Brave New World

Gordon’s Magical Mystery Tour 26/03/2009

Don’t know if any of you have been following as closely as I have my Prime Minister’s hapless trip to drum up support for agreement on fiscal stimulus at the G20 meeting. It is not exactly going according to plan. 

First Stop- Strasbourg. Address to the EU parliament- disaster. Addresses a chamber two thirds empty and gets jeered. (He is a traditional Eurosceptic and has reveled in the past in his contempt for EU institutions). In particular, a UK MEP absolutely destroys him. Check this out. 

Second Stop- New York. Tries to smooth over a rift between him and the Bank of England Governor Mervyn King concerning the UK’s ability to raise more debt. King appears to be vindicated this morning when a UK government bond (gilt) auction fails– the first time in 7 years. Brown attempts to downplay this and the disagreement at a business breakfast in Wall Street in which he accuses his banker audience of acting outside everyday human principles and values, and in the process making friends and influencing everyone! What a clever politician

Third stop- Brazil. Arriving today. What next? Heaven only knows although I can’t see him fitting in there either.

This is as excruciating as watching Geithner- in any situation (difference being I like the Treasury secretary and want him to succeed)