What was Gordon Brown thinking (again)?
What just went out on television screens across the country didn’t look like a party political broadcast for the Labour Party. It looked like a personal political broadcast dedicated to Gordon Brown.
The beleaguered PM took centre stage from beginning to end: Gordon reading. Gordon writing. Gordon lecturing. Gordon with kids. Gordon to camera, walking and talking, on a train, with wife, with Obama … and so it went on. And on.
However, the most gobsmacking part was saved until the very end. Because, in case you hadn’t had your fill of Gordon after watching the three saturated minutes of him (not to mention his previous YouTube antics), the ad invites you to savour some more: “For exclusive video of Gordon Brown, log on now to www.labour.org.uk” is what occupies the final frame. Go on, you know want to …
You would be forgiven for thinking it was a joke. It looked like it had been designed as a party political suicide note for the digital age. At the last general election, the main concern being expressed was how individual candidates could distance themselves from Brand Blair. Brown certainly looked more statesmanlike than he has of late, but this broadcast looked more like an attempt to shore up Gordon’s personal credentials to lead his party, than a vote-winner for June. If anything, it’s surely a horrendous vote-loser for the party. Far from being a political asset for Labour, the past few weeks have shown clearly (at least to everyone but the man himself) that Gordon Brown is Labour’s greatest liability. Brand Brown appears to be becoming more and more toxic by the day. The only question: who’s going to tell the prime minister?
