Unofficially Campaigning
I read a strange report in the papers the other day - about the moves to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn as head of the IMF (International Monetary Fund).
The report said that nameless allies of Gordon Brown - the sometime MP for Fife - were accusing the government of a 'petty blocking exercise' motivated by personal dislike of the former Labour leader.
Yet the government - according to GB's nameless friends - were well aware that their man was 'unofficially campaigning for the job'.
Now I could swear I heard GB saying quite the opposite on live TV - while he was stomping around South Africa last week.
So what's the government supposed to do - because if you don't ask, you don't get.
And anyway, GB already has a full-time job - representing the interests of the good people of Fife - even though he appears to spend relatively little of his time and energy in the House of Commons.
If the job of being an MP is not big enough for the former Iron Chancellor - he should do the decent thing and resign - then he can throw his hat into the ring for any job he likes.
But trying to have your cake and eat it at the same time - is no way to win friends and influence people.
As it happens the Westminster government has now formally nominate a French woman as the replacement for DSK - Christine Lagarde.
If successful - she will become the first woman to head up the IMF.
No doubt unsuspecting chambermaids all across New York - will be breathing a huge sigh of relief.
The report said that nameless allies of Gordon Brown - the sometime MP for Fife - were accusing the government of a 'petty blocking exercise' motivated by personal dislike of the former Labour leader.
Yet the government - according to GB's nameless friends - were well aware that their man was 'unofficially campaigning for the job'.
Now I could swear I heard GB saying quite the opposite on live TV - while he was stomping around South Africa last week.
So what's the government supposed to do - because if you don't ask, you don't get.
And anyway, GB already has a full-time job - representing the interests of the good people of Fife - even though he appears to spend relatively little of his time and energy in the House of Commons.
If the job of being an MP is not big enough for the former Iron Chancellor - he should do the decent thing and resign - then he can throw his hat into the ring for any job he likes.
But trying to have your cake and eat it at the same time - is no way to win friends and influence people.
As it happens the Westminster government has now formally nominate a French woman as the replacement for DSK - Christine Lagarde.
If successful - she will become the first woman to head up the IMF.
No doubt unsuspecting chambermaids all across New York - will be breathing a huge sigh of relief.
