Tuesday 10 June 2008

Where did it all go wrong?

Fascinating to watch last night's Channel 4 Dispatches programme on Gordon Brown.

Although the answer really is very simple.

Never make the FD the CEO - it always ends in tears.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brown is a victim of bad press. Anyone with doubt over Brown's performance should recall the events of the 1990's: record levels of crime, double digit interest rates, millions cast into unemployment, thousands of failing companies, EU isolation, and the worst economy since the Depression. Three million Britons worked for less money than staff in New Delhi, India, after HMG refused to enact law to protect low paid staff.

John Major, a confessed adulterer, referred to homeless Britons as eyesores. So many were homeless in Manchester, Manchester Council allowed street pavements places to be resgistered as addresses in the electoral register.

Rachel Elnaugh said...

Regrettably it would appear from yesterday's Henley by election results that only 3% of people agree with you. However minority views are always welcome on my Blog!

Anonymous said...

@ Anonymous

Gordon Brown has done a lot for this country; I don’t think many open-minded people would say otherwise.

The problem is that he isn’t suited for the job. It’s a case of putting the wrong skill set to work in the wrong place.

As Rachel pointed out – it’s like putting the Finance Director in the Chief Executive Officers chair. Most people that are brilliant with finance and figures, in my personal experience, aren’t very good with the intuitive and insightful side of business.

Gordon Brown isn’t keyed into what people want, how people think – or even the strategy of communication and PR. Any anger towards him is more towards the fact – that someone in such a position should really take a good long look at himself and say “Am I right for the job?”

In not doing so, he has repeatedly jeopardised his own reputation, that of his party and the nature of democratic government in its entirety.

Government shouldn’t be about ego, or about playing favours - like putting your unskilled mate into office because you couldn’t give a crap any longer as you’ve got a nice cushy job in Europe.

Yes, Gordon Brown is a victim of bad press – but he’s a victim of his own bad press.