Gordon Brown defied Enoch Powell’s law that 'all political careers end in failure' – but election defeat will haunt him
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.“I am too old to be the comeback kid and too young to be an elder statesman,” Gordon Brown said after halting the Scottish National Party bandwagon during the referendum on Scottish independence in September.
His powerful last-minute intervention led some Labour figures to hope that Mr Brown might become leader of Scottish Labour and lead a much-needed fightback against a resurgent SNP at next May’s general election. But it was not to be. Tonight Mr Brown, 63, confirmed Westminster’s worst-kept secret by announcing he will leave Parliament. By helping to save the Union, he managed to defy Enoch Powell’s law that “all political careers end in failure”.
Yet Mr Brown will be haunted by the perception that his three years as prime minister from 2007-10 were a failure. His nightmare scenario of leading Labour to defeat after a long wait for Tony Blair to give up the top job, came true. “It’s my turn now,” he repeatedly told Mr Blair. Surprisingly, his agenda for government was remarkably thin when he finally landed the prize.
His nadir came during the 2010 election campaign, when he was recorded referring to Gillian Duffy, a voter he had just spoken to in Rochdale about immigration, as a "bigoted woman".
Mr Brown takes full responsibility for Labour’s 2010 defeat, its second worst election result since 1918. But friends say he feels that he got little or no credit for his achievements – notably, preventing the banking crisis turning into a global economic slump and keeping Britain out of the euro. He hopes history will be kinder to him. “History will have its say,” he said last night.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments