Exclusive: Gordon Brown launches his public speaking career

Jupiter

It's a bit late for April fool's day.

Billy Blofeld

This has surely all got to be a wind up?!

Who is going to pay that much money to see the deluded economic arsonist?

Chris lancashire

Now this is just a silly season made-up story isn't it. Isn't it?

Will J

"The Financial Crisis"?! Is the subtitle "My Part in Our Downfall"?

Dennis Sewell

Mr Brown is a bit late. The Middle East after dinner circuit have digested the crisis and moved on already.

As long ago as last November the ‘Festival of Thinkers’ convened in Abu Dhabi to consider inter alia ‘Future Capital – Moving Beyond the Economic Crisis’.

Up on the platform were Cherie Blair, a bevy of Nobel Laureates, the ubiquitous Barbara Judge, Mike Moore, former PM of New Zealand and Dr Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart from Cuba.

Keynote speeches were given by Liz Mohn of Bertelsman (she who is ultimately paying Tony Blair’s huge advance) and the Swami Parthasarathy, who lectures on cosmic consciousness to corporate audiences.

Hard to see a role for Gordon – except perhaps as stand-in for the Swami.

HJ

$100,000 to hear a man recite (spurious) tractor production figures?

Surely not.

Kevan

Well, well.... Mr Brown, the socialist leader with a capitalist heart. We always knew he had a human beating heart somewhere in there.

L Brooks

She will be the one in First Class - he will be at the back wareing his hair shirt.

les

I remember seeing him sat on the GMTV sofa just before the election saying if he lost - he would devote his life to charity and good works, money didn't interest him !

Tim W

It's very possible that he'll give most of the money he earns to charity. You can at least give him credit if he does.

Paul Byrne

Will he be donating the profits like Blair. We could use them to clear his deficit

Chris

I'm guessing all this money will go to charity... Seeing as he specifically said in interviews that after being prime minister he wanted to do stuff for charity...?!?

Teifion

Brown may have the "vision thing" - he just didn't give a damn about his home patch.
he was the first scot I heard of who liked england or their football

Carl

I don't think GB has "cache". He probably has only a little "cachet" which is what I suspect you really mean ;)

Dave B

Given Mr Brown's record of failure, I find it hard to believe any organisation will part with hard cash to hear him opine.

John

There's a bit of a twist in how he intends to do this - he'll be booked to speak and then people will pay NOT to hear him.

He could earn a lot of money this way.....

Liz Brown

Is this in addition to the £1k he makes each week as a non participating MP or is he standing down?
I am glad to see that his strong moral compass is in such good order

Ruth Mc

Wouldn't he be better doing a talk on 'Riches to Rags - how I completely ruined the economy of the UK through financial ignorance & mismanagement'?

alexsandr

he should do his public speaking in the commons. its his job.

Moraymint

Paying to listen to Brown? Absolutely barking mad.

George Laird

Dear Fraser

“a tale reaches me – from an impeccable source – about what Gordon Brown is up to”.

This impeccable source, does that mean they wear a tie?

As to Gordon Brown being a public speaker, the ‘public’ threw him out and I can’t see big business warming to him now Cameron has his feet under the table of Number 10.

What is funny is he is taking the route used by movie stars touting their image abroad rather than at home where they would get lampooned and panned.

I think there is something sordid about Brown taking this type of ‘celeb big brother’ route.

As to his wife doing the $20,000 to present a prize; she would be better standing on a London street with a paper cup and a homeless sign.

So much for working for the people who voted him into public office, they must be feeling cheated, elected a man who is part time and patently out to feather his own nest.

He should either do the job of MP properly or resign.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Cjamesk

Is this a joke?! He never attends parliament for goodness sake!

I'd pay him to wash my car but even that I think Jonah would get wrong!

TGF UKIP

Brown is a man with a plan with the book merely acting as an advertisement. What he really wants is an international finance job where he can cause as much damage and nuisance as possible to Dave and the Tories. Fortunately for Brown he can certainly rely on every help and assistance in this project from Sarkozy, Merkel and their mates.

He'd better get a move on, though, bearing in mind that this government and Dave ain't gonna be around beyond 2012.

Hugh Janus

All that money to listen to how McBust saved the world, together with another load of tractor stats? Do me a favour. I would find a blocked drain infinitely more engaging.

Simon Stephenson

John : 6.03pm

"There's a bit of a twist in how he intends to do this - he'll be booked to speak and then people will pay NOT to hear him.

He could earn a lot of money this way....."

Yes, perhaps, but he'd be well advised to keep his "speeches" as short as John Cage's 4'33", since his mere appearance for longer than this would be enough to put most people off.

Paddy

He's obviously realised you have to pay at the supermarket.

Phil

"I pisxxd the uk's economy down the drain in a decade long spending spree while the media swallowed and constantly regurgitated the ludicrous proposition that I was an economic genius of global proportions.

I'll take 500 quid,am prepared to travel kamikaze poundstretcher class,bring my own tent and camping gear and will not under any circumstances bore the arxx of anyone extolling the dubious virtue of that stalinist moron for more than 5 minutes let alone an hour.Any takers?

Augustus

No doubt he will explain how progressive he's been in consistently spending more than
he could ever raise in taxation, and how progressive he's been by endowing generations to come with the liabilities imposed by his illiterate fiscal policies.

Dimoto

Incredulous posters should remember that these "events" are just excuses for the idle rich, and those favoured by the idle rich, with a taste for circus freaks, to while away the vacant hours with some nice chat, a bit of networking and some choice food (no booze, we are Muslims).

The vulgar spectacle will be provided by Brown - no doubt they will fill the evening with jokes about Brown's accent, ticks (nose picking ?) shocking apocryphal stories and counting his gaffes.

Should provide material for many happy hours of 'phone and e-mail name dropping with chums.
Cheap at the price.

Alex

I believe everyone is being unkind - after all he will be donating his royalties and speaking fees to help pay off his share of the increase in the national debt created by him.

Of course, anyone attending a conference at which he was the key speaker should be immediately fired for wasting company/government money.

Chuck Unsworth

Brown is a particularly inspiring public speaker.

He always manages to inspire me to homicide.

ollie

who would pay - yes, pay - to listen to a deeply unbalanced wretch like Brown. In a sane world, he'd be in a straight jacket by now. The man's a loon.

TrevorsDen

I will present an award for 410k and tr
travel business class.

Its 'great leader' not 'dear leader' - you need lessons in sarcasm.

I would rather eat my own liver than listen to Brown speak, let alone pay for the privilege. I would not trust anyone who actually went to such a turgid lecture to manage my milk money account.

wrinkled weasel

"I've never said that style or presentation is my strongest point. I've always been honest with people about that issue."

'I'm proudest of all to have been returned as MP for Fife now seven elections in a row by the people who know me best, know who I am, what I stand for and what I went into politics to achieve.'

'I will not let you down.'

"Like most families on middle and modest incomes we believed in making the most of our talents."

"Let me say that the vast overwhelming majority of our Labour Members of Parliament are in Parliament not out of self interest but to serve the public interest."

"Now is not the time to give in but to reach inside ourselves for the strength of our convictions."

.....Nah, I think I'll pass on that one.

chris

Delusions of grandeur!

2trueblue

Hmm.... is this the same Gordon who refused to wear a dinner jacket to the Mansion House when he lived in no 11, but when he became had a dinner suit made at OUR expense for such do's? Will he be wearing OUR suit for such occasions? I wondered how long i would take him to try and join the real gravy train. Beware the man who tells you he intends to do 'good' work. Bliar was always putting it about about how pious he was and his religious dilemma. Why make God wait because it was not convenient for you to declare your belief? What a bunch.

Hysteria

I want to hear more about this plane ticket issue - sounds bizarre - who is traveling with those poor people back in Business Class? why does he need three bag carriers?

I give presentations to international conferences and manage to fly around the globe with a briefcase and a memory-stick....

Roger Davies

So the gravy licking political scum-bag never really had a Moral Compass. There was I expecting him to rise from the stench and become Saint Gordon of Gorballs.

Andy Carpark

I'd pay good money to hear Brown reading aloud from his memoirs while people hurled cabbages and dead cats at the stage. It would be the best laugh since the recitals of William McGonagall.

Moraymint

Hysteria ... could the business class seats be for the Mrs and the bairns?

Noa Zrk

"..He's been offered at $100,000 a pop.."

By whom, for God's sake? The Dhahran Chapter of the Somniphobiacs League?

He'll need to be more vigilant on his expenses claims too , as his fitted kitchen claims show. We expect him to reimburse the taxpayer for costs incurred in private business, so wouldn't be happy to see any 'inadvertent' double claims for those hunky police security guards sitting either side of Mrs B, would we now?

David Booth

Gordon Brown wanting to undertake speaking engagements in a foreign clime? could I suggest he makes his first speech in Iraq and see what feedback he gets from the locals.
What next the ghost of A Hitler climbing out the ruins of Berlin and offering to teach the world how to live peacefully with your neighbours?
Gordon Brown should first fulfill the duties he is paid for ie representing the people of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath in Parliament before he starts "moon-lighting"

Naomi Muse

It is very interesting that he thinks the engagements will be abroad or he would not be asking for a first class airfare.

I don't understand his sense of morality. Is it just that he regards his salary as something he does not have to do the job for or does he regard his constituents as a waste of space, or how does he balance the issues of offering himself to do speeches in far off climes, whilst he should be working as an MP?

His morals should be encompassed.

maddy1

Like, Healey et al of the last lot who wrecked the economy, the present lot of charlatans,are going to sit back well pensioned and watch the rest of us struggle. Is it possible for a grass roots, league to take all of the pensions of all the politicians connected with the present debacle? Would any journalists support this? Let them live on a state pension like the bigots and tax trash!

Cameo Parkway Kid

If you think this is bad, wait until he gets a top job with the IMF - he did save the world after all - and starts screwing around with Sham and Clagg. Being as Georgie Boy is finding it hard to cope - he does struggle to run a bath let alone one of the worlds biggest economies bless him - he'll be ready to chuck himself down the nearest lift shaft then.

Tony Goldstein

Deluded economic arsonist. Brilliant description. What a creep.

Tarka the Rotter

There's a tractor convention next month up here in rural North Yorkshire and I'd like to book this man - yee hah!

Noa Zrk

Tarka

That Tractor Convention, do you think one sack of spuds would accept payment with another?
At least he could do the Dung Judging - by 'eck!

Paul Maynard

In response to questions as to who would pay to see Gordon Brown, I would suggest the same stupid people who pay to listen to Bliar.

John Goode

Could we pay to have him NOT speak instead?

Captain Christy

Now I know why Sarah married him - she wanted to be a WAG all the time. They make the perfect couple.