Gordon Brown

Question 1

What banks did he nationalise?

Answer 1

Northern Rock, part nationalised Lloyds, TSB and RSB but dithered over it

Question 2

What did Lee argue? Year?

Answer 2

Same type of political economy as Thatcherites, unregulated capitalism, 2007

Question 3

What did Beech argue?

Answer 3

Puzzle for ideas and policies, failed to articulate clear articulate ideological vision, 2009

Question 4

What did Kettell and Kerr argue

Answer 4

Failed at two things, Westministerism and modernality

Question 5

Define Westminsterism

Answer 5

The traditions of the political system, strong political leadership and tradition, strong decisive leadership.

Question 6

Define modernality

Answer 6

By ‘modernality’ we refer to a much more contemporary and emergent discursive constraint on the ability of political leaders in the UK to forge a successful mode of statecraft

Question 7

How would you compare Brown to Blair

Answer 7

Uncharismatic and dour

Question 8

What happened in his first year?

Answer 8

Suffered a decline in electoral popularity sharper than any previous PM.

Question 9

What embarassing u turn did he comit

Answer 9

10p tax rate - party and public were against it.

Question 10

What did the Conservatives do

Answer 10

Expoilted his leadership, charismatic when he wasn’t, better media presence, strengthened the argument that he was an angry and bossy figure, Cameron youthful and came across more of a statesman.

Question 11

What could be the deeper reason at play for Brown’s unpopularity?

Answer 11

Public grew tired, bored and disenfranchised of New Labour in govermnment

Question 12

What did the poll of Jan 2008 say

Answer 12

According to poll data from MORI, by January 2008, a point at which Brown’s rot had set in, the Conservatives held a lead over Labour in 10 of 18 key policy areas, although seven of these were leads of 5 points or less, while the remaining three were in key Conservative areas (‘asylum and immigration’, ‘law and order’, and ‘taxation’), where they might be expected to be ahead.

Question 13

Brown’s role in the G20

Answer 13

Great success, he was the chair, agreed a package of $5 trillion stimulus for the world economy, led to people saying it was the most successful one in summit history

Question 14

What did Telegraph columnist say about Brown

Answer 14

Worst post war PM - Dan Hodges

Question 15

Idea of Brown the saviour

Answer 15

Country, labour party spirit, saved union

Question 16

What did Coates argue?

Answer 16

Any success that Brown enjoyed covered up a number of signficant problems, productivity was low, working longer hours to match other European countries. Trade imbalance with the EU, lack of investment, private debt increased

Question 17

What did Lord Desai say about Brown

Answer 17

He was put on earth to remind everyone how good Tony Blair was.

Question 18

How did Labour do in 2010

Answer 18

Lost 91 seats on 258

Question 19

What did Wolf say about Brown

Answer 19

That he didn’t see the recession coming, but not many seemed to at all but yet he was made the scapegoat.

Question 20

What leadership model can you use

Answer 20

Greenstein in The Presidential difference 2001 presented 6 criteria to assess the leadership of US presidents, can be used on PM’s as there are many similarities

Question 21

Why not use Bulpitt

Answer 21

Presents more criteria which can be used to assess more about the leader

Question 22

What are the criteria

Answer 22

Political Communicator
Political Skills
Policy vision
Organisational capacity
Emotional intelligence
Cognitive Skills

Question 23

Apply them to brown

Answer 23

Brown disliked having to sell himself and his policies as a package to the media, didn’t have a great image and didn’t have a strategy, not considered a great communicto. Monotone as PM and Chancellor but when a rising MP was great at writing speeches with effective soundbites. Brown entered No 10 saying presentation should never substitute policy.

Organisational capacity link to Kettel and kerr Westministeralism

Political skills - steam rolled, big clunking fists. Rawnsley said it was tacitacally foolish and strategically stupid to dither holding an election in 2007.

Intellectual PM - only one with a PHD.

Question 24

What did Paris argue

Answer 24

That Brown was psychologically unfit for the office of PM in 2007

Question 25

How does Theakston summaries Brown

Answer 25

He wasn’t well equipped for office of PM, different skills needed which he didn’t have, this made it hard for Labour to ever be succesful under him.

Question 26

Summarise Gordon Brown opinion polls

Answer 26

Sunday Time and You Gov did a poll in August 2007 65% thought he was doing a good job, in December 2009 it was at 66% no, and 20% yes.

Also did a personality questionaire in which in May 2008 he was given a 2 for charisma and 3 for leader.

43% of voters thought he was to blame after the defeat.

Question 27

What did Dyson say

Answer 27

That Brown’s handling of the economic crisis was one of few successes, a personal triumph

Question 28

What did Rawnsley say

Answer 28

Tactically foolish and strategically stupid not to hold an election

Chancellor of the world after his management of the economy in 2010.

Question 29

What did Darling say?

Answer 29

That Brown’s personality was a positive and a benefit when dealing with the economic crisis and with other leaders, his agression and determination was useful.

Question 30

What did Hay say

Answer 30

Neo-liberal convergence

In 2010 he said that it was unthinkable for New Labour to win the election. Although they kept the lib dems in third place despite the pollings predicting otherwise.

Question 31

Why did New Labour lose the election

Answer 31

Immigration, succesful media strategy by Cameron put more blame of the expenses scandal onto Labour so did more damage. 43% voters thought Brown was to blame for New Labour’s defeat in YouGov poll after election.