Voters' knockout blow

May 12 2010 by Adrian Pearson and Gavin Cordon, The Journal

WINNING a fourth term for Labour was always going to be a tall order after a deep recession, two unpopular wars and a huge parliamentary expenses scandal. But throughout the election campaign, Gordon Brown insisted he was fighting for a majority Labour government.

Even polls which gave Conservatives the lead during the campaign held out the hope that he might be thrown a lifeline by the peculiarities of the Westminster voting system, which could deliver the most seats to a party finishing second – or third – in the popular vote.

But it always seemed likely a clear Tory victory would ultimately cost him the Labour leadership.

The 59-year-old Scot has often said he would be ready to move on to work in charity or education if he felt he had nothing more to offer Labour, and now he may be facing such a change in career.

Born the son of a Church of Scotland minister in 1951, Gordon Brown was fast-tracked into Edinburgh University aged just 16, where he suffered a rugby accident which blinded him in one eye and required lengthy treatment to save the sight in the other.

While working as a politics lecturer and journalist, he fought his way into a prominent position in the Scottish Labour Party, arriving at Westminster in 1983 as MP for Dunfermline East. He was swiftly spotted as a rising talent, joining the front benches within two years and rising to shadow chancellor in 1992.

After the sudden death of Labour leader John Smith in 1994, he was viewed by many as a natural successor. But he struck a deal with Tony Blair, under which the more presentationally-talented younger man would take the leadership in return for a promise of control over economic policy and an eventual handover of power.

Together, the two men forged the New Labour machine which triumphed in 1997 and dominated UK politics for the following decade.

But the deal carried in it the seeds of their future rivalry, with apparently reliable reports of furious rows behind the scenes as Mr Brown demanded that Mr Blair name a date for the succession.

Meanwhile, Mr Brown married PR executive Sarah Macaulay at the age of 49. The couple faced heartache in their family life, as first child Jennifer died after just 10 days in 2002 and second son Fraser was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

After 10 years at the Treasury, where he earned a reputation as the "Iron Chancellor" who claimed to have ended boom and bust, Mr Brown finally replaced Mr Blair at number 10 on June 27, 2007.

Supporters hailed him as the "big clunking fist" who would crush any opposition at the despatch box, but Tories demanded an instant election for the unelected PM to seek a mandate.

Mr Brown did indeed toy with the idea of a snap election amid favourable polls, but dumped the idea after a Tory revival fuelled by plans to cut inheritance tax.

He must now rue the decision, which led to him being branded a "ditherer" and Labour slumping in the polls. His best chance, it turned out, had gone.

As storm-clouds gathered over the economy and the Government was forced into multibillion-pound bank bailouts, Mr Brown’s hard-won reputation for economic competence came under huge pressure. And the expenses scandal cast a pall over his premiership, even if he did not personally face serious charges.

Opponents revived the claim by an anonymous Labour insider that Brown was "psychologically flawed", while critics mocked him for his awkward smile.

Despite setbacks which would have shaken a less determined man, Mr Brown showed no sign of giving in. He led international agreement at the London Summit to tackle the downturn and cemented a surprising new alliance with former enemy Peter Mandelson to see off a series of leadership challenges.

Ultimately, the voters passed their verdict on a man who was a towering presence in our public life for a generation and won grudging public respect for his hard work and dedication without ever really securing their affection.