Tracking Gordon - buying the beers

Not only was Gordon in Watford, Knebworth and the Imagination Gallery in Central London, he also popped into the Marquis of Granby in Westminster for a quick half.image_00061.jpg

Ok it was only a cardboard stand up…look out for attack ads staring this particular image.

Permanent link to this post

Tracking Gordon - homework edition

Today Brown visited another school, where he reassuringly told the kids he’s no good at maths.  Must have been a boost for the kids knowing that to be Chancellor you don’t need maths.

He also made the mistake of tucking his trousers into his shoes.  It could be worse, he could have done a Major (having his shirt tucked into his pants). 

Permanent link to this post

A post-celebrity Britain?

Today the Guardian treated us to a 2 minute podcast on Gordon Brown informing us that Britain is moving away from its celebrity obsessed culture to more concern for “what lies behind the character or the personality.”  According to Gordon people care about more than just fame and money.

To prove that he doesn’t care about being a celebrity, shortly after the interview, Gordon got himself on a plane to Washington and met up with George Bush.  Everyone knows that meeting up with an unpopular US President is not going to improve your celebrity status.

But such meetings are as much about what Weber called self-legitimation, as convincing anyone at home that he’s going to be the next PM.  Meeting up with the most powerful man in the world does wonders to impress upon yourself how important you are, even if your coronation plans are looking uncertain.

Self-legitimation must also partly be the reason he’s been spending so much time with celebrities, such as Kylie, recently.

Permanent link to this post

Tracking Gordon (no Trade Mark)

Guido’s keeping track of what Gordon’s been upto this week (we all know he’s never where he should be).   So to help him in his task, here’s where Gord’s been in the last few days.

Yesterday he was in Edinburgh with Douglas Alexander launching an exciting Fabian publication on the soon to be defunct Union.  Get your copy for only £6.95.

Today he’s been meeting with Kofi Annan at Gleneagles to discuss what dismal progress they’d made since the last time they were there in 2005.

Tomorrow, Gord’s trying desperately to sure up some support from the Scottish media by addressing a Scottish journalists’ charity lunch.

I can’t wait for Guido’s much promised interactive Gordon journey map.

Permanent link to this post

Hanging out with celebrities

According to this morning’s Metro, Brown’s been dining with celebrities such as Kylie Minogue in order to transform his “dour” public image.

If this really was about changing his image, then it would have been reported a month ago (the Kylie meeting took place on 10th February). Or better yet, there would have been TV cameras at the meal.

When Blair wanted to appear down wiv da kids, he invited all the famous rockstars down to No. 10 for a ‘Cool Britannia’ party and made sure it was full of cameras. Brown didn’t do that. These meals were not just about changing Brown’s public image (although having a report that he gets on with Kylie can’t now be a bad thing). Instead they are about positioning him within the elite.

Permanent link to this post

Ten years to remember

Gordon Brown is to face his biggest challenge yet. To celebrate ten years of soft porn, badly acted imported soap operas and sit coms Channel Five, Gordon is going to face a grilling by 10 year olds.

Perhaps they’re making far too much of this 10 year theme- got a man who’s done the same job for 10 years to be grilled by 10 year olds to celebrate 10 years of bad TV.

I suppose it’s not as if they’re going over the top. They could have done 10 years after the Spice Girls, celebrities remembering what it was like to be 10 and what 10 year olds would be like as parents….oh wait, they are…set your videos to record.

Permanent link to this post

Brown worried by polls, goes to Toyota plant tomorrow

Gordon is worried by those polls last week. To counter, the Brown camp released a poll by Opinion Poll research of 100 “opinion makers” which shows Cameron lacks substance.

To demonstrate how substantial he is, Brown is to visit a Toyota plant in Derby tomorrow.

Permanent link to this post

Photo-op protest

Gordon Brown was heckled by some students during his visit to St Andrews University today to open the new environmentally friendly student accomodation.

The students, who are members of the Lower Rents Now coalition, were complaining that it costs them £4k a year to stay in the halls. They thought that education and lower rents were more important than Trident or the war in Iraq.

Permanent link to this post

Another photo op- St Andrews University Friday

Gordon is off to St Andrew’s University tomorrow (Friday) to open the most environmental halls of residence in the UK, (it only cost £34.7m) even though its been open for over a year.

Its a photo op, the environment and education all in one.

Permanent link to this post

Mark your diaries

A day for your diaries, Brown’s last budget speech is to be on 21st March.

Let me stress last budget speech. There’s no way Prime Minister Brown is going to let his Chancellor decide the budget.

Permanent link to this post
keep looking »