Dogs and Airplanes
I've just finished reading 'The New Machiavelli' by Jonathan Powell - an extraordinary account of his years at Number 10 Downing Street - as Tony Blair's chief-of-staff.
In a fascinating chapter entitled 'The Prime Minister and the Chancellor' - Powell details and disects the decade long feud pursued by Gordon Brown.
Against his one-time political ally and best friend - Anthony Lynton Blair.
Powell paints a grim picture of a government of a talented number two - unable to come to terms with Blair beating him to the top spot - first as Labour leader then as PM.
So much so that government policy was often blown off course - and made less effective by the constant plotting and petty jealousies.
One such example came during the foot and month crisis - long before war in Iraq war and prior to Labour winning a second landlside at the polls.
"A turning point for me came in 2001 when 'switch' mistakenly plugged me into a phone call between Gordon (Brown) and Nick Brown, who was abroad.
The call was in the context of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, and Gordon peppered it with pleas to Nick to be very careful in what he said in case someone was listening. Gordon said all this presidentialism was terrible. 'We have to stop him taking foot-and-mouth away from you'.
Nick Brown complained that he had to waste his time coming to Number 10 to hear Tony blather on about the disease for an hour a day. They agreed that they should not discuss the issue with Number 10 policy people but would tallk again with Ed balls later in the day.
I simply could not believe the disloyal way in which Gordon talked about Tony and I saw him in a new light.'
And the chapter continues - in similar vein - with Gordon Brown obsessing and plotting over when his 'turn' would finally come - as if he had some kind of right to succeed Tony Blair as Prime Minister - without even fighting an election.
Powell's assessment of Gordon Brown is that he spent so much time and energy trying to undermine Blair - that he forgot what he wanted the job for in the first place.
"I sometimes thought of him as the dog that chased an airplane: What would he do if he caught it?", says Powell.
As things turned out - Powell was absolutely spot on.
In a fascinating chapter entitled 'The Prime Minister and the Chancellor' - Powell details and disects the decade long feud pursued by Gordon Brown.
Against his one-time political ally and best friend - Anthony Lynton Blair.
Powell paints a grim picture of a government of a talented number two - unable to come to terms with Blair beating him to the top spot - first as Labour leader then as PM.
So much so that government policy was often blown off course - and made less effective by the constant plotting and petty jealousies.
One such example came during the foot and month crisis - long before war in Iraq war and prior to Labour winning a second landlside at the polls.
"A turning point for me came in 2001 when 'switch' mistakenly plugged me into a phone call between Gordon (Brown) and Nick Brown, who was abroad.
The call was in the context of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, and Gordon peppered it with pleas to Nick to be very careful in what he said in case someone was listening. Gordon said all this presidentialism was terrible. 'We have to stop him taking foot-and-mouth away from you'.
Nick Brown complained that he had to waste his time coming to Number 10 to hear Tony blather on about the disease for an hour a day. They agreed that they should not discuss the issue with Number 10 policy people but would tallk again with Ed balls later in the day.
I simply could not believe the disloyal way in which Gordon talked about Tony and I saw him in a new light.'
And the chapter continues - in similar vein - with Gordon Brown obsessing and plotting over when his 'turn' would finally come - as if he had some kind of right to succeed Tony Blair as Prime Minister - without even fighting an election.
Powell's assessment of Gordon Brown is that he spent so much time and energy trying to undermine Blair - that he forgot what he wanted the job for in the first place.
"I sometimes thought of him as the dog that chased an airplane: What would he do if he caught it?", says Powell.
As things turned out - Powell was absolutely spot on.
