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| You DELETED MY FUCKING PAGE YOU ARSEHOLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCK YOU! | |||
| {{For|the Scottish rugby player|Gordon Brown (rugby player)}} | |||
| {{Infobox Prime Minister-elect | |||
| | honorific-prefix = ] | |||
| | name = Gordon Brown | |||
| | honorific-suffix = ] | |||
| | image = Gordon_Brown_Photo.jpg | |||
| | order = <!-- ] --> | |||
| | term_start = <!-- ] ] --> | |||
| | term_end = | |||
| | monarch = <!-- ] --> | |||
| | deputy = <!-- undecided --> | |||
| | predecessor = <!-- ] --> | |||
| | successor = <!-- Incumbent --> | |||
| | office2 = ] | |||
| | term_start2 = ] ] | |||
| | term_end2 = <!-- ] ] --> | |||
| | primeminister2 = ] | |||
| | predecessor2 = ] | |||
| | successor2 = Incumbent | |||
| | constituency3 = ] | |||
| | birth_date = {{euro birth date and age|1951|2|20}} | |||
| | birth_place = {{flagicon|Scotland}} ], ] | |||
| | death_date = | |||
| | death_place = | |||
| | spouse = ] | |||
| | party = ] | |||
| | relations = | |||
| | children = Jennifer Jane (died when 10 days old), John and James Fraser | |||
| | residence = ] | |||
| | alma_mater = ] | |||
| | occupation = | |||
| | profession = ] (]) | |||
| | religion = ] | |||
| | signature = Gordon Brown's signature.png | |||
| | website = | |||
| | footnotes = | |||
| }} | |||
| '''James Gordon Brown''' (born ] ]) is the ] of the ] and the leader-designate of the ] until ] ]. Brown is expected to be appointed ] on or shortly after ] ].<ref>{{cite web| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6660565.stm | title =Brown will enter No 10 unopposed | date =] | work =] | publisher = }}</ref> He was the ] (MP) for the constituency of ] in ] from ] to ] and, following a reorganisation of ] in ], is now MP for ]. | |||
| Brown has headed ] since ], making him the longest continuously serving Chancellor since ] (1812-1823). He is widely regarded as the second most powerful member of the current ] after the ], ], as opposed to the ], ]. | |||
| Having launched his ''Gordon Brown for Britain'' campaign on ] ], Brown received the 308 nominations to guarantee that he would win any leadership contest on ] ].<ref>BBC news, accessed 16 May, 2007</ref> On ] it was announced that he would be the ], replacing Blair. He will become ] shortly after ] ], following Blair's resignation, when the ] will ].<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6639945.stm</ref> | |||
| ==Early life and career before parliament== | |||
| His father, John, was a ] ]. Brown was born in ]<ref>http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9228264</ref> and attended ], where he performed well and was placed in an academic fast stream. He was accepted by the ] to study history at the age of 16. As a student, he suffered a ], possibly in an accident playing ]. He was left ] in his left eye, despite treatment including several operations and lying in a darkened room for weeks at a time. A later operation for a detached retina in his right eye saved him from total blindness.<ref>, ], ] ]</ref> | |||
| Brown graduated from Edinburgh with ] ] in ], and stayed on to complete his ] (which he gained in ]), titled ''The Labour Party and Political Change in Scotland 1918-29''. According to biographer ], Brown originally intended his ] to cover the development of the ] from the ] onwards, but evolved to more modestly describe "Labour's struggle to establish itself as the alternative to the ] ". | |||
| While a student, Brown was elected ]<ref> ] News ] ]</ref> of ] and Chairman of the ]; he also edited ''The Red Paper on Scotland''.<ref> Red Paper on Scotland website.</ref> | |||
| Brown lectured at Edinburgh and then at ] before working as a journalist at ]. In the ], Brown stood for the ] constituency, but lost to the ] candidate, ]. | |||
| ==Election to parliament and opposition== | |||
| He was elected to Parliament on his second attempt as a Labour MP for ] in 1983, becoming ] spokesman on Trade and Industry in 1985. In 1986, he published a ] of the ] politician ], the subject of his ] thesis. Brown was ] ] from 1987 to 1989 and then Shadow ], before becoming Shadow Chancellor in 1992. | |||
| After the sudden death of ] in May 1994, Brown was one of those tipped as a potential party leader.<ref>{{cite news |first=Philip |last=Webster |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Friends Blair and Brown face a difficult decision; Death of John Smith |url=http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T004&prodId=SPN.SP00&docId=CJ115719842&source=gale&srcprod=SP00&userGroupName=jrycal5&version=1.0 |work=] |publisher=The Times |date=] |accessdate=2007-03-26 |language= |quote=As probably the two most powerful figures in the party, they have the agonising task of deciding whether they should at last become rivals and vie for the crown, or whether one should stand aside for the other to become the centre candidate to succeed Mr Smith. }}</ref> It has long been rumoured that a deal was struck between Blair and Brown at the ] restaurant in ]<ref>http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,971644,00.html</ref>, in which Blair promised to give Brown control of economic policy in return for Brown not standing against him in the ] <ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901050124-1018039-2,00.html</ref>.Whether this is true or not, the relationship between Blair and Brown has been central to the fortunes of "]", and they have mostly remained united in public, despite reported serious private rifts<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6506365.stm</ref>. | |||
| As Shadow Chancellor, Brown worked hard to present himself as a fiscally competent Chancellor-in-waiting, to reassure business and the middle class that Labour could be trusted to run the economy without fuelling ], increasing unemployment, or overspending - legacies of the 1970s. He publicly committed Labour to following the Conservatives' spending plans for the first two years after taking power.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Short | first = Claire | authorlink = Clare Short | date = ] | title = On the edge of a volcano | journal = ] | url = http://www.newstatesman.com/200310270043 | accessdate = 2007-03-30 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/man/lab97.htm |title=Labour Party Manifesto, General Election 1997 |accessdate=2007-03-30 }}</ref> | |||
| ==Chancellor of the Exchequer== | |||
| ]/] meeting in 2002]] | |||
| Brown's lengthy period as Chancellor of the Exchequer has set several records. He is the longest-serving Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer (ahead of ], who was Chancellor for 5 years and 2 months from ] ] to ] ]). On ] ], he became the longest continuous serving Chancellor of the Exchequer since the ], passing the figure of 7 years and 43 days set by ] (1908–1915). However, ] was Chancellor for a total of 12 years and 4 months in the period from 1852 to 1882 (although not continuously). Brown has stated that his Chancellorship has seen the longest period of sustained economic growth in ]<ref>http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/about/CI/CP/Our_Society_Today/News_Articles_2005/economy.aspx?ComponentId=8723&SourcePageId=11412</ref> <ref>http://society.guardian.co.uk/publicfinances/story/0,,1439789,00.html</ref>, although part of this growth period started under the preceding Conservative government in 1993, and the details in Brown's growth figures have been challenged<ref>http://money.independent.co.uk/personal_finance/tax/article6625.ece</ref><ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/issues/4423887.stm</ref>. | |||
| ===Bank of England Independence=== | |||
| On taking office as ], Brown gave the ] operational independence in ], and thus responsibility for setting ]s. The Conservatives opposed this until 1999, as a prelude to the abolishment of ] and entrance into the Euro zone, whilst Bank of England independence had been a key plank of ] economic policy since the 1992 general election. | |||
| ===Taxation and spending=== | |||
| Brown adhered to Labour's 1997 election pledge of not increasing the basic or higher rates of ]. He reduced the starting rate from 20% (pre-1997) to 10% (1999) before abolishing the starting rate in 2007, and reduced the basic rate from 23% (pre-1997) to 22% (2000) and then 20% (2007).<ref name=AdamBrowne>Figures from Adam, S. and J. Browne, ], ] No. 9, March 2006</ref> | |||
| Brown has increased the tax thresholds in line with inflation, rather than earnings, which rise more quickly during periods of economic growth. This results in ] in which more taxpayers are drawn into the upper rates (e.g. in 2000-01 there were 2,880,000 higher-rate taxpayers, whereas in 2005-06 there were 3,160,000).<ref name=AdamBrowne/> | |||
| ] has fallen under Brown, from a main rate of 33% (pre-1997) to 30% (1999) and then 28% (2007), and from 24% to 19% for ]es (although the lower rate is set to rise to 22% by 2010).<ref name=AdamBrowne/> | |||
| ] | |||
| Once the two-year period of following the Conservative's spending plans was over, Brown's 2000 Spending Review outlined a major expansion of ], particularly on health and education. In his April 2002 budget, Brown raised ] to pay for health spending; this is a tax on income separate from personal income tax. Brown has changed ] in other ways, such as the ]s. This is one of several ideas borrowed from the US ] administration whereby welfare payments are accounted for as negative taxation. The separate ] process for ]s has been criticised by some as bureaucratic, and in 2003-04 and 2004-05 problems in the system led to overpayments of £2.2bn and £1.8bn respectively<ref> ], ] ]</ref> However, ] suggests that tax credits can strengthen work incentives for those at the margin between employment and unemployment, and the ] has estimated that the reforms brought at least 50,000 ] into part-time work.<ref> Blundell, R., M. Brewer and A. Shepherd, ], Briefing Note No. 52, 2004 </ref> | |||
| In practice Brown's policies have resulted in the poorest fifth of households comparatively paying more tax and receiving a lower share of benefits since Labour's election victory in 1997. The ] found that the poorest fifth of households accounted for 6.9% of all taxes paid in 2004-5, up from 6.8% in 1996-7. Meanwhile, their share of state benefit payouts dropped from 28.1% to 27.1% over the same period.<ref>, ''The Times'' ] ].</ref> | |||
| According to the ] UK taxation has increased from a 39.3% share of ] in 1997 to 42.4% in 2006, going to a higher level than Germany.<ref> ]</ref> This increase has mainly been attributed to active government policy, and not simply to the growing economy. To have brought this about with only one explicit tax rise has led to accusations of Brown imposing ]es. A commonly reported example resulted in ] from a technical change in the way that ] is collected, the indirect effect of which was for the returns on ] investments held within ]s to be taxed, thus lowering pension returns and allegedly contributing to the demise of some pension funds.<ref>, ''The Daily Telegraph'' ] ].</ref> | |||
| ===Growth development and employment=== | |||
| Brown has pointed to two main accomplishments: growth and employment. An OECD report<ref> ]</ref> shows UK ] has averaged 2.7% between 1997 and 2006, higher than the Eurozone's 2.1%, though lower than that of any other ] country. UK unemployment is 5.5%,<ref></ref> down from 7% in 1997 and lower than the Eurozone's average of 8.1%. | |||
| In October 1997, Brown took control of the United Kingdom's membership of the European single currency issue by announcing the Treasury would set five economic tests<ref> '']'' ] ]</ref> to ascertain whether the economic case had been made. In June 2003 ] indicated the tests had not been met.<ref> BBC, ] ]</ref> | |||
| ] in 2006]] | |||
| Between 1999 and 2002 Brown sold 60% of the UK's ] at $275 an ounce.<ref></ref> It was later attacked as a "disastrous foray into international asset management"<ref> Scotsman.com website ] ]</ref> as he had sold at close to a 20-year low. Prices went on to reach $700 an ounce in May 2006 - he could have raised £4bn for the public had he waited.<ref>, ] by Alex Brummer, ] website.</ref> He pressured the IMF to do the same,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taxfreegold.co.uk/gordonbrownimfgoldrevaluationg7goldsales.html |title=Gordon Brown & IMF Gold Sales |accessdate=2007-03-30 |work=Tax Free Gold }}</ref> but it resisted. | |||
| Under Brown the windfall 'telecoms' ] auctions gathered £22.5 Billion for the government, by using a system of sealed bids and only selling a restricted number of licences, they extracted the high prices from the telecom operators<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,178157,00.html</ref>. | |||
| Brown feels it appropriate to remove much of the unpayable ] but does not feel that all debt should be wiped out <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/369846.stm</ref>. | |||
| ] | |||
| On ] ], in a speech to the ] Ambassadors, Brown outlined a "]" view of global development: | |||
| "... far from being at odds with each other, our economic objectives and our environmental objectives now increasingly reinforce each other. ... Environmental ] is not an option - it is a necessity. For economies to flourish, for ] to be banished, for the ] of the world's people to be enhanced - not just in this generation but in succeeding generations - we have a compelling and ever more urgent duty of stewardship to take care of the natural environment and resources on which our economic activity and social fabric depends. ... A new paradigm that sees economic growth, ] and environmental care advancing together can become the ] of our age."<ref>] ]]</ref> | |||
| ===Higher education=== | |||
| In 2000, Brown started a major political row about ] (referred to as the ]) when he accused ] of ] in their admissions procedures.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/759114.stm| title = Oxford 'reject' wins Harvard scholarship| accessdate = 2007-03-30| date = ]| work = BBC News| publisher = ]}}</ref> | |||
| He described their decision not to offer a place to ] pupil Laura Spence as "absolutely outrageous" and implied that their decision was based on her background rather than her academic potential. This started a major and hotly argued row in the media in which Oxford strongly denied these accusations. | |||
| With his comments, Brown can arguably be credited with raising ] to Higher Education higher up the ]. However, at the same time, many of his opponents said that Brown's comments were ill founded, including ] (then ] of Oxford University) who said that "nearly every fact he used was false," and that said Brown's speech about Spence had been a "little Blitzkrieg in being an act of sudden unprovoked aggression".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/792021.stm| title = Peers condemn Oxford attack| accessdate = 2007-03-30| date = ]| work = BBC News| publisher = ]}}</ref> | |||
| ==Run up to succeeding Blair== | |||
| In October 2004 Tony Blair announced he would not lead the party into a fourth ], but would serve a full third term. Political controversy over the relationship between Brown and Blair continued up to and beyond the ], which Labour won with a reduced parliamentary majority and reduced vote share. The two campaigned together but the British media remained - and remain - full of reports on their mutual acrimony. | |||
| Blair, under pressure from within his own party, announced on ] ] that he would step down within a year.<ref>{{cite news | first = Alan | last = Cowell | authorlink = Alan Cowell | title = Blair to Give Up Post as Premier Within One Year | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/08/world/europe/08blair.html?ex=1315368000&en=5e7bcfe77c01e050&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc |date = ] | work = ] | publisher = ] | accessdate = 2007-03-30 }}</ref> Brown has been the clear favourite to succeed Blair for several years and remains so with experts and the bookmakers; he is the only ] spoken of seriously in Westminster. Recent appearances and news coverage have been interpreted as preparing the ground for Brown to become ], in part by creating the impression of a statesman with a vision for leadership and ]. | |||
| Were Brown to become Prime Minister, he would be the first from a Scottish constituency since the ]/] ] in 1964. He would also be one of the few university-educated Prime Ministers not to have attended ] or ], along with ] (]), ] (]), ] (]) and ] (]).<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A4197440 | title = Are you Statistically Prepared to Become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom? | accessdate=2007-03-30 | date = ] | work = BBC - h2g2 | publisher = ] }}</ref> ] and ] were not university-educated. | |||
| On ] ] ] in an interview in '']'' said the Chancellor had "psychological" issues that he must confront and accused him of being a "]" and "totally uncollegiate". Brown was also "deluded", he said, to think that Blair can and should anoint him as his successor now.<ref>{{cite news | first = Rachel | last = Sylvester | coauthors = Alice Thomson and Toby Helm | title = Clarke attack on Brown 'the deluded control freak' | url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=IPBPT4OHGNBSZQFIQMFCFF4AVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2006/09/09/nclarke09.xml | work = ] | publisher = Telegraph Media Group Limited | date = ] | accessdate = 2007-03-30 }}</ref> | |||
| By the start of 2007, prospects of any significant current or former Cabinet-level contender to Brown receded significantly, and Brown's odds with major bookmakers became as short as 1/10 on. A number of those tipped as potential rivals ruled themselves out - notably Education Secretary ], who declared he would contest the deputy leadership, and Environment Secretary ], who stressed his support for Brown<ref> | |||
| {{cite news | first = Martin | last = Bright | title = It must be Gordon, Gordon, Gordon | url = http://www.newstatesman.com/200609110013 | work = ] | publisher = New Statesman | date = ] | accessdate = 2007-03-30 }}</ref> to close down speculation of a possible challenge. Despite his disavowals, attempts to draft Miliband to run continued, with the launch of a website by former Ministers Alan Milburn and Charles Clarke, obstensibly to debate policy, but widely viewed as an attempt to test the water. However, this widely-covered initiative was also a seen as sign of weakness in that the project appeared to have no credible champion to carry the banner in a leadership contest. Only candidates from the left of the party, ] and previous Environment Secretary ] declared their willingness to contest the election; each would need to gain 44 nominations from Labour MPs required to make the ballot. Either would be rank outsiders in a contest, both have agreed that the candidate with the highest number of nominations when Blair steps down, will give way to the other to stand for the left of the party. | |||
| From January 2007 the media reported that Brown had now "dropped any pretence of not wanting, or expecting, to move into Number 10 in the next few months" - although he and his family will likely use the more spacious ].<ref>{{cite news | first = Ned | last = Temko | title = Brown invokes JFK as No 10 beckons | url = http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,1990065,00.html | work = ] | publisher = Guardian News and Media Limited | pages = | page = | date = ] | accessdate = 2007-03-30 }}</ref> This enabled Brown to signal the most significant priorities for his agenda as Prime Minister - stressing education, international development, narrowing inequalities (to pursue 'equality of opportunity and fairness of outcome'), renewing Britishness, restoring trust in politics, and winning hearts and minds in the war on terror as key priorities - speaking at a ] conference on 'The Next Decade' in January 2007.<ref>{{cite press release |title = Make education our national mission |publisher = ] | date = ] |url=http://www.fabian-society.org.uk/press_office/display.asp?id=587&type=news&cat=43 |accessdate = 2007-03-30 }}</ref> | |||
| As Brown is Chancellor of the Exchequer, he could become prime minister and retain this office, and thus remain in No 11 Downing Street. Whilst the majority of Prime Ministers have derived their cabinet position from being ], the office of ] has also been used, last by Balfour in 1905. It is however unlikely, as in his March 2007 budget speech he referred to Gladstone having delivered twelve budgets by fulfilling both offices at once, and concluded that is "something no one should ever contemplate doing again"<ref>http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070321/debtext/70321-0004.htm</ref>. | |||
| On the eve of the 2007 budget, Brown's character was attacked by ] who worked for Brown as ] at the Treasury from 1998 to 2002. Turnbull accused Brown of running the Treasury with "Stalinist ruthlessness" and treating Cabinet colleagues with "more or less complete contempt".<ref>{{cite news | first = Philippe | last = Naughton | title = Brown hit by 'Stalinist' attack on Budget eve | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1542111.ece | work = The Times | publisher = Times Newspapers Limited | date = ] | accessdate = 2007-03-30 }}</ref> This was especially picked up on by the British media as the comments by Turnbull were made on the eve of Brown's (expected to be last) budget report. | |||
| Tony Blair made clear of his intention to stand down as Prime Minister on 27th June in his resignation speech. <ref>{{cite news | title = Blair to stand down on June 27 | url = http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labourleadership/story/0,,2076434,00.html | work = The Guardian | date = ] }}</ref> On the Wednesday following this announcement, it became clear that no other candidate would gain enough nominations to get on the ballot paper with Brown. He is therefore now certain to win the Labour leadership race, and thus to become Prime Minister shortly after Blair resigns. | |||
| ==Bid for Labour Leadership== | |||
| {{Current-section|date=May 2007}} | |||
| After months of speculation, Gordon Brown formally announced on ] ] his bid for the Labour leadership and to replace Tony Blair as Prime Minister when Blair steps down on ] ]. On Channel 4 news on ] ] it was announced that ] had nominated Brown giving him 308 nominations, sufficient to avoid a leadership contest. | |||
| Since Blair's announcement of his resignation and Brown's bid for leadership, the Labour party has gained a bounce in the polls, gaining three points after months of low polls trailing behind the opposition, the ].<ref>{{cite news | title = Poll surge as Brown unveils policy blitz | url = http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,2078595,00.html | work = The Observer | date = ] }}</ref> | |||
| Brown launched his campaign website the same day as formally announcing his bid for leadership "Gordon Brown for Britain". The website is expected to be updated frequently in the six weeks until Blair's planned resignation. <ref>http://www.gordonbrownforbritain.com/</ref> | |||
| ===Policies=== | |||
| Brown has been careful to not suggest there would not be any U-turns in the key areas of Blair's social policy or any radical breakaway from ]. He has however, proposed a different style of government than that of Blair's much criticised 'presidential-style' government. He has proposed a few policy initiatives, with more expected to come during the course of the campaign. Brown hasn't been too clear on certain parts of his policies but has announced/suggested that a Brown-led government would introduce the following<ref>{{cite news | title = Gordon’s manifesto for change | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1782142.ece | work = The Times | date = ] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Poll surge as Brown unveils policy blitz | url = http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,2078595,00.html | work = The Observer | date = ] }}</ref>: | |||
| * '''Sleaze-busting package''' Following ] scandal, Brown emphasised on cracking down on sleaze. This had led to belief that Brown will introduce a new ministerial code which sets out clear standards of behaviour for ministers. He had said that he intends to strip Number 10 of some the powers conferred on it by ], including the ability to declare war. Giving the parliament more powers and rights to vet and veto appointments to senior public positions in a bid to crack down on cronyism. | |||
| * '''Constitutional reform''' Brown hasn't made it clear whether he proposes a US-style written constitution - something UK has never had, or a looser bill of rights. He said in speech when announcing his bid he wants a “better constitution” which is “clear about the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen in Britain today”. Plans to set up an all-party convention looking at new powers for parliament and rebalancing powers between Whitehall and local government are expected. Brown has also said that he will give parliament the final say on whether British troops are sent into action in future. | |||
| * '''Housing''' House Planning restrictions are likely to be relaxed. Brown has said that he wants to release more land and ease access to ownership with shared equity schemes. He backed a proposal to build five new eco-towns, each housing between 10,000 and 20,000 homeowners - up to 100,000 new homes in total. | |||
| * '''Health''' Brown intends have doctors' surgeries open at the weekend and GPs on call in the evenings. Doctors were given the right of opting out of out-of-hours care two years ago, under a controversial pay deal, signed by the then Health Secretary, ], that awarded them a 22 per cent pay rise in 2006. | |||
| * '''Foreign policy''' Brown remains committed to the Iraq war but said in his speech on Friday that he would "learn the lessons" from the mistakes made in Iraq. He remains staunchly pro-American, but had said that he wants a more "solid but not slavish" relationship with Washington. | |||
| '''Other''': | |||
| * '''ID cards''' Brown’s campaign manager has hinted that one of Blair’s unpopular key policies will be reviewed. The cost of the £5.5 billion scheme is spiraling. However, Brown said on ] that he would press ahead with it. | |||
| * '''Europe''' Brown is not thought to be keen on Blair’s wish to sign up to a new European Union “mini-treaty” which can be imposed in the UK without the need for a referendum. | |||
| ==Brown in the media== | |||
| '']'''s "Born to be Queenie" portrays a ] sexual relationship between Blair and Brown. However, Brown denied being ] when he appeared on ]'s '']'': | |||
| :Gordon Brown was shadow chancellor when the presenter ] asked: "People want to know whether you're gay or whether there's some flaw in your personality that you haven't made a relationship."<ref>] ]] Accessed ] ]</ref> | |||
| Brown was played by ] in the ] directed ] '']''. In October 2006 Brown presented the ] to ] at the ] awards. | |||
| During a diplomatic visit to ] in January 2007, Brown responded to questions concerning perceived ] and ] against ] actress ] on the British ] show ] saying, "There is a lot of support for Shilpa. It is pretty clear we are getting the message across. Britain is a nation of tolerance and fairness." | |||
| Brown further explained his ideas about this on ] ], in a speech on Britishness at the ] in London, England, where he said that "recent debates like that over the Big Brother show" exemplify the idea that Britain wants to be "defined by being a tolerant, fair and decent country."<ref>{{cite web| url = http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,,2022670,00.html| title = Full text of Gordon Brown's speech| accessdate = 2007-03-30| date = ]| work = Guardian Unlimited| publisher = Guardian News and Media Limited }}</ref> | |||
| ==Personal life== | |||
| Brown married ] at his home in ], ], on ] ] after a four-year courtship. She is a public relations executive and was, until 2001, Chief Executive of Hobsbawm Macaulay, the consultancy firm she owned with Julia Hobsbawm – daughter of the notable ] historian ]. On ] ], a daughter, Jennifer Jane, was born prematurely and died on ] ]. Their second child, John, was born on ] ]. Their third child, a son, James Fraser, was born on ] ]; it was reported on ] ] that he was diagnosed with ].<ref> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2478775,00.html</ref> | |||
| His previous girlfriends included the journalist ], Marion Calder and ], the eldest daughter of exiled ] of ]. She said: "It was a very solid and romantic story. I never stopped loving him but one day it didn't seem right any more, it was politics, politics, politics, and I needed nurturing."<ref></ref> | |||
| Brown has been a supporter of ] Football Club since childhood and is a member of the ] which led a community ] of the club in December 2005. | |||
| Brown has two brothers: John Brown, Head of Public Relations in the ] and Andrew Brown, a ] for the ]-owned ] ]. | |||
| Brown received ]s from ] in 2003 and ] in 2007 (]). He received an Honorary Doctorate alongside ] from New York University in 2006. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * UK general elections: ], ], ], ], ], ], ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==Notes== | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
| ==References== | |||
| '''Works''': | |||
| * Brown, Gordon (2006); ''Speeches 1997-2006'', edited by Wilf Stevenson. ]. ] | |||
| *Brown, Gordon (ed.); Wright, Tony (ed.) (1995). ''Values, Visions and Voices: An Anthology of Socialism''. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-85158-731-4. | |||
| *Brown, Gordon (1989). ''Where There's Greed: Margaret Thatcher and the Betrayal of Britain's Future.'' Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-85158-228-2. | |||
| *Brown, Gordon (ed.); Cook, Robin (ed.) (1987). ''Scotland: The Real Divide - Poverty and Deprivation in Scotland.'' Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 0-906391-18-0. | |||
| *Brown, Gordon (1986). ''Maxton: A Biography.'' Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-85158-042-5. | |||
| '''Biographies''': | |||
| *Bower, Tom (2003). ''Gordon Brown.'' ]. ISBN 0-00-717540-X. | |||
| *Brivati, Brian (2002). 'Gordon Brown' in ''Labour Forces'', Jefferys, Kevin (ed). ]. ] | |||
| *Keegan, William (2003). ''The Prudence of Mr Gordon Brown.'' John Wiley. ISBN 0-470-84697-6. | |||
| * Maguire, Kevin (2001). 'Gordon Brown' in ''Dictionary of Labour Biography'', Rosen, Greg (ed). ]. ] | |||
| *] (2001). ''The Rivals: The Intimate Story of a Political Marriage.'' Fourth Estate. ISBN 1-84115-473-3. | |||
| *Peston, Robert (2005). ''Brown's Britain: How Gordon Runs the Show.'' Short Books. ISBN 1-904095-67-4. | |||
| *Routledge, Paul (1998). ''Gordon Brown: The Biography.'' ]. ISBN 0-684-81954-6. | |||
| '''Others''': | |||
| * Pym, Hugh & Kochan, Nick (1998), ''Gordon Brown the First Year in Power'', ]. ISBN 0747537011. | |||
| *Rawnsley, Andrew (2001). ''Servants of the people: The inside story of New Labour.'' ]. ISBN 0-14-027850-8. | |||
| * Rosen, Greg (2005). ''Old Labour to New.'' Politicos Publishing. ISBN 1842750453 | |||
| * Routledge, Paul (2003). ''Bumper Book of British Lefties.'' Politicos Publishing. ISBN 184275064X | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{wikisource author}} | |||
| {{Wikiquote}} | |||
| {{Commons}} | |||
| * - Gordon Brown's leadership campaign website | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * January 2005 trip about his 'Marshall plan for Africa' | |||
| * directory category | |||
| * - A review of the man's budget speeches. | |||
| * - Satirical blog covering Gordon Brown's activities | |||
| * | |||
| * (extracts from his introduction to 'The Red Paper on Scotland' (1975)) | |||
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Revision as of 15:28, 2 June 2007
You DELETED MY FUCKING PAGE YOU ARSEHOLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCK YOU!