Gordon's McCavity Days Are Ending

Thursday, 11th March 2010

Watching the news last night, I was struck by how little one had seen of Gordon Brown on TV recently. No wonder the polls have tightened. But the Prime Minister, alas, cannot play McCavity forever. The "bullying" allegations weren't as damaging as they might have been in other circumstances because, for many, they merely confirmed that Brown is an impossible individual and, frequently, an unpleasant one too. But people already knew or suspected that.

Instead, the papers and the teevee have been dominated by Ashcroft and the Tory wobble. In a sense this was a verdict on the government too: since few people expected Labour to win, it's sensible to tak a long look at the opposition. But this leads to a yo-yo situation: the more the polls narrow the more attention must and will swing back to Labour and, thus, to the Prime Minister himself. At which point my guess is that the Tories will begin to pull away again...

It's not obvious that Gordon is a Labour asset. When the Prime Minister starts arguing that:

"I have heard people say it is about policy and I have heard other people say it is about character. But I don't think you can separate the two."

an only averagely sentient voter will observe that Brown has been tested and found wanting in terms of policy and character. Then again, Gordon, being one of the Unco Guid, won't see it like that.

Sure, the Tories may not have had an impressive start to the year but Labour can't hide Gordon forever, you know.

Filed under: Brown (179 more articles) , Election 2010 (598 more articles) , Labour (2013 more articles) , Tories (265 more articles)

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Steve

March 11th, 2010 1:45pm Report this comment

I hope you're right.

Its no overstatement to say that Brown is one of the most loathsome, charmless and duplicitious characters in modern british politics. On the campaign trail i think he will be capable of even bigger gaffes than Neil Kinnock's 'We're alright! We're alright!' at the sheffield rally.

Embra

March 11th, 2010 2:04pm Report this comment

Seems the Grauniad isn't the only one who's dropped into election mode.

Ian C

March 11th, 2010 4:41pm Report this comment

IG Index have spreads on seats after the election. Tories 334-339, Labour about 100 less. Lib Dems 56-59.

They'll keep him off the TV as much as possible, but his recent makeover for the ghastly Morgan interview has perked up his public performances.

JW

March 11th, 2010 9:15pm Report this comment

What amazes me no matter who I talk too. No one is even thnking of voting for the plumbs in government. So how is it that all the polls are reflecting a closing of the gap.

Nobody wants this lumbering dope and he's there by virtue of Blair be ingenuous, (the new buzz word for lying bastard) who sated he wanted to be elected to serve another full term, his words. Stumbling Brown has never had my mandate.

JohnAnt

March 12th, 2010 12:06am Report this comment

Are the polls really indicative, in any case?
Do they ask 'If, as a result of this poll, you knew that Brown or NuLab might return to power as a result of votes for UKIP or abstentions, and that the electoral system would be changed to perpetuate Lab-Libdem-Green coalitions, would you vote for Cameron and the Tories?'
A lot of ex-Tories who loathe Cameron and Osborne assert that they will 'definitely' vote for UKIP. But knowing on Election day that a vote for UKIP could put NuLab back, many - maybe most - would probably hold their noses, and vote for the lesser evil.
The abstentions are more difficult to galvanize into positive voting. Ideally CCHQ should propose some Tory policies.

stephen maybery

March 12th, 2010 10:23am Report this comment

I am not too sure about the polls, but I know one thing, Gordon Brown is the Naomi Campbell of British politics and it is Lombard Street to a China orange that at some stage in the election the fractious one will loose it completely and start laying abnout the help. I can't wait.

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