GORDON Brown’s right hand man has claimed history will judge the former Prime Minister as a success.
Newcastle East MP Nick Brown defended the last Labour PM while appearing to refuse the chance to fully back his successor Ed Miliband.
Nick Brown was seen by many as one of the leading “Brownites” in the last Labour Government, locked in a long-running internal battle with supporters of Tony Blair.
Under Gordon Brown the former Newcastle councillor was seen as a loyal chief whip and close ally of the PM.
In September 2010 Mr Brown was asked by newly elected party leader Ed Miliband to step down as Labour’s chief whip as Labour sought to distance itself from the Gordon Brown years, a move the Tyneside MP does not believe was necessary.
Nick Brown said: “Gordon was working his heart out, first in and last home to see the country through probably the greatest post war economic crisis we have faced up to.”
Asked if he thought he was a great Prime Minister, Mr Brown said: “Yes I do, and I think history will be far kinder to him than contemporaries are.
“I do think he was unfairly treated, but it is a truism in politics that if you find yourself sat behind the desk pounding your fists on the table saying ‘It’s unfair, it’s unfair, it’s unfair,’ then you know you have lost.”
Speaking to Radio 4’s The World at One programme, Mr Brown said Prime Minister David Cameron was improving in his role.
He said: “I think he is growing into the job, he has the presentational skills necessary and has actually got better at it rather than stood still.”
Comparing Mr Cameron to Mr Miliband, he said: “They are very different people leading different organisations.”
Mr Brown has explained that he was keen to keep his job as chief whip when Ed Miliband took over. He said: “What actually happened is that Ed asked to see me, said he didn’t want me.
“I wanted to be chief whip for a bit longer and he said if you want another middle ranking shadow post, but it was my decision to step back. I would have liked to carry on, but he didn’t want me to.”
Asked if he was backing Mr Miliband now, Mr Brown said: “I thought Ed made his points well and got the better of the PM... He is the elected leader of our party, we have a great system, I strongly support the electoral system we have, the decision having been made has to be supported.
“I felt that way about Tony Blair, I felt that way about Gordon Brown and I feel that way about Ed Miliband.”
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