A better effort. Just
Matthew d'Ancona 5:38pm
Take two: Gordon did better in his interview with the BBC today than in his exchange with Nick Robinson last week. As I wrote in the Sunday Telegraph, Brown answered Robinson’s questions in the earlier exchange about people’s anxieties over the economy without a shred of apparent empathy or feeling for worried mortgage holders and aspiring home owners. Today, the PM tried hard – so hard – to show the emotional intelligence that you just knew his media handlers had been urging upon him.
So today it was different: deep breath: “I wake up in the morning thinking about how I can help those people who have mortgages or are looking for mortgages for the first time.” Back of the net! But wait: within 30 seconds, it was back to the litany of statistics and comparisons. “That’s why there are more people in employment than ever before….three million people…difficult situation worldwide….America, France, Germany…long-term decisions” etc etc.
Oh dear, oh dear.
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wonderfulforhisage
April 15th, 2008 5:56pm Report this commentSilk purses and pigs ears come to mind.
Max Kaye
April 15th, 2008 6:29pm Report this comment“I wake up in the morning thinking about how I can help those people who have mortgages or are looking for mortgages for the first time.”
So is he's dreaming of going back to being Chancellor, or does he want a more demanding job as a mortgage advisor?
bradders
April 15th, 2008 6:44pm Report this commentI thought the other chap was the chancellor not Godger Brown. This man should jump on his rocking horse and ride off into the sunset. He would be doing his party and the country a favour. Nothings ever his fault is it!
Cindy
April 15th, 2008 7:37pm Report this commentYou should've seen him on CBS news being interviewed by Katie Couric last night it was a classic, she did a great job better then any British journalist has. She referred to Blair as a rock star in the US and asked Brown was he upset that he followed Blair into office as he is so serious and how people are criticizing him for his style, he was squirming fantastic! Also he did not once refer to Britain in any answers only Europe.
RW
April 15th, 2008 8:19pm Report this commentBrown stole that line from Cameron, interviewed by Sky on a morale-boosting visit to Newcastle, some time last year I think:"I wake up every morning thinking 'How can I change the Conservative Party?'". The Sky interviewer was quite properly incredulous. Not one of Dave's finest hours.
Anyway doesn't Brown habitually prowl around Downing Street at 3am, or so we're led to believe? That's a whole lot of thinking about people's mortgages he's been doing on his nocturnal perambulations. You'd have thought he'd have come up with some ideas by now, after 11 years.
Jennie
April 15th, 2008 10:15pm Report this commentThe striking thing is that Brown just doesn't seem to care what people think or whether they believe what he says or not. It's as though he's conceded he's a failed prime minister. 'Don't wish for anything because you might get it'?
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