What Labour women think of Gordon
Fraser Nelson 3:00pm
For those of you who missed it, Radio Four has just broadcast a piece about what the women who worked with think Gordon Brown think of him. Not a lot, it seems. Here are some of the quotes:
Jane Kennedy
"Well I think that the Labour Party is expecting us to do better. The Parliamentary Labour Party were told in the first meeting after the election in June we were promised that there was going to be a change. We haven't seen that change yet, we haven't even really seen the kind of clarity and willingness to listen to what the voters are telling us about policy. I've had lots of policy differences whilst I’ve been a member of the Government and with policy you can argue about the policy, but when it is a behavioural trait that you keep being promised is going to change and doesn't, that's a real difficulty because the only thing you can then do is change the person get somebody else to do the job.
I am sad not to be in the Government but I'd be even sadder, I'd be distraught if the Labour Party loses the next election and I fear that with Gordon as leader we don't have much chance.
...
He has and always has had a group of people around him that have been engaged in undermining Labour people. We want our politics to be about policy and about politics not about the personalities but unfortunately we have it constantly thrust in our face and the way in which people are undermined is usually very personal, it’s a very personal attack and it's very distasteful."
Caroline Flint
"It hasn't been pleasant. So why women should be picked out in this way? I pick up the papers every day and I see all sorts of unattributable quotes from ministers - and 9 times out of 10 they will be men."
Estelle Morris
"I'm immensely proud of what we've done but if you were to say to me what's been the area where you’ve made least progress it has been that we've not seriously tried to change the style of politics. I think they've wasted an opportunity and I do put the briefings and the rest in with it. But I do not know a female minister who briefs against her colleague."
Patricia Hewitt
"He's Presbyterian, he's very, very serious, and intellectual in his politics and his whole approach to life. he was never part of the 60's and 70's social revolution - the women's movement, gay rights, diversity it's just not really part of who he is.
Sue Nye who's Gordon Brown’s gate keeper absolutely - she's been there right from the beginning of Gordon Brown’s rise. Shriti Vadera - whose been one of his closest economic advisers she's in there, but really with those 2 exceptions Gordon Brown’s inner circle has always been small, almost entirely men and as far as I can see really rather laddish in its culture."
Margaret Jay
"To be honest with you I wouldn’t say I ever really got to know him because personally I find him quite intimidating. He's always dealt with me very professionally, courteously, and in fact for example in regard to my family been very kind and thoughtful but I've never really felt I had a particular personal connection with him."
Previous
Verity
July 12th, 2009 3:34pm Report this commentOh shut up.
Richard
July 12th, 2009 4:07pm Report this commentDon't exactly need an Enigma machine to decode that but, even so, quite restrained really.
Bernie Gudgeon
July 12th, 2009 4:24pm Report this comment‘9 times out of 10 they will be men;’ ‘he was never part of the women's movement, gay rights, diversity – it's just not really part of who he is;’ ‘really rather laddish in its culture;’ ‘(as a woman) I never really felt I had a particular personal connection with him;’ ...
As if this makes Brown any different to 95% of men?
Marbury
July 12th, 2009 5:19pm Report this commentHewitt's comment is puzzling: how can Brown's inner circle be small, and composed almost entirely of men, and include two powerful women?
Surely it can be two out of three of these things but not all three?
Lance Grundy
July 12th, 2009 5:26pm Report this commentMeanwhile Fraser, in the real world, the Argentinisation of the British economy continues apace.
This from today’s Sunday Telegraph…
"Every other G20 country apart from the UK and Argentina has been able to budget for temporary spending increases or tax cuts next year to help drag their economies out of recession"
UK can't afford another fiscal rescue warns the IMF
Steve.W
July 12th, 2009 5:41pm Report this comment“It takes two”, so they say. The list of female names provided had me thinking if I could get on with any of them?
john
July 12th, 2009 6:30pm Report this commentHe had at least one cheer leader - Deborah Mattison (?), who organises polls favourable to the Dear Leader.
Her contribution was embarrassing.
John Page
July 12th, 2009 6:42pm Report this commentSnivel snivel, whinge whinge, who cares? Especially about proven liar Flint.
Jeremy
July 12th, 2009 6:44pm Report this commentI think that some of these remarks betray a certain inability to see both sides of an issue - a certain one-eyed lopsidedness, if you like. Take this remark for example:
"Gordon Brown’s inner circle has always been small, almost entirely men and as far as I can see really rather laddish in its culture."
To walk into a roomful of men and complain that the culture in there is "laddish", is rather like walking into a roomful of women and complaining that the culture in there is "girly". I mean, what do you expect it to be? It is hardly news to say that the differences between the genders are quite clearly marked. And I dare say that an "almost entirely" female "inner circle" would contain within it all of the faults and foibles of its sex, just as surely as does an "inner circle" of men.
Hurrah!
Sam Armstrong
July 12th, 2009 11:21pm Report this commentBrown's miserable, sexist 'babes' are all stabbing him in the back for cash. How utterly vile, tragic and hilarious.
Major Plonquer
July 12th, 2009 11:49pm Report this commentThese women present a very powerful masculine image of Brown's coterie. Just the sort of image you'd expect from a cabinet that contains two Balls and a Mandelson.....
the last remaining rag merchant
July 13th, 2009 9:35am Report this commentCaroline Flint says that the unattributable quotes are all from men; is it that women just don't do unattributable quotes (sic) or is it that they're discriminated against and not given the words to disseminate by those who prepare them.
Yah Boo Sucks, Lady BS instead of Man BS.
ben
July 13th, 2009 11:41am Report this commentMargarat Jay's comments are actually very positive - to treat someone 'professionally', 'courteously', and be 'very kind' and 'thoughtful' seems to me to be exactly how you'd want a boss to treat you. It's hypocritical that Fraser how gives credence to the views of ex-ministers (such as Flint) he's previously ridiculed.
John Lea
July 13th, 2009 12:34pm Report this commentAfter reading this, I find myself liking Brown! At least he had the good judgement not to trust any of these mediocre, careerist, back-stabbing wenches.
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