Why the political class is underestimating the potency of the Rawnsley revelations

Dimoto

Just more Tory complacency I'm afraid.
Mandelson and co. have already turned this "disaster" into a great opportunity for a wall-to-wall "hail to Brownathon" on the ever willing Sky and BBC.
The Tory media effort is stoneage, and will result in another five years of this living hell.

2trueblue

Well. Yet another example of how slow our famous BBC, and to be fair, the other channels have been over the years to throw any light on this. This country has really suffered from bullying of the media by our current government. I really do object to paying for the BBC.

Michael Booth

How does bullying in the workplace square up to Hattie Harman's Equalities legislation? Why should typists, telephonists and civil servants be bullied on a daily basis by somebody in authority over them - if it happened out in the real world there would be suspensions and dismissals. But then, why hasn't anyone ever complained?

Ivan D

Are you sure you've carried enough water yet James, or are there are a few more jugs you could shift while you're at it?

stphen

I despair of the Tories another Brown open goal and they are down to only a 6% lead in the polls. Why can't they just serious on two key issues Brown is not fit to govern and the Tories have the financial credibility to manage the country out of the debt crisis. Sadly Boy George came up with another silly thought about selling off the banks which Mandy shot to threads on Andrew Marr this morning.It's about time Cameron took the Boy in hand!

Moraymint

" ... his behaviour was not befitting of his office ..."

Quite; a traitor in the Cabinet and latterly in the office of Prime Minister is indeed "not befitting".

What I want to know is why has the fourth estate not made more of this over the years if so many journalists took it as read that Brown is a bullying staff basher? Didn't we have a right to know this, and/or to have it explained and analysed more often?

Dita

Will someone please get one of these out bursts on video. If the telegraph can pay for the expenses files can there be a bounty on the one eyed Scottish idiot going mental

BrianSJ

This could also be seen as a test of MSM vs. blogosphere. Guido managed to get real impact about McBride. Will Rawnsley achieve something similar?

Beer Moth

I would really rather be hearing how he has abused the British nation.

Any chance of that cropping up round here?

Beer Moth

The political profession: a class?

toco

This puts an end to any lingering hopes the dysfunctional and erratic Brown may have harboured concerning a hung parliament.I just hope when he realises this and explodes his clunking fist is well away from our nuclear button.

Dan Brusca

Underestimated?

If anything, the impact has been overestimated. If you think that anyone outside of Westminster, 'Fleet Street' and political anoraks gives a damn about the Rawnsley revelations then you're kidding yourself.

strapworld

Journalists have known for a long time about Brown!! But none have had the guts to report them. Shame on them all.It is all so depressing and dishonest. Keep it in the club!

Do you know, whilst I find these political blogs entertaining, and sometimes educational. I do find it quite intriguing reading what those in the Westminster village react to.

Where in previous years we would just have to 'read between the lines' of newspaper articles, we are now within the mindset of those that informed us, and on whose opinion we, the great unwashed, decided to support or not!

They are, in the main,like headless chickens taking their lead from others and thus the great debate becomes one of crisis in this camp or that camp. This poll and they start running left, another alternative poll and they run right!

Each general election we get coaches of journalists and correspondents being bused around the country with the different leaders. Content, within that bubble, to report what the politician said to a carefully orchestrated ''crowd'' scene and these journalists dutifully give their politician the full benefit of their support in writing, or to the camera!! It is so false, so contrived.

General elections were and are, it appears, run for the benefit of journalists, political correspondents wall to wall TV and radio news and, of course, the would be politicians.

We, the great unwashed, are an aside, an irrelevance, a nuisance. We must always agree with what our betters tell us.

Thus, even within these blogs, the authors try to dictate to us their views to influence us.

You cannot support the minority parties they are 'racist' they will take votes away from the tories or the labour party. After all, it is obviously suggested, it is the divine right of the Conservative Party or the Labour Party to govern!! The Liberal Democrats will always be their best mates!! because they are all face the same direction.

I just sit here, old and haggard, but wondering is it not 'racist' to deny the indigenous population a say in determining who is allowed into this country?

Is it not rather insulting to tell us, the great unwashed, that we MUST be in the EU and never given the opportunity to debate and decide if we really want to reside within it?

Is it not insulting to impose a centrally driven dictate on who the local constituency should have as their candidate? Surely local people would look after that constituency far better than someone from Pakistan or Surrey (Unless of course it is a Surrey constituency!!).

No, politics is not for me and those like me. It is a club run by the few for the few and we, the great unwashed, just have to pay for the privilege of them being our 'leaders'

So, pray, why should we continue to support any of the three parties facing the same direction and not, say The BNP, Ukip, The Green Party and the English Democrats?

Why should we, the great unwashed,t all decide to turn and face the opposite direction from these three failed parties and give somebody new a chance?

Now that would be true democracy. It would certainly be power of the people for the people.

Why dont we the people fight back now and kick the lot of these failures into the job centres and support the ''minority'' parties!

Don

"...I despair of the Tories another Brown open goal and they are down to only a 6% lead in the polls...."
Try and lift your gaze and look around you. The tories are down to a 6% lead in A poll. Read PB.com, get a bit of an education on how polling works and then come back. You will look less ridiculous.

SUSAN HILL

I fear that Brown is just in tune with the times. There is huge anger out there and it is expressed in violence, rudeness, personal abuse, pushing and shoving, nastiness to people who cannot answer back.... Blair may have been many things but he was not a man to bully those who could not answer back. Brown is a boor but then, a lot of people not only are boors, but think it is fine to express their boorishness in public. I am afraid most people will just recognise Brown's behaviour as the same as that which they see in the streets every day and assume it's normal.

welease woger

ITV news has just broken the news that a national bullying helpline have had several calls from number 10 staff. They can't confirm that the complaints are against the PM but...

This could be very damaging for Brown. Enjoy being 6% behind Gordon because that's as good as it's going to get.

TomTom

Oh, you think this is the kind of stuff voters in their bovine stupidity react to whereas the Lisbon Treaty Non-Referendum; MPs Expenses (Wisteria included); Immigration; Bankers' Outdoor Relief Welfare Programs; War Crimes of The General Staff; Widespread Corruption - are all too complex for the little heads outside "The Westminster Village" ?

Well, here's something hot from the press - an Exclusive - as they say. Those outside The Beltway are far more aware than those inside the hall of mirrors.

BrianSJ

to pick up on comments above.
Either the Speccie didn't know (and has been out of touch) or chose not to tell us the great unwashed. You guys need to get out of the bubble to see the tidal wave coming your way.

Marcher Baron

I heard Mandelson saying that Brown denied it and claimed it was a lie. So, it's true, then.

Vulture

Just breaking on the Beeb ( of all places..)

Ms Pratt of the anti-Bullying hotline has said several members of the Downing St staff have contacted them to complain of
Bruin's behaviour.

If handled correctly this is absolute dynamite. If Bruin can be proved to have bullied junior members of staff, he will not only be exposed as the evil brute we all know he is, but as an unashamed liar ( he specifically denied bullying on TV yesty).

But I suppose we can rely on Tory High Command to be nice to the Prime Monster
and brush this under the carpet.

Ghengis

strapworld, you admirably deal with the finer points of this employers behaviour, however you omit to take into consideration that were he to behave in the manner described and were not prime minister, he would find himself in a court of law. This is another example of there being one law for the citizen and another for these execrable politicians.

welease woger

Vulture, I really do like your posts even though you called me a loon today but surely you can see that the best thing the Tories can do on this is keep quiet and let non-partisans make their case for them. Any comment from the Conservatives will only be seen as cheap party politicking.

Ken

"PM staff 'called bully helpline'"
- http://bit.ly/djIM2a

The Christine Pratt clip in this BBC report is damning and will surely spur a media hunt for names and faces. Lots more damage to come and surely likely to reverberate outside the Village?

Ghengis

SUSAN HILL, the kind of circle you inhabit is described in your comment, thankfully we all do not live shoulder to shoulder with such a minority. The majority of people in the real world do so in relative harmony, happily queue when required, and are well mannered to each other. Methinks you spend to much time in the company of politicians.

Diane C - London

Gordon Brown, Mandelson and the rest of them have now told so many lies (and never been questioned) that they no longer even consider being truthful. Their first reaction to everything is a lie.

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

My first reaction on hearing how Brown bullied staff was, "Why did they put up with it, why didn't they make an official complaint?" Then I remembered. Twenty-five years ago I worked as an Office Manager for the Director of a large company of West End accountants. The director wsas a Master of Hounds, a big shot in racing circles, and crawled to the Home County gentry to enter their social circles. BUT, he was a bully and bordered on the insane. He attacked staff physically and mentally, but the poor devils either put up and left or shut up and suffered. I tried to make a court cas against him, but those left in his employ were too afraid. In the end I locked him in his office, threw the key away and walked out. Today he is a High Court Judge. I understand how Brown got away with things so long.

Anne Wotana Kaye 1

I wrote 'accountants' instead of 'solicitors.'

frankos

Considering the Labour Party thought Stalin was great role model, I don't think a few Brownish tantrums will really bother them!!
The man is a deranged halfwit but that won't bother the PLP if he gets them elected and they can keep their (taxpayer paid) overpaid jobs.

Alfred T Mahan

I don't think it'll have as much impact as you think. Everyone bar a few diehards already hates or despises Brown, whatever party they support, and all this will do is confirm their opinion.

Andrew Bristow

If the Tories want to get back on track then replace Osborne with Ken Clarke so that people think they are serious and credible on the economy. Until voters perceive genuine clearwater between the current Govt and the Tories on this subject, the rest of the Tory soft soap approach is doomed to come up short at the election. Perhaps Cameron should hire James Carville just so he can write up "It's the economy stupid!" on a whiteboard. It would be worth the fee.

TGF UKIP

Careful chaps, don't count the chickens. Remember, Dave is perceived to be a ditherer and this can only have been strengthened by the shillyshallying over deficit cutting in the last few weeks - Gordon says "boo" and as usual Dave backs off. Now what Mandy & Co are setting about is portraying Brown as a bull of a man determined to get his way and let nobody obstruct him. Now which sort of character is the Great British Public more likely to want to do battle for them on the international theme?

The Tories should be able to make use of thes bullying allegations to do serious damage to Brown, but I just don't think they're either ruthless or politically savvy enough to be capable of that.

Gordon has Balls, Campbell and Mandelson, while Dave has Boy George and The Mekon. It's the rottweilers agin the poodles once again.

Hawkeye

I do not believe the YouGov poll. Several people have already commented on the size of the unweighted figures and the adjustments that were made to get that 7% figure.

The books are being cooked it would seem. If so, we cannot depend on the veracity of the polling data.

wrinkled weasel

There is only one story in town tonight:
This is massive. Messrs Watt and Price can be written off by number Ten as embittered ex employees with an axe to grind. Rawnsley is a journalist with a book to sell. I am not casting doubt on their versions of events, but when the National Bullying helpline, aka ordinary people, reveals it has taken calls from staff at Number Ten Downing Street you can be sure that the Government has lost control of the narrative of deceit.

Simonsays

I sent yougov an e mail saying I did not wish to be associated with them any more, and I never received anyhting more from them. Why did I do this? Because I learned that the man who 'owns' this site is a major labour supporter and I was immediately suspicious.

Tony Gee

Nothing about Brown's behaviour is befitting of his hijacked office.

Fearless Frank

Susan Hill - I agree there seems to be a lot more oafish aggression on the street, but work is another matter.
The industry I'm in used to be full of departmental despots who thought reducing juniors - especially female ones - to tears was part of their job.
Twenty five years later, it's kid gloves treatment for under-performing underlings.

Dirty Euro

I think bullying is evil. But who should we believe on this issue?
No individual has come forward to say they were bullied. It is just anonymous claims so far. There all sorts of anonymous claim about all sorts of politicians on the internet from pedophilia to turning into lizards.
The queen has been claimed to be a giant lizard who sacrifices children.
I cannot just take any claim about a politician as the truth. Especially when there is political gain to make form such claims.

munich15040

Yet another article stating that [all]journalists have known about this for years, just like the expenses scandal.

Why do you never bloody write about it then?

You all go along with the deception and only once the lid's been blown off you then trot out "course, WE'VE known all along..."

Seems that journalists nowadays are simply mouthpieces.

Truly pathetic.

Helen Wright

Shouldn't Brown be issued with an ASBO and have his DNA retained on the database?

Why is he exempt from his own laws?

SUSAN HILL

GENGHIS. I have spent almost no time with any politicians in my entire life. Remember I live in rural Glos and rarely visit London. It is not people I mingle with so much as people we all see on TV, in newspapers and online every single day.

Derek

So on the question whether Mr. Brown has bullied staff at No. 10 Downing Street:

the Prime Minister has lied;
the First Secretary of State has lied;
the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills has lied;
the President of the Board of Trade has lied; and,
the Lord President of the Council has lied.

Is this the time then for Mr. Cameron to pose a direct question on this matter at PMQ and to insist that the Speaker require the Prime Minister to answer it directly on pain of both of them being dragged from their places and thrown out of our House (in a manner not in breach of the spirit and letter of the Yumun Rights legislation of course)?

tories are bonkers

I support Labour. A refreshing change here, what?

Cameron is an absolute no hoper,no policies, no personality, smug, soon to be overweight, little rich kid.

Nevertheless, on the Brown bully thing, yes it is very damaging to Labour.Someone from a bullying help line turning up on the box to say her office has had calls from the PMs office is disastrous.

Major Plonquer

I think I'll change my vote to Gordon Brown and Labour. I'd like to see him punch Sarkosy in th emouth. Maybe even kick Obama's arse too. That would be the kind of leadership I'd like to see.

A little violence never hurt anyone.

AndyinBrum

MP, he's a Bully. He wouldn't dare try it on someone with actual power

2trueblue

We know that MPs live in a different world where they do not have to abide by the law or rules that apply to the rest of us.

Rawnsleys revelations hold more weight than others but will be quashed and leave little mark on the political landscape because the media will not chase it long enough. Liebore have great connections, as we have seen over the years. Few survive with their reputations standing up to them. They have cowed the media totally so that we have had little in the way of normal reporting over the past 13yrs on anything that Liebore did not want to reach the light of day. Reputations lie in the dust in this governments wake. Surely not bullying ????

The polls are irrelevant because we have no idea what questions were asked and therefore do not know the true evaluation of same. The good thing is it may make the Tories up their game to lengthen the positive gap they presently have. Putting Clarke in as shadow chancellor would benefit the strength of the Tories hand as he is perceived as having relevant experience needed in the current economic climate. The flip side is he a bit of maverick.

davidker

Unfortunately "Battler Brown" is quite a strong concept to set against "Dozy Dave". Putting no. 10 in order etc., smack of firm government. That's how it's playing with lots of voters. Nothing wrong with a bully, if he's surrounded by wets. That's how it will play. Good job Labour don't know how to turn it to their advantage.

Paddy

This has made my day.

Watching the Labour party trying to defend their thug of a PM.

Harriet Harman says "they should have run it by No.10 first and that's that".

Snowman

For the great unwashed the revelations have about the same impact as an ant’s fart. Just get this: if the economy shows even a glimpse of a revival, and the money begins to trickle back into people’s pockets, Mr. Brown will be back whatever Rawnsley or the chattering classes say. Guaranteed.

Stephen Gash

If you're English vote for anyone - but the LibLabCON!

They are a rabble of corrupt thieves and should be ousted from parliament ASAP.

They are all Anglophobic British bullies anyway and have sold the English people down the river.

A plague on all their houses.

paulg

This appears to be a spat within the labour party, with the unfortunate Mrs Pratt, ending up being treated like one.
At least David Cameron can now counter browns attacks of being a tory toff with a retort that at least he schooled to be a gentleman. Moreover some one sweeping the roads can be a gentleman because good manners are not class bound.

A. MacAulay

In the real world a truly bullied employee would resign and then sue for anguish caused with the help of a clever lawyer and medical proof. Otherwise it's all too wooly to be serious.

It seems that the No.10 staff are determined doormats, the kind who bring the worst, the bully out in a besieged mentality.

Little Fluff

Didn't a book written by Paul Routledge (?) a few years back state that Brown was mentally unstable for the office of PM?