David Cameron and George Osborne have won the plaudits for overturning
Labour’s lead and stopping an early general election. But it was Liam Fox,
the Shadow Defence Secretary, who did the most personal damage to Gordon
Brown and left him regretting that he had ever allowed speculation about an
autumn election to get so dangerously out of control.
Conservative activists woke up in Blackpool last Tuesday to the sight of Mr
Brown gladhanding British troops in Basra. Tuesday was defence-debate
morning at the conference and Dr Fox was centre stage. He was outraged at
what he saw as Mr Brown’s election stunt. It is always risky to attack
politicians when they visit the Forces overseas, and apparently no senior
military had any quarrel with Mr Brown’s trip. But Dr Fox dared, and won. He
took to the airwaves lambasting Mr Brown for using soldiers as election
pawns.
When the news of the Tory attack trickled back to Iraq, the reaction in the
Brown team was shock and fury. The trip had been planned for some time to
help Mr Brown to make his Commons statement on Iraq and neither he nor
anyone with him was ready for the Tory onslaught. Mr Brown had spent three
months building up his patriotic credentials and here they were being torn
to shreds.
The Times understands that it was at that moment that the Prime Minister began
to harbour very serious doubts about the way he - and he knows that the
responsibility is his - had allowed the build-up of hints about an autumn
election to go unchecked.
As the bruised Prime Minister faces MPs today on their first day back after a
tumultuous summer, it looks as if Mr Brown has thrown away the gains so
carefully built up since the end of June. He has scored heavily against Mr
Cameron on leadership qualities and suitability to run the country. Will he
survive the claims that he has been playing fast and loose with the
electorate, that he is a ditherer and that, finally, he has “bottled it”?
Mr Brown and his ministers are arguing that the delay will give him time not
only to take apart the Tory tax and spending plans but to set out his vision
of what he intends to do for the country. That may be so. He will certainly
change inheritance tax to spike Tory guns. And he will take on the “Bottler
Brown” charge today by subjecting himself to a grilling at his (brought
forward) monthly press conference at lunchtime and later at a special
meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
For Mr Brown, the sad truth is that he never wanted an autumn election. It had
almost certainly been his intention to call an election in his first year,
but he always had next May in mind. He sent out a signal to his party that
he would go to the country fairly soon by announcing the appointment of
Douglas Alexander as his election chief. But he had always thought that this
autumn would be just too soon.
His success in handling the London and Glasgow bomb attempts, foot-and-mouth,
the floods, and even the crisis at Northern Rock, have ironically
contributed in a big way to Mr Brown making the biggest mistake of his brief
premiership, and even of his career. It was fairly early in August when the
polls suggested not only that the Brown bounce was holding firm, but
accelerating, that the pollsters - he relies on Deborah Mattinson and Stan
Greenberg, the New York pollster, who worked for Tony Blair and Bill
Clinton, with contributions still coming in from Mr Blair’s polling guru
Philip Gould - told Mr Brown that he would easily win an autumn election.
The Young Turks close to Mr Brown - Douglas Alexander, Ed Balls Ed Miliband
and Spencer Livermore, his long-time political adviser - were attracted by
the idea of getting an election out of the way, “finishing off” Mr Cameron
and giving Mr Brown a four or five-year run, possibly right up to the 2012
Olympics. Other more cautious heads, such as Alistair Darling and Jack
Straw, who had initially been totally against the idea, were seen as less
“anti” than before. MPs in marginal seats queued up to tell ministers to go
for it. Whenever he was asked, Mr Brown said merely that he was getting on
with the business of governing. That today is his problem because he had it
within his power, as the speculation wavered to and fro, to kill the story.
But he never did. And when he was riding high at Labour’s conference, Mr
Brown must surely have begun to believe the predictions, even though no one
in the inner circle recalls him saying that he wanted an election. He
listened to them and mused.
The crucial miscalculation was to believe that the election threat would
destabilise the Conservatives during their conference. It had precisely the
opposite impact. Labour helped to produce the most united Tory gathering for
years. Mr Brown and his advisers, who have always prided themselves on their
strategic thinking, got it wrong. Even so, it took a long time for the
message to get home. Throughout the Tory conference the Young Turks were
banging the election drum.
The week before, at Bournemouth, the early election was up and running with a
batch of favourable polls as Labour delegates met on the Saturday and
Sunday. Then, on the Sunday lunchtime, Mr Balls, always regarded as the
voice of Mr Brown, did something strange. He suggested that it might take
“months” for Labour to set out its programme. But by mid-conference there
were no doubts and Mr Balls himself publicly questioned - again it was
something the pollsters had raised - whether the bigger gamble was to wait
rather than to go now.
The election machine was swung into action. Mr Miliband trawled ministers for
ideas for the manifesto. Sue Nye, Mr Brown’s gatekeeper, who sees more of
him than anyone, was one remaining cautionary voice, telling people that Mr
Brown was not necessarily set fast on an early poll.
So the Conservatives met. An apprehensive mood at the start got appreciably
better after Mr Osborne spoke. The polls tracking events daily began
shifting, but the mood in No 10 and around it did not change. On Thursday
things began to look serious as news emerged of three opinion polls that
showed the gap narrowing fast. But just as political correspondents began
writing stories suggesting that the odds against an early election were
widening, the “go for it” camp went into overdrive. Mr Brown, at a party on
Thursday night, was inscrutable, but friends claimed that he was “itching”
for an election.
But what the pollsters have given they can take away. On Friday morning Mr
Miliband, Mr Alexander, Mr Greenberg and Mr Livermore, among others, met the
Prime Minister in No 10. The results were just coming through of a poll of
marginal seats that appeared in yesterday’s News of the World. It was bad -
very bad. The inheritance tax bombshell had gone down a storm in the
marginals.
Mr Greenberg drawled that, if he went for it, Mr Brown would win, but that he
might not win well. It was devastating news for Mr Brown who had long
realised that he would be on a loser if he did not come back with a hefty
majority. The early election effectively died there. Suggestions that the
Young Turks went on arguing right up to Saturday lunchtime are wide of the
mark. The brakes began to be applied. The press was still told that there
would be a weekend decision but no one was bullish any more. Mr Alexander is
thought to have told Mr Brown on Friday might that he had little choice but
to call it off.
On Saturday morning it did not take long to agree that it was not on. The same
advisers, this time joined by Mr Balls, took a final look at what they knew
would be emerging in yesterday’s polls and gave the thumbs down.
The only real discussion was how to tell the world.
As he woke to headlines telling of his humiliation, Mr Brown wished that he
had trusted his own instincts. His one consolation is that he can be Prime
Minister until 2010 if he wants. Between now and then he may have a
recurring nightmare – what if he had still gone ahead and announced an
election tomorrow? He could have gone down as the one of the shortest-lived
prime ministers in history.
That is not the inscription he wants on his political tombstone but Mr Brown
and his close friends realise that he has been badly damaged.
— Readers of Times Online were the first to hear that Gordon
Brown had decided to call off the autumn election. The news was broken on
the popular Comment Central blog at 1.50pm on Saturday, more than 90 minutes
before any other news source. The BBC website ran the story a full two hours
later.
"Much wiser to use the next two years showing his Government is different to and better than Blairs." Trouble was, Gordon knew the electorate would eventually twig that actually the Brown Govt was the same as the Blair Govt only even less competent. Just as Labour still blames everything on the Conservatives (after TEN years of social tinkering????!), Brown is hoping to blame everything henceforth on the Blair years. Alas, as we saw with the speedy exposure that Brown's tax "cut" in his last budget will become a doubling of tax on low incomes in April, Brown has Blair's penchant for spin, but lacks his ability.
Andy, Whitchurch,
I can't help but wonder if we saw a very slick game of poker with both camps bluffing each other. If David Cammeron wanted an election so badly then why did he show his hand before one was called?, thus giving his opponent the oportunity to deny him and then steal his clothes.
If he was genuine then far better to have "played dead" untill an election was called and THEN drop the tax bobmshell.
It looks to me like DC would in reality have been horrified had GB called an election.
I think both sides were being disingenuous about their intentions. I think as in the film Maverick they should both be thrown overboard for cheating.
G Morris, Derby, UK
I wouldn't expect Rafa or Jose et al to field a team without looking at the opposition and deciding on the best line up. Why would we expect less from anyone in politics?
Stewart Smith, Mold, North Wales,
Those who advised Gordon Brown, who waited for so many years to be Prime Minister, that he should risk it all in an unnecessary Election are either very poor tacticians or, more likely, do not have his welfare at heart. Much wiser to use the next two years showing his Government is different to and better than Blairs. Let those who huff and puff be aware that they are outside where the wolves may get them before they can blow the house down.
A R Llewelyn, Cardiff, UK
Gordon Brown was wise not to call an election; nobody is ready, and he should have a chance to put forward his policies and vision. It appears again the press and other media continue to behave irresponsibly and in a manner designed only to sell their products, with no regard to the truth and no appreciation for reality. All parties record an apparent increase in their share of the votes after their respective annual conferences, but this soon evaporates within 2-3 weeks.
FR, Robertsbridge , UK
Brown made a calculated decision not to have an election, a lesser man may have pushed into making a mistake. This is the sort of cool, calculating thinking I would expect from a Prime Minister.
Dave Green, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
Does anyone wonder why the polls changed so fast? Unravel the WHY question and to us simple voters it's very clear that people are tired of our new PM already. The first hint of Brown's vulnerability and the polls showed how bored they are with the 'old' face and how much they crave a change. This feeling can only build now election hopes have been frustrated.
David of Ashford Middx, Ashford, Middlesex
I would agree with Oxford Don about the apparent shortage of Tory policies, but I think in many ways they are victims of their own success in the 80s - under Thatcher the Tories achieved most of their long-term political goals, and what used to be exclusively Tory territory on the right is now the political middle ground. The upshot is that they no longer have the kind of juicy political issues that win you elections. You can't energise the opposition when you basically agree with the government on most issues.
Neil, London,
Both parties (all three!) have young loudmouths and the media have hyped it up. Enough already.
It is not serious and will soon be forgotten.
Robert, London, UK
Brown & Co were keeping everyone dangling until they could see what the Tories came up with, in case there was anything good that they could filch and rework for themselves - a devious tactic Blair was very good at - backfired though this time, didn't it!!!
True Blu - Gloucs
R E Lunt, Cheltenham, Gloucs
"His success in handling the London and Glasgow bomb attempts, foot-and-mouth, the floods, and even the crisis at Northern Rock," Hang on, it was not Brown who handled the first three of these but, as always, the relevant professional officials. All Brown did was to chair a couple of meetings in the Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR). This would normally be left to relevant ministers or senior civil servants.
P Stroud, Hook, UK
If Brown now meddles with Inheritance Tax and increases the limit, to the populace this will defintely look like he has been treating us like a bunch of fools.
Louis Blanc, Liverpool, UK
We are often told about Mr Brown's successes; in dealing with "foot-and-mouth, the floods, and even the crisis at Northern Rock", but Foot and Mouth continues to be a problem (Govt funding causes?), I don't think he went to Gloucestershire and order to waters to go back, and wasn't Northern Rock partly caused by the confusing roles of the FSA and BofEngland?
M Wood, Somerset, UK
You can only make a fool out of a fool. I was not fooled as I took no notice of the usual media froth. No Pm is going to go for an election just to please the media and the press especially, and the opposition. GB played his cards well.
kept the Tories guessing to the last moment, that is called strategy.
The tories will go back now to the their usual infighting and stumbling around. Has nobody noticed that their front bench is all failed leaders. IDS, Hague, Howard etc?
billcarr, turku, finland
I find it hard to believe and rather amusing at the lame attempts from some the contributors in trying to paint Brown as 'hard done by' by both the media and opposition parties. A genuine leader and astute politician would never have got himself embroiled in such a ridiculous set of circumstances. The whole thing stinks, and to make matters worse Brown would now have us believe that an election was never an option because he was more concerned with the running of the country and setting out his own agenda for change. Strange it took him so long to come to that conclusion when the clamour for an election began way before the Tory conference. He then dithered and finally decided to inform the electorate of this momentous decision right at the eleventh hour. If he thinks the general public will fall for that then he really doesn't deserve to be this country's First Minister. It shows an appalling lack of judgement and insults the intelligence. For the Rt Hon Bottler - New balls...
Frank Chabon, Ruislip, UK
why should the country be left in a hiatus with no mandate from the people and no true leader for an alternative should he now decide to legislate for a pr system let the Ulster unionst deictde now we have no government of the people or for the people it reminds me of the Calaghan Government when he had to tackle the miners in the sixties
David Staves , Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Cameron is nothing but hot air.
The moment the weather changes he has nothing to offer.
The Tories need to get their act together and come up with real opposition instead of using stupid phrases like 'he bottled out'.
Bottled out of what he didnt have to call an election it was Brown's decision and he will determine the place and the time.
So beware and go prepare for a fight of your life Cameron.
James Watt, London, UK
Calling him names is irrelevant. Brown has been the malevolent influence guiding the greatest decline in this country since the ice age. By any objective standards, education, justice, health, behavior, defence, standards in public life, transport and international standing have declined during his disastrous years in the Treasury. Taxation, legislation and corruption are the only things that have increased. Transport him.
Steve, Cambridge,
The other thing which has amazed me about the polls is that they seem to show how fickle and selfish the electorate are. Did they really switch their voting intentions just because of inheritance tax? I don't know anyone who is affected by the tax apart from a rich few who live in the South East because of the property prices. Most people don't have parents who are so well off that they would worry about inheritance tax. It would divide the nation to such an extent if Tories got in and scrapped taxes in favour of the well off. There would be such resentment and reopening of class debate that would show up the Tories as favouring the rich.
Max, Manchester,
Throughout Browns Conference speech he spoke of Britishness... but his behaviour over the last 10 days has been far from British.
The ability to call an election at the time of his their own choosing is a power that a Prime Minister of Britain should not use so cynically. To suggest it was to be used to gain his own mandate, having previously claimed he did not need one, as he allowed his spokespeople to put out; and now belatedly trying to con the electorate by suggesting that he has listened to them and so is not going to call one is the clearest evidence that this Prime Minister is prepared to put his own needs above those of the country.
He has shown himself to be a ditherer and to lack courage.
He hid in the shadows of Blair for years, undermining his Government, afraid to stand against him.
He did not face an election when he finally stood, not even from the Labour party members.
He has now bottled out of an election to gain his own mandate.
Bottler Brown - just not British.
Eddie, Cheshunt, Herts
The comment about the opostion and the media posturing and political manoeuvring is interesting, it seems to me the majority has been carried out by the governemnt over the last few weeksand years, more and more spin. The current style of politics is not very tasteful but New Labour are the architects of this style therefore when it comes back to bite them how can they complain. Sorry, silly me, of course they can, they take no responsibility for their actions, there is always someone else to blame!
It was a rational decision not to have an election, as always the only thought is of his own survival at any cost!
Martin , Nottingham,
I think Gordon Brown did well not to give into David Cameron's 'Bring it On' posturing and media pressure. This only confirms Gordon Brown as a man who makes his own decisions.
Michael G, Glenrothes,
Yes we all complain about which Government has the reins in the present - but how many of us acknowledge that all Governments in the past have advanced us in some way whether we agreed with them or not. I say to all of you out there - NEW LABOUR have taken us a giant step backwards and we are at the point of no return !!!!!! please please Queenie intervene we all need help other wise we will never be able to sing 'land of hope and glory' with pride ever again.
never been so frustrated Johnson, Hatfield , Herts
Many congratulations to The Times for breaking the story first. I would also commend the many Times bloggers who, in the majority, predicted that Mr Brown would not go to the country this autumn. They were right while most of the press were wrong. The focus must now shift to the EU referendum which was always Mr Brown's greater challenge. He has only two weeks before he goes to Lisbon to confirm the treaty: a treaty which will change the nature and structures of the EU for our life-time. Once again, he will try to stick it out by saying that it's only a treaty not a constitution but no-one, not even those who revamped the original constitution, believes that. The committee which revised the original document even kept "constitutional" in its title! I'm afraid the good ship Brown is holed below the water-line and will limp on until 2009-10. What emerged from all the hullabaloo of last week was that the new captain - a certain Mr Cameron - is already aboard and ready to take over GB.
Dr David Green, Athens, Greece
This was always no more than a "cut and run" election, and the interests of Brown and the Labour Party were his only consideration.
The truth is that he was only going to hold an election if he KNEW that he was sure of winning. When the polls turned against him, he suddenly has the "national interest" at heart, and called it off.
A load of tosh, and utterly blatant political opportunism. He is just as much a spin merchant as Blair, and he deserves the contempt he is now getting.
Terry, Lytham St. Annes, Lancs
The Foot and Mouth outbreaks were managed by the farming community. The Northern Rock calamity was handled by the Bank of England. The terrorist attacks in Glasgow were handled, literally, by a couple of sturdy Glaswegians. The only thing Gordon Brown managed was to take all the credit, even though two of these episodes were caused by him or his people.
To be fair, he did handle this whole election-or-no-election business all by himself.
David Masu, Zürich,
The conservative annoncement on Inheritance tax swung the balance and polls in their favour. The conservatives won again by appealling to human greed.
Carl Teper, Madrid , Spain
Gordon Brown in my view would lose an early election, simply, they are not statesmen and the country is in a real mess.
Mike Clark, Hull, East Yorkshire
Don't you just love the way journalists dramatise stories? Reading Webster's article, one would imagine that the decision the Prime Minister took was equivalent to becoming neutral in World War II.
I agree with Bob, the use of language is everything to a journalist. The truth about this set back for the Prime Minister is contained in Webster's simple sentence, " Mr Brown and his advisers, who have always prided themselves on their strategic thinking, got it wrong."
Let's move on to Global Warming and Economic argument and the eradication of Foot and Mouth and Blue Tongue in farming.
Phil, WIMBORNE, Dorset,
For the life of me I still can't imagine why Mr Brown was even considering an early poll. It's scandalous and I'm not surprised that Mr Brown has suffered for allowing it to run.
If, with Mr Cameron floundering, Mr Brown had simply got on in a no-nonsense way with laying the foundations for the next few years, it's likely that Mr Cameron would have been doing little better. If as they say, a week is a long time in politics, then what's three years?
Here in Australia, three years is our federal parliamentary term, and considered an adequate time for government to run. This would surely have been ample time for Mr Brown to have been judged on his record as PM. Who is to say Mr Cameron would have survived that long?
Really, Britain should opt for fixed parliamentary terms and have done with it. The same idea is running in Australia as our PM continues to play silly buggers with when the election is to be held.
Fran
Fran Barlow, Sydney, Australia
The prime minster allegedly deciding on calling an early election in November and then changing his mind has acted correctly and its his absolute right not to proceed with his earlier decision. There is nothing wrong with changing one's mind at all. Politics as in fishing is all about ceasing the available opportunities to achieve one's objectives. Many of us know well that it is okay to change course if the advantages are no longer there or slipping away from us. People from all walks of life would adapt the same strategy on almost daily basis. The prime minster was not under any obligation to call an early election in November. It is bizarre to witness the current media frenzy over this. Stop acting like the school children!
Alessi, London, UK
"Learn from their mistakes" and "wary of his young turks" - any one would think that Brown and the Labour Party are having fun experimenting with the economy and lives of this country!!
Tom, St. Albans, England
It is going to be a long eighteen months! How are we to cope with a PM who runs and hides every time the polls don't go his way or their is a decision to be made!
Wesley, Hornchurch, Essex, England
Gordon Brown's book "Courage" was just published before the Labour Party Conference. Can we now expect a sequel? Anyone got any suggestion for a title?
Paul Steiger, Lincoln,
He needs Tony and Alistair to spin him out of this one.
Robert Rosenberg, London, England
Taking up Jim of London's point,the Labour party,led by Blair,was indeed elected but the Labour party led by Brown has not been - that is a critical difference.
Mike B, Billericay , UK
Ironic is it not that 250 years ago the man credited with changing the English landscape was hard at work at Longleat whilst today the man who, with his "big tent" politics, would do the same to our political scene is shown for the schemer he really is. A long journey indeed from "Capability" to "Incapability" Brown.
Nigel, Portsmouth,
Who wouldn't look at the poll data to determine if an election should be held or not, I think thats just being honest! The opposition leaders I think would have done exactly the same as Brown if they were faced with the situation, easy enough to point the finger!
Robin, Oxford,
Mr Brown is going on saying that he has dealt with various problems, but isn't that what a PM is for - to govern the country.
What does he want - no problems so he has time to tell everyone else how to do things and control their every move!
If you can't take the heat then ship out Mr Brown.
Mike B, Fontrailles, Framce
Im sure its just people and the media stirring things up. The fact of the matter is that as a working class person I wont be inheriting a 1million pound house, wont have a vast sum upon retiring, whoever is in power wont want to offer me a pension, as a single person with no children I wont be receiving any tax breaks, petrol prices and council tax will still rise, Immigration will still happen, british people will still want to emmigrate for a better life.
True enough Gordon was not elected but who can honestly believe the tories alternatives, the sums just dont add up.
Dan D, Liverpool, UK
It's the Press and the Media in general that has hyped up every movement of Gordon Brown and put their own spin on events. They relish elevating the Tories to give them something substantial to write about. Let's give credit where credit is due - stable economy, wealth tripling in 10 years, greatest percentage in work and lowest percentage unemployed. Some mistakes in NHS and Education has led to inefficient use of public funds, but this can be rectified. Nobody knows how many non domiciles are in the country and taxing them may be illegal within the Eu anyway!
sk, Eastbourne, East Sussex
Gordon Brown still doesn't get it. He doesn't understand that its not the fact that he called off the election that upsets people. Its because deep in his moral compass bones, he is unable to be honest. It started when he was a student writing a 'cheat the government pamphlet' and it continues now, in spin and evasive remarks. Given time he will demonstrate this again and again. Bring it on Gordon.
liz, Brighton, UK
Politician checks opinion polls before deciding whether to call election. I am sure the Times has its facts right with this shock revelation.
A November election would have been a huge risk, because anything could happen in the money markets over the next few weeks. If Mr Brown won, the market subsequently crashed, and he failed to inspire confidence in his handling of the situation, he'd be facing a challenge by 2010 anyway. So there was little to gain, everything to lose for Mr Brown in calling an election now.
Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK
Neither was Tony Blair elected - the Labour party was. More and more people seem to be thinking of the PM as being tantamount to the US president, which it is not.
Jim, London,
Gutless Gordon looks more Stalinist by the day. He was not elected - he toppled Blair; he wont give the electorate the opportunity to vote for him and his policies - we have to wait till 2009 to kick him out; he wont give British citizens a referendum on the EU treaty- he will just impose his wishes on the country.
To borrow one of the many, many Labour soundbites, he and his chums are not fit for purpose
Rick, London, England
If it's not a case of Brown not having 'bottle",then what is it ?
How about apalling judgement,poor leadership,inept team building and a lack of political courage from someone in office without having been elected ? What do his whinges about the tricky things - terrorism,foot and mouth,Northern Rock - he's had to deal with since Blair left say about his suitability for the job ? What does he think the job's about ? Looks like he's not up to it and this latest fiasco confims that impression.
Yes,he got the kicking he deserved and it's likely to contine until he puts himself on the line.
Mike B, Billericay , UK
The dithering spinmaster has at last got the kicking he so richly deserved. Great result for democracy and a lesson for thisw opportunist and manipulater.
paul turfery, Cork, Ireland
Everyone knows he was chicken and at the end of the day the British people will not forget his deceit. They may not understand politics, but they do understand politicians who mislead them.
This is going to be a really long, drawn out end to the Brown era.
Owen Patterson, London,
I really think the media and opposition politicians should concentrate on policies, of which the Tories seem to have very few, rather than posturing and political manoeuvring. Regrettably, we seem to be heading towards the ridiculous US-style politics where substance, achievement and leadership are of minor importance.
Oxford Don, Oxford, UK
He would have been not a bottler but an absolute fool to have called an election whatever that little Osborn says.
Osborn would not have called one in similar circumstances. He should be pleased that he is now off the hook for a while and he has plenty of time to design more tax reforms.
Gordon will be more wary of his young turks - perhaps this will be a good outcome of the debacle.
roberts, london,
Politics is a competitive business. When a competitor is confused and vulnerable that is the time to take advantage and score decisively - as in business, sport - and politics. And Cameron's opposition Tory Party was exactly that - it had a confused message and was trailing in the polls. These indicated a window of opportunity which any Prime Minister would have considered. The Tory Party conference could always -depending what was brought out of the hat - change the situation and turn a window of opportunity into a suicide bid. And that is what happened - in just the last 4 days the polls have abruptly changed turning an early election from a good idea to a very bad one.
Newspaper talk of "bottle", "yellow streak", "allowing expectations to be raised" etc etc is nonsense. It has been an entirely rational decision. The only slight awkwardness has been the fairly transparent denials but that presumably was a price worth paying for the chance of winning. Its a simple as that
Bob T, London , UK
Didn't Mr Brown bring forward the above mentioned "planned trip" to Iraq to "accidentally" coincide with the Tory party conference.?
Quite shameless. He got the kicking he deserved.
Keith Warhurst, Rosshire, Scotland.