Brown the victim

Sir Graphus

Bullies, when caught, do tend to be snivelling self-pitying little rats.

Billy Blofeld

The victim will no doubt want to clear his name.

All the more reason to call for an enquiry.

Sally Chatterjee

Once again the Conservative team can't score when there's an open goal. Brown's useless, his judgement on the economy is all wrong, he's been a disastrous PM and even his character is flawed. And yet the polls are narrowing!

Coulson, Hilton and others need to go on a long holiday...

dexey

You journalists would do us all a favour by calling 'spin' what it is - lying.

Vulture

Harriet Harman actually described Bruin as 'Not a shrinking vioLENT' - a Freudian slip if ever there was one.

Now Mrs Beard - sorry, Mrs Bruin - has stepped in to defend her hero. She tells us: 'What you see is what you get'. But that's just the trouble. Whenever I see those brooding, miserable, malevolent features - half funeral mute; half bear with sore arse - I am reminded of George Orwell's description of Hitler.

He described the Fuhrer as having 'A sad dog-like face - the face of a man to whom the world has done great wrong.' He added that most political leaders promised their people prosperity, good times, roses round the door - but Hitler promised his sacrifice, struggle and death: 'and a nation threw themselves at his feet'.

Same with Bruin. The more we learn what a f****d-up, lying, downright evil, mad malevolent bastard he is, the more we love him.
We're clearly a nation of masochists.
Is that your thesis David?

Anna

I have no idea why the Spectator and Telegraph are running with the idea that this story is somehow good for Labour! That we should sympathise with this man! Why on earth should we sympathise with an out-of-control bully?! Why should anyone? Everyone knows it's a high-pressured job. One he's clearly incapable of doing. People who admit they're wrong and attempt to reform deserve a second chance. Those who embark on a campaign to smear their critics and deflect attention away from their shortcomings deserve nothing but contempt.

Billy Blofeld

Ha! Ha!

The BBC are obliging with a "Brown Upset By Bullying Claims" headline......

No doubt Piers will also oblige with an heart wrenching "interview" - so that the public can see just how upset Gordon is.

Hippo Chrissy

Compare and contrast the stories about Brown's bullying (disclaimer: I loathe him) with this cute story:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/23/andy-coulson-now-bullying-payout

Ken

@Sally Chatterjee
The polls might well be narrowing because the party-that-cannot-be-named, UKIP and others have become the repositories for voters exhausted in anger at the Rotten Parliament.

TrevorsDen

The media not least the BBC are simply afraid to tell the truth and to draw the proper conclusions from the truth.

They still hint that these stories may not be true, yet a survey of staff in the cabinet office by the Times says
"Most civil servants working at the heart of Gordon Brown’s Government are afraid to challenge the way Downing Street is run, it emerged last night.
Despite claims of a “zero-tolerance” attitude to bullying, an internal survey of Cabinet Office staff seen by The Times shows that a third want to leave, and 6 per cent want to quit “as soon as possible”. Less than half of staff said that they felt it was safe to speak up."

But you are right - the way the story is spun and placidly received, the public side with the underdog. Right now of course the victims are in the shadows. The only 'victim' being put forward is Brown himself - and people who might have voted for him, might have believed in him will cling to any fantasy rather than admit they were wrong.

Nick

Where does this idea that Brown is strong willed and determined come from ?

He didn't stand up to the banks when they refused his request not to pay their staff massive bonuses.

His "passion" seems to be aimed at lowly civil servants and not at people we would expect and welcome the PM to stand up forcefully to.

As someone said today "Thatcher handbagged the President of France, not the No 10 typists."

Simon Levack

Anna, the reason is that Brown, like all bullies, is extremely adept at manipulating others and at protraying himself as the victim. And such evidence as we have from polling so far shows that it works. He'll be found out eventually, of course, but by then it'll be too late, and in the meantime the only effect these stories have is to distract attention from the havoc and suffering he's inflicted on the country.

JONNY

Christine Pratt has bags of credibility.
In fact she's the epitome of middle-aged caring conventional Middle England.
And you'd have to be as cynical as Mandelson to question her sincerity, or dedication to her job of helping abused people (mainly women in office jobs).
For Godsake get a grip David Blackburn and enter the real world.
And while you're about it, watch that space.
It's not over yet.

TrickyDicky

....and now they've trotted out the wife to declare he's no bully!

Nothing like using your family as props eh!

Rich

Sir Graphus

Indeed Nick; that’s classic bully’s behaviour; did he stand up to the big boys, ever? Bullies don’t. Blair slapped him about at will. His capitulations at the European negotiating table have permanently damaged the country. Even little Cameron stood up to him and said “bring it on”, and the election was cancelled.

Dorothy Wilson

And so the "project" to sell Brown to the Mills & Boon audience marches on.

But what's the betting that when the memoirs and diaries of this awful government are finally printed Rawnsley's source will turn out to have been the Cabinet Secretary?

Bloody Bill Brock

How the hell do Coulson and Hilton justify their salaries?

davidke

You're missing the point. Loads of prospective voters like a battler, a bruiser, and think that "bullying" is just another word for standing no nonsense from the garden girls at no. 10. "Brown kicks ass" will resonate, much to the Tories' discomfort. Can anyone imagine Cameron kicking ass ? Blair was right about the clunking fist. Voters will quite like that.

RKing

Could it be that Blairs immigration and (so called) reform of the Lords are now paying off.
Firstly his policy of opening the floodgates to any immigrant who can then join in the benefits gravy train has assured labour of a vast number of votes.
Second Blair has created yet another gravy train for the retired gentry and discarded politicians by his "reformation" of the House of Lords. Thus assuring more support from many people who still have influence.
Now lets face neither of these groups will want to oppose their public funded positions and also the massive public sector, that both Blair and Brown have created, with their inflated salaries and pensions also ensures them yet more support.

Now that Brown is in deep sh**te look at the support he is gaining with the likes of Sugar gushing over him. Mandleson (yet another Lord!) is also out there flying his Brown flag.

Now compare this to Camerons support over the last few weeks. To say that he has got a mountain to climb, even with the lead he has in the polls, is an understatement.
And what does he get on blogs such as this? Continued criticism with very little support. If you want the tories to win then for christ sake support Cameron and co and don't go on whinging at every opportunity.
Fraser I hope you might read this and get the idea of what I am saying!!

TGF UKIP

Rarely are Jonny and myself on the same page but we are here. It ain't over yet for Brown and Mandelson are being reckless in the extreme in their overconfidence in their ability to spin this thing.

Essentially, with the ferocity of their denials, their smearing of Pratt and Rawnsley and their portrayal of Brown as victim, they are doubling and re-doubling their bet.

A number of cards might fall though which could clean them out. One or more civil servants or former colleagues might well step forward with graphic and horrific tales of just what working life with Brown entailed.

Additionally, or alternatively, I'm not sure whether any of them has yet called Rawnsley a liar (Prescott certainly came close last night) but Rawnsley might not only very publicly invite Brown to sue him but he might very well choose to sue himself. After all for someone like Rawnsley, his veracity and credibility is a very precious commodity.

One thing for sure is that the Speccie hacks like James and Fraser will know Rawnsley well and they will also know if he is reasonably popular with his peers. If he is, Brown and Mandelson's ferocious recklessness may well ensure a hacks united front. After all,if they stand by and let it happen to Andrew R, they could be next, as Fraser in particular knows only too well from his Whelan experience.

Time to stand up for yourselves, you hacks.

Nash

Where is the trade union when you need them?

Andy Carpark

Excuse me, davidke, I think you dropped this:

_i

Paddy

Brown is a snivelling little coward who picks on women and junior staff. He is an out of control thug who has managed to be PM on the back of Tony Blair.

He will be found out eventually - I hope it isn't too late.

The way the labour machine spun yesterday - the hatred and venom they spit was a sight to behold. I thought Prescot was going to have a heart attack on newsnight.

They have certainly shown their true colours. How could so many people be taken in by them.

Bluebottle

Brown a victim? Let's not forget how Brown got the job in the first place not three years ago. It's not as if anyone asked him to be PM or that he was voted in to the highest office to serve the public. He thought he was entitled to it because a) Tony promised him at Granita and b) it was his God given birthright.

In the end he bullied (that word again) any other prospective candidate not to stand against him and bullied (there it is again) Labour MPs not to think about supporting anyone else.

If he finds the job too difficult or too stressful to perform without throwing tantrums then he shouldn't be doing it. Simple as that.

2trueblue

too much air time has been given to this already. The spin, lies etc, amazing. The BBC, and the rest of the media are just not up to it. No one seems to be up to doing decent journalism these days.
What is in it for Ms Pratt? Just ponder on that for a minute. Why would she stick her neck out, what gain could she get? Rawnsley is well regarded so would he stick his neck out? I fail to see why Brown should gain any good from this, one just has to remind oneself of how he spoke with the bereaved mother. This man is odious.

2trueblue

R King. Spot on, the great BBC and the media are doing Liebores work for them in more ways that one. \They are just like Liebore, they couldn't care less about us, they just want to stay in their jobs. I acn see a massive exodus if Liebore get in again.

2trueblue

Excuse me, but is that a
clunking fist I see in the picture?