No journalistic cliché has bothered me so much recently as the phrase "Brown bounce" which seems to have appeared in every newspaper and on every TV news reports in the last couple of weeks.
Similarly, after labour's Glenrothes by-election win last week that fat, smug Labour-luvvie Brian Taylor could hardly contain his glee talking about how the victory signalled support for Gordy in these recession-hit times.
My problem with this cliché? It is complete nonsense.
Jackie Ashley wrote an excellent article on why in The Guardian this week stating that when the recession really bites with factory closures, job losses and home repossessions the electorate will not see Brown as the economic genius/international leader/Messiah many portray him as just now.
I would go further than Ashley and say that despite this recent upsurge in popularity nothing has really changed for Brown. Indeed what we are seeing at the moment is very recent history repeating.
After his statesmanlike response the the 7/7 bombings in London in 2005 and playing a key part in winning London the 2012 Olympics Tony Blair gained his best media coverage for years with many proclaiming: "Blair is back."
It all turned out to be nonsense. Blair was still a lame duck Prime Minister whose party was dissatisfied with him and whose obvious successor was determined to undermine him.
The terrorist attacks of 7/7 and the Olympics played to his strengths - it allowed him to talk about a grand international issue (terrorism and the importance of defeating it) and to claim success for bringing the biggest show on Earth to his country's capital city.
Within weeks people had forgotten about this and he was back fighting to continue with his political life.
Gordon Brown has fallen on a similar fortune with the current economic downturn. He managed the economy for 10 years as Chancellor, feels most comfortable talking about economic matters and knows the key players in world economics personally.
However, he is still an over-cautious, indecisive and, frankly, weird man who is incapable of dealing with issues in a way that comes across well to the public. Prime Minister's Questions this week was a pertinent reminder of Brown's fundamental weaknesses as a political leader.
That Labour now seem to be behind Brown is a good thing. The constant talk of leadership bids was destabilising to the country. Those whingers who were trying to stab him in the back seem to have realaised that Brown is the only Labour MP who could be leader - a sad inditement on the dearth of talent in the present Cabinet but a truism nonetheless.
But Labour should not be fooled into thinking they are back to the good old days. Firms are beginning to shed jobs, money is tight and the public is beginning to get angry. None of this bodes well for them heading into an election in the next 18 months.
I personally have been a victim of the recession twice this year and I am in no mood to congratulate Labour at the ballot box.
And I know I'm not alone.
Raheem Sterling
11 years ago
