are so stupid they won't notice. Even thugh we didn't elect you and even thought you got only 1/4 of the vote at the last election.

Meanwhile, if you want a laugh, Miliband's got a blog (cost to taxpayer unknown again), and its a bundle of laughs. He's off to srt out Burma at the UN. Bit late. but never mind David. At least you can forget the disaster that was Defra under your guidance.

Jeremy Poynton, Fromeville, 51st State

He can say what he likes but it all sounds like Blah Blah Blah! to me.

Andy Haywood, Stockholm/Chesterfield, England/Sweden

Please - all politicians of whatever political shade ( mostly centrist mauve nowadays) - -- please stop talking about the people and what the people want ( your own brand) or do not want ( the other lot's offering). And please, stop using the first personal plural personal pronoun. Schools are schools. They are not 'our' schools, just as hospitals are hospitals and neither ours nor yours nor theirs. Of if you do, then don't discrminate. How about 'our' prisons, our migrants. Even perhaps, our paparazzi? Oh dearie me...rescue me, people. I'm flying off the handle.

Margaux , Crouch End,

Having Mrs Thatcher at Downing Street was amongst the first steps that Tony Blair took as Prime Minister. It seems Mr Brown has few, if any, novel ideas of his own. Yet he deceitfully claims them as his own. I feel he has already let us down.

jj, Cambridgeshire, UK

The world is full of old wine in a new bottle. but the wine gets better as it gets older ,delivered , tasted and appreciated nicely .

B.Sugavanam, Vienna, Austria

Maybe Mr Shrum should have advised Brown to not rehash old policies

Alex, London, London,

Things are getting desoerate for the right of centre when all that seems relevant is criticism of certain phrases
in a speech.
The question is how many times can you say the same thing - can anyone remember the beeb broadcasting political speeches from several decades? - without repeating or copying(nearly) other peoples effort.
Is there not a saying, it is not what you say that is important it is what you do.
Have more G&Ts lads, keep digging and maybe one day you will discover something really important or significant.

Bryan Grantham, Grantham, Lincolnshire

MPs have had their day, we have the technology now to introduce direct democracy to replace MPs, with the people voting directly on Bills in Parliament. This could also allow the people to directly select and vote for who is to be PM, and the PM can then appoint their cabinet from a wider base than just their Parties MPs. Considering the salaries and perks of our MPs this would also save the country a vast sum of cash even when the cost of implementing the technology for direct democracy is put in place.

Andrew Williams, Stockton-on_Tees,

Quite aside from the 'did he steal someone else's lines' debate, there is a much more important question for Brown to answer.

Given that he has recently taken over officially and this is his first conference as leader, and he might potentially call an autumn election - why was it that he didn't write the speech himself?

Is it that he couldn't be bothered? Does he loathe his own party - not to mention the electorate - that much?

Will Brown's lasting legacy be summed up in one word - DISDAIN?

Phil, London,

This is the age of recycling - politicians and speeches are obviously no exception.

Original thought, sincerity, natural wit and spontaneity are long-lost skills replaced by the output of spin doctors, image consultants and sound bites.

The shame is that most people are taken in by the rehashed clichés – or just don’t care!

Roger Bingham, Lauzun, France

Ever occurred to any one that Gordon Brown, ideologically, is pretty much of a similar mould as Bill Clinton and Al Gore? Something of a Third Way centrist. This, afterall, is how social democracy successfully renewed itself in Britain and assisted Labour towards its electoral victories from 1997 on. It also ensured Bill Clinton his two landslides in 1992 and 1996.

Therefore, it should hardly come as a surprise that Brown' in expressing his convictions will, naturally, echo those of many American Democrats.

Brown is a man of deep personal conviction, largely grounded in his Presbyterian faith, who passionately believes in social justice. Yes people may scream and shout that he was somewhat tight-fisted on some things on certain fronts such as top-up tuition fees and measy pension increases but he understands that only a stable economy can be of benefit to the wider good of society.

Dave, Durham , UK

Very funny. Politicians are such idiots. The trouble is, they have spent all their lives in the bubble, have done very little in the real world, and are all appallingly desperate for power. If only there was a minimum age for polticians, they would get some life experience, get some perspective, and get a life. I'm sick of them all

Bruce, London,

So did anyone really believe that spin was out of the door now he has moved in; did anyone believe that he wrote the speech; does anyone believe he has changed from his previous appearance and work of the past ten years?

Get real and smell the coffee

Roz Venner, St Neots, England

I am very disappointed that the Prime Minister feels he must trust to the judgment and wisdom of a hackneyed American political spinsman. I hope, however, that he has learned a lesson from this shame and desists from taking advice from this man in future. He must learn to write his thoughts and heart and stop exposing himself to the same ills I have seen in many students in Further Education colleges. If it's education he cares most about he must remember his is the first teacher, and one who many students will be trying to emulate. Gordon Brown is a kind man and I would hope that his leadership is a long and a successful one.

Edward Nobel Bisamunyu, London, UK

David Downes, Chester UK

Absolutely brilliant, smack on the mark.

Blair is a natural - Brown is manufactured and hopelessly out of his depth.

Tim, UK,

What's this? The man isn't genuine? - Well you couldn't tell - not.

Judy , Liverpool, england

If anyone didn't bother reading the artical and came straight to the comments let me sum up the story for you:

GB's speech writer used to write for Clinton & Gore and 4 lines in his speech at the party conference were similar, though not identical, to lines from said American politician's speeches. None of these lines were policy-specific.

Shocking isn't it!

Mike, London,

Let's face it, Gordon Brown has ruled this country for the past 10 years or so while Tony Blair was busy trying to rule the world.
Gordon Brown has had the power and the purse strings since 1997. He could, and should, have stopped the inequalities and the Greed that have ruled over us for too long. He will do nothing to control or stop the free reign enjoyed by the Corporate masters but he will always go for the soft option which is to deny the most vulnerable and lowest paid in our society the right to demand fair pay for their work. Unfairness and Exploitation will continue to rule in the name of " Free Market Economics" .
Gordon Brown will do nothing to upset the mega rich who can afford to pay their lawyers and accountants handsomely for the best advice on how to avoid paying tax on their vast fortunes but he showed neither shame nor pity when he announced the end of the 10% lower tax starting band for those on very low incomes such as pensioners, etc. etc.
Madalena

Madalena, London,

To my knowledge, Mr Shrum has never copyrighted the phrase "I will not let you down", nor anecdotes about inspiring parents..sheesh.

Jenny, London, England

Hold the front page. Gordon Brown employs an American speech writer and uses some of his material. What a disgrace. I'm never going to vote Labour ever again.

Jason White, Paris,

He can copy all the speeches he likes so long as he achieves something positive.

Farrukh, Woking, UK

There is nothing between them. Left, Right, Middle Ground. We are in an age of Establishment politics. Democracy is being dismantled all over the globe, a 'New World Order' is being assembled under which there will be no deviation from the whims of the Corporate classes and the maintenance of the lie that is "Free Market Economics"

When will the people of the world wake-up and realise that the 'system' must die and a new era of genuine humanist socialism must be born.

I live in hope, but am afraid it will never be. We are brainwashed, beaten and buried.

Guy Stevens, Zurich, Switzerland

To be honest, the phrases are mostly not too similar. Surely, in politics, it is inevitable that the same ideas will be expressed again and again through similar wording - they all say the same thing.

Glen Davies, Leeds, UK

Poor Gordon Brown: to take such great care to plagiarize from the most forgettable sources, and still to be found out! It must be galling.

Keith, Jersey City, New Jersey

It did sound like he had picked up the speeches from other leaders , thankfully not from that of Mr Bush, Gordon Brown looked so artificial and silly at times, making a speech as if he is a king or something. and a shrewd face hiding the truth.

Vikram Aarella, Cardiff, Wales

Frankly , never mind the language !

The UK is an old country desperately needing rejuvenation
in reversing inner city decay , vicious social problems , rigid
thinkings that admit no compromise for the common good ,
clean and decent housing , law and order , clear , real , present, serious degradation in air , water and food apart
form the soulessness and sense of meaninglessness of modern living and mental illnesses etc etc and yet we talk about language ! Let us be real ! Get a real man to do the job ! And fast !
Will the real man please stand up.

ian, singapore, singapore

Doesn't Gordon Brown know that Bob Shrum has never advised a winning Presidential candidate? Why on earth is Brown listening to a man whose record is 0-9?

Simon, Bethesda, Maryland

well, it makes a change from reannouncing your own policies.

jem, london, uk

Anyone who is not hopelessly naive will realise that poltical speech writing is a rhetorical act. In addition to the ancient tradition of emulation and imitation of both rhetoricians and the tropes they use (examples being Longinus' On the Sublime and Erasmus' Ciceronianus), it is also self-evident that politicians learn from and, yes, copy rhetorical styles - they are aiming to persuade, and the tried and tested often works best. That Gordon Brown is appropriating some of his style from the U.S. democrats is hardly surprising, particularly considering the debt his predecessor played to Bill Clinton. We should be thankful he is NOT honing a lofty oratory based on that of George W. Bush.

David Marusza, London, Islington, England

How can so many 'Brits' or so called 'Brits' be taken in by these Charlatans ? Ask them about Iraq - Pensions - Stealth Taxes - The NHS - CCTV - Speed Cameras - Gun crime - Knife crime - Illiteracy - TheMet (Sir Ian Blair) - Immigration etc. Remember The Blairs, Dead Dobbo, Blunkett,
Alastair Campbell, Mandelson, The Welsh Windbag, Charles Clarke and Blairs Babes - Ghastly ignorant people all of them. DS - Cannes

David Smith, Cannes, France

If they all have the same speech adviser (Bob Shrum), then obviously their speeches would be similar...no?

Mohammed, London, UK

Is any one that surprised by this story?

Since Gordon Brown took over from his friend, what have been his achievements? Reviews, re-announcements, new initiatives, anything to grab a headline here and a sound bite there. Actually do anything?

Mr Brown after ten years already, at trying his best, says he is now going to save the English NHS, improve English Schooling, and be tough with English law and order. Of course he is not allowed to do these things in his own country and on behalf of his own constituents. All talk as usual and know ability to see the bigger picture and govern in away that matters to the people.

All we are getting is I am the Man….. so what!

Ian, Reading,

'Politician comes out with same old lines'. Now there's a scoop for you.

Dan, Oxford, England

I wrote this morning about Narcissism and Narcissistic Peronality Disorder: NPD. Now Gordy suffers from NPD, in my opinion...and by a large degree too.

Those with NPD are a sight to behold when in full flight...but curiously, and in reality, they're more often than not running scared of themselves. Strange that this might seem, but it is as they see themselves in the mirror, rather than others. And aslong as they shine bright, everythings wonderful.

However people with NPD don't do 'wonderful' for too long. They thrive upon fear and constant state of turmoil...until it starts to camp outside their own door.

Nothing Brown will do will be new. He will always shy away from anything that reflects to slightest bit negatively upon him. He will us tried and tested speecj's uttered by other's before because he hasn't really any imagination of his own and because they worked for those who created them before he hijacked them as his own.

It's about safety, about his own skin!!

David Downes, Chester, UK