Gordon Brown

[DIFFBROOK]

Not seen any thread on Gordon Browns announcement that he will be standing down as an MP at the next election.

Will history judge him favourably?

This coming from the Daily fail - which is rather surprising given its politics

Even Quentin Letts in the Daily Mail says Mr Brown is "brooding" and "tortured", but is a man "with towering strengths".

Letts, a sketch writer not normally known for kindness to Labour figures, says, "it is fair to argue that without [Mr Brown's] working the phones, without his exhortations to other world leaders to prop up banks, the economic crisis would have been worse."

"Did he single-handedly save the Union? He certainly deserves much of the credit," Letts concedes.

So was Gordon Brown Mr Bean - an incompetent, or did he save the world economy and the Union?

 

[glasfryn]

my only gripe with him was not nationalizing the banks when he had the chance

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

History will look favourably on him for first advising on a system to get the world's economy back on track and then saving the UK from being dismantled. A huge loss to UK politics.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

History will look favourably on him for first advising on a system to get the world's economy back on track and then saving the UK from being dismantled. A huge loss to UK politics.

On the issue of the UK's continuation, I believe he made a difference but long term it was only a postponement of Scotland going it alone. When the Scots find that they are in direct competition from the English regions and that their MP's are no longer allowed to vote on English only issues, they will become disgruntled.

 

[DTES]

It'll all come down to the financial crash. You know, the worldwide crash in 2008 that Labour/the UK Government was entirely responsible for. Not the potential worldwide 2014/15 one, that Cameron is warning us about, that will be nothing to do with the Tories/the UK Government.

In all honesty I think he will ultimately be looked on favourably - more favourably than Blair.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

It seems like he was a man promoted to his level of incompetency, paralysed making decisions as prime minister despite having spent a decade as chancellor.

I went to the Dome in the months before he became prime minister - when he was promoting his book. You would not recognise the brooding presence that characterised his time as prime minister. Charming, intelligent, insightful - I thought he would make a great prime minister.

 

[Pavilionaire]

He didn't make a good Prime Minister and I don't think he was ever totally comfortable in that role. That said, he still had the kind of political force that Ed Miliband can only dream of. When Brown rode into town to rescue the Union it was clear just how lightweight Red Ed actually is.

I see he is some sort of UN envoy for global education. I actually think if Scotland had got independence he have made a decent leader.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Favourable - making the Bank of England independent - very shrewd decision, something Ken Clarke should have done when we were forced out of the ERM and Norman Lamont had to resign. Obviously played a role as PM in sorting out the utter mess left by the banking crash, though most of the credit for that belongs to Alastair Darling. Keeping us out of the Euro - with the benefit of history since, an exceptionally sensible decision, especially as Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson were desperate to take us in.

Unfavourable - the gold sale and thinking that the only solution for the NHS was increased spending without any reforms. Supposedly it was he who put the mockers on Alan Milburn's reform plans. Yes, the NHS did need more funding, but it is potentially just a bottomless pit without serious reforms to the way it is funded. Saying that, no politician will take hold of that, so perhaps he can't be held solely responsible. On the banks, it could be argued that it was lack of proper regulation that at least partly led to the problems. Sure, the Tories opposed banking controls, but Labour had a huge majority and could have driven it through.

Overall, a decent bloke and as is clear when seen with his wife and children, a genuine family man. As for how he will be viewed, as Chancellor I think largely favourably. As Prime Minister, he wasn't really in office long enough for a lasting impression, though I think his time was tainted by his bitterness towards Tony Blair and his obsession with getting to Number 10.

 

[Vegas Seagull]

The only man on the planet stupid enough to TELL THE WORLD he was going to sell a lot of something so they could all offer less than they would otherwise. Cost us all billions. Numbskull

 

[catfish]

He's one of those intellectual thinkers who make a very good cabinet minister but are totally unsuited to being prime minister.

 

[atfc village]

Of course he wanted to save the union.he knew that like under Labour The Scots will hpld power one day again over the union.

 

[sdmartin1]

Nice guy and a smart man. Probably better than most Prime Ministers we will have in the next decade or so, but wasn't charismatic enough to make a lasting impression on the general public.

 

[theboybilly]

Selling off the gold reserves cheaply, the backdoor signing of the Lisbon Treaty, and the opening of the floodgates to increase the Labour vote all happened on his watch.

 

[Soulman]

Great news. The thought that he might come back in top position was worrying. Still the jocks will be pleased with his performance as chancellor and PM.

 

[Ernest]

Makes Cameron look like a political pygmy and a lightweight, he was ruined by the press as it suited their agenda because he wouldn't brown nose with the likes of Murdoch and Dacre like Blair did.

He treated his son's death as a private matter, Cameron treats his as an opportunity, sums each man up.

 

[beorhthelm]

pension raid, rampant PPI engagment, yet still overspending the increased revenues he had coming in off the the back of global economic boom... he should be rememberd for grossly overestimating his ability to control the economy, claiming the end of boom and bust right up until the bust. as i recall it (though dont know the behind the scenes) it was Darling that pushed for the international coordination. which incidentally wasnt much more than a unified front that "something would be done" to address what ever problem came up. it worked, but it was a bluff, because we know the EU certainly couldnt have (still cant) done anything to prevent a full blown economic collapse. they did restore confidence, which is what mattered.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If Jeremy Clarkson does not like you then you're clearly doing something right.

 

[Mowgli37]

What a speech.

I think Brown was handed a very raw deal in his premiership. Good bloke but was sadly suited more to a cabinet role.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

He didn't make a good Prime Minister and I don't think he was ever totally comfortable in that role. That said, he still had the kind of political force that Ed Miliband can only dream of. When Brown rode into town to rescue the Union it was clear just how lightweight Red Ed actually is.

I see he is some sort of UN envoy for global education. I actually think if Scotland had got independence he have made a decent leader.

Have to fully agree with you about his 'Save the Union' speech,whilst Red Ed was being ignored on the streets Brown gave one of the best speechs of his life.

 

[Surf's Up]

He was an excellent Chancellor but a thug within the Labour Party who ran a team of sycophants and like-minded thugs who championed the belief in his divine right to the Premiership. Upon eventually achieving this goal it quickly became apparent that the "Peter Principle" had swung into action - he was not up to the job. His legacy will be soured by his incompetence in the top job and by his internal labour party chicanery when Chancellor but buoyed by his success as Chancellor, his effective response to the banking crisis (which he'd helped create) and by his late but highly effective contribution to the Scottish Referendum debate. In fairness and on balance not a wholly bad legacy.