Brown faces the press pack

Every time I’ve stood in a queue waiting for these No10 press conferences, the chat is usually “he’s really screwed now.” We’re usually disappointed. Same this time. This was neither the triumph nor the crucifixion many had predicted. Here’s my summary.

1) No speech: Blair would always start his hour-long press conferences with a little speech - using the focus of 24-hour News. Brown didn't. A reminder of how unsure he still is on TV.

2) Whodunnit?? "My first instinct, if I were honest with you, was that I wanted to get on with putting my vision of the country across... but I did listen to people". Ah, the dastardly others. He later named his Home Secretary as one of them.

3) The cock crows: Three times, he disowned his advisers. He told Patrick Wintour he had no idea that his aides briefed on the day he became Labour leader that there would be an early election. Utter rubbish. Team Brown is a tight knit and disciplined bunch. They don’t freelance.

4) Honestly… Of course, he has not been honest with us. Simon Carr asked if he’d have gone if the News of the World/ICM poll showed him ahead in the marginals. Hilariously, he said he’d have made the same decision. Is there anyone in Britain who believes this? 

5) Vision: If his vision for housing, education, health etc is so different to the one Britain voted on in May 2005, as he suggests, all the more reason to hear it in an election campaign and vote on it.

6) Aspiration: "I sense there are rising aspirations" he says. Here’s what he didn’t say: "...and I sensed the Tory agenda fitted this better than mine, so I decided to go back to the drawing board."

7) Policy theft: Michael Crick asked a corker: does he recognise the Tory non dom/IHT tax proposals are popular "and are you tempted to steal them?" Osborne says Brown wouldn't be so brazen. 

8) …guaranteed: He goes on “I’ve always recognised inheritance tax to be a major issue for people… the debate will happen…”  Sounds like a change is indeed afoot. The sole upside to this situation is being able to flush out good Tory ideas and nick them. He’d be daft not to.

9) Ties: He still hasn't got the knack of making a tie knot. Perhaps he can't bring himself to handle that blue he's wearing every day now.

10) You can’t handle the truth: Brown has a notorious temper. At times, it seemed the journalists were trying to get him to snap, a la A Few Good Men. He came close at times, but held his nerve.

11) '08 Doubt:  “An election is not likely in 2008” – note, not ruled out.

12) Spidey sense: “With power comes responsibility” he said. It is, of course, a quote from Spiderman. 

13) Courage: And on the issue of courage, he says, “let the public judge”. That’s precisely what he has decided not to do.

14) The hardest word:  His concession - “maybe I should have done it earlier” – is the closest we get to “sorry”.