PM fights back

Substance needs to triumph over image

Published:

DAY Three of the Gordon Brown Fights Back drama and the signs are that he is in danger of falling into the same trap which ultimately befell his predecessor.

Gordon will watch the FA Cup final between Cardiff City and Portsmouth tomorrow, but won’t reveal which side he wants to win.

Gordon bears no ill-will towards Cherie Blair for the unflattering image she portrays of him in her book and describes Tony Blair as “a very good friend”.

And, to top it all, Gordon met supermodel Naomi Campbell at 10 Downing Street and discussed world affairs, including the escalating disasters in Burma and China.

It appears that Mr Brown, and those who advise him, learned nothing from the mistakes of Mr Blair, who believed that being seen in the company of the rich, beautiful and famous, presenting himself as a genuine sort of guy and doing things that real people do would give him an aura of coolness. It didn’t.

If Mr Brown is to re-impose himself as a prime minister and demonstrate that he really is up to the job, he must do so by decisive leadership, not by becoming Gordon Nice but Dim.