Brown blues

I was indifferent towards Gordon Brown, before I just started feeling sorry for him. Poor soul. All those years as backdrop in the court of glossy Blairs.

As the story goes, he had been bested at the critical moment by his erstwhile junior, to become Labour Leader. Whether it was Tony Blair's audacity or his indecision, Brown entered our imagination as a loser. To be seen as a leader in his own right, Gordon Brown was always going to be faced with a tough reinvention project.

Tough, but not impossible. Ask Hillary Clinton. How many political face lifts has she had ? Makeovers, as we know, are the new black.

Instead, Gordon only burnished his reputation as a loser. He was snarly and undermining as PM in-waiting. He remained colourless and worse, indecisive, after the highest office was bestowed on him. No new narrative emerged that made him intriguing. In an age where Susan Boyle can become sexy in 60 seconds, Brown stayed steadfastly dour. For political spirit, you could say he is John Kerry's identical twin.

If I were a Labour leader aspirant, I would back Gordon Brown now. Who better to have responsibility for Labour's inevitable defeat ? No use putting good political capital on an irreversible train wreck. Better to emerge fresh, after the crash.