Leading article
Brown’s fatal flaws
The Spectator on Gordon Brown's premiership
As prophecies go, it had none of the ritual majesty of the Sybil of Cumae’s pronouncements, none of the blood-chilling qualities of Cassandra. But it has, in its own way, come to pass nonetheless. Jonathan Powell, the chief of staff to Tony Blair, once told our former editor that Gordon Brown’s political career would be a ‘Shakespearean tragedy’. And with every day that passes the tragic quality of Mr Brown’s premiership is underlined.
A politician of formidable gifts, powerful intellect and great passions is, nevertheless, finding that he simply doesn’t have what it takes to make a success of the most demanding job in politics — as the events of the last two months have cruelly exposed.
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JC
November 29th, 2007 10:57amIt's not Hamlet by a long chalk. Surely it's Henry VI and Richard II, all 13 hours of it. At the end of the BBC version Margaret is seen laughing atop a pile of corpses with the dead Richard in her arms. Seeing Margaret re-enter No 10 was.....well, Shakespearian. I suppose the real irony is that the RSC is doing all of these plays next year....as Hamlet said, holding a mirror up to nature.
Almyers
November 30th, 2007 11:16amKing Lear, without the nobility
Robbie
November 30th, 2007 1:22pmIt was the best of times; it was the worst of times. -- Charles Dickens (A Tale of Party Donations, 1859)
mat g
December 5th, 2007 12:01pmhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Bean-Ultimate-Disaster-Rowan-Atkinson/dp/B00005UWRX/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1196856001&sr=8-8
Nickford
December 5th, 2007 10:12pmIt's not a disaster, it's a comedy and, for as long as it continues, the machinery of this 'statist' government will be severely hampered. Let's laugh and give thanks in the short term and work for better in the long.
Thomas Cussans
December 5th, 2007 10:36pmThe key point about Brown is that, son of the manse or not, there is no integrity. There is only narrow party political calculation. It may have worked when he was chancellor. It transparently isn't now he is PM.
Combined with his disastrously inept public performances (which he can never change, however many deep-breathing exercises he does or however many times he practices his grisly smile) and his reliance on a narrow cabal of very nasty young thrusters, the result is an inevitable, Anthony-Eden style tragi-comedy.
His best bet is to pack it in now. He won't of course. The eventual tears will be all the more bitter.
Mr Cinders
December 5th, 2007 11:20pmIt would be interesting to know which of your former editors was informed that Brown's career would be a 'Shakespearian tragedy': Johnson B, Johnson F, Lawson D, Moore, Chancellor, Lawson N? It has been obvious to many for quite a long time.
Madasafish
December 6th, 2007 11:30amIt's not Hamlet.. there is nothing noble about it. More like The Simpsons without the humour.
Eats Wombats
December 6th, 2007 5:03pmI see we get a choice of endings. Capital!
Salvatore
December 13th, 2007 6:17pmI agree, and it's about time Brown was exposed.
Cameron needs to demand that Brown details in plain and easily measurable terms exactly how he is an effective prime minister, so that everyone can see that he either sets the bar for himself pitifully low, or that he fails to meet the standards he sets.
At present Cameron seems happy to let Brown avoid answering questions. If this continues, and he does not pin Brown down, people will be asking Cameron questions about his own suitability for office. That would be a pity.