Despite the Sun setting over Gordon Brown's speech of a couple of days ago, I wanted to see how his moral compass was doing. Last years speech centred around 'fairness', this year riffed on a wider range of moral themes, most notably 'the many not the few' and a strong doctrine of merit: if you work hard, you should benefit, if you break the rules you should pay.
I've filletted the speech for all the values and beliefs statements in it. There's still a heck of a lot of it left after the surgery. Repeated phrases are left in intentionally, they give a flavour of the themes Brown kept coming back to.
The conclusion: Browns moral compass is alive and well, at least in his rhetoric anyway. The Presbyterian conscience may not be so overt (though he did throw in a reference to the Good Samaritan) but this was a speech based on a strong articulation of core values. The spine of the speech was an moral vision, the vertebrae were fairness, merit, hard work, hope, and the need for a ethical framework for everything from markets to politics to family and community life. Whether you think Labour puts these into practice is another matter....
(hopefully it's obvious, but the '...' means the next paragraph comes from a different section of the speech. There are a couple of sustained passages of 'values talk', but the rest is liberally scattered throughout. )
Gordon Browns Speech (Moral Compass Remix)
The change that benefits the hard working majority, not the privileged few....
...change that benefits the hard working majority and not just a privileged few...
...change that benefits the mainstream majority and not just a few....
...The opposition might think the test of a party is the quality of its marketing but I say the test for a government is the quality of its judgement...
..That's the change we choose, the change that benefits the many, not the few...
..Because what let the world down last autumn was not just bankrupt institutions but a bankrupt ideology. What failed was the Conservative idea that markets always self-correct but never self-destruct. What failed was the right wing fundamentalism that says you just leave everything to the market and says that free markets should not just be free but values free.
Bankers had lost sight of basic British values, acting responsibly and acting fairly. The values that we, the hard working majority, live by every day....
...It's the millions of people who do their best and do their bit and in return simply want their families to get on not just get by....
..It's the Britain that works best not by reckless risk-taking but by effort, by merit and by hard work. It's the Britain that works not just by self-interest but by self-discipline, self-improvement and self-reliance.
It's the Britain where we don't just care for ourselves, we also care for each other. And these are the values of fairness and responsibility that we teach our children, celebrate in our families, observe in our faiths, and honour in our communities.
Call them middle class values, call them traditional working class values, call them family values, all them all of these; these are the values of the mainstream majority; the anchor of Britain's families, the best instincts of the British people, the soul of our party and the mission of our government.
And I say this too; these are my values – the values I grew up with in an ordinary family in an ordinary town.
Like most families on middle and modest incomes we believed in making the most of our talents.
But we knew that no matter how hard we worked free education was our only pathway to being the best we could be. Because like most parents, my parents could not easily afford to put me and my brothers through fee paying schools....
...too much government can make people powerless. But too much government indifference can leave people powerless too.
Government should never try to do what it cannot do but it should never fail to do what it needs to do. And in a crisis what the British people want to know is that their government will not pass by on the other side but will be on their side...
...Markets need what they cannot generate themselves; they need what the British people alone can bring to them, I say to you today; markets need morals...
...Our new economic model for a strong economy is founded on three guiding principles.
- That in future finance must always be the servant of people and industry and not their master.
- That our future economy must be a green economy.
- And that we must realise all of Britain's talent if we are to lead and succeed....
...it cannot be right, for a girl of sixteen, to get pregnant, be given the keys to a council flat and be left on her own....
...if you ask your neighbours or your workmates how they feel right now in this fast changing world, they will probably talk about their sense of unease.The decent hard working majority feel the odds are stacked in favour of a minority, who will talk about their rights, but never accept their responsibilities....
...In a faster changing more mobile world of communities where family breakdown is more common, where children are at risk on the internet, where elderly people are too often isolated in their communities, the new society must be explicit about the boundaries between right and wrong- and about the new responsibilities we demand of people in return for the rights they have. And I stand with the people who are sick and tired of others playing by different rules or no rules at all...
... We will pass legislation that the British government is obliged to raise spending on aid to the poorest countries to 0.7% of our national income. Others may break their promises to the poorest, with Labour Britain never will...
...change that benefits not just the few who can pay but the mainstream majority....
...we need social care for our elderly which is not subject to a post code lottery, but available to all – to the hard working majority, and not just the few who can pay.
This is the change we choose; change that will benefit not just the few who can afford to pay, but the mainstream majority...
..But a fair and responsible Britain must be an accountable Britain – a nation not of powerful institutions but powerful people.
And just as I have said that the market needs morals I also say that politics needs morals too.
Never again should it be said of any Member of Parliament that they are in it for what they can get; all of us should be in Parliament for what we can give....
..I grew up in a family, a party and a country that believes no obstacle is so great that it can stop the onwards march of fairness and of justice.
......We can build a new economy which tames the old excesses.
...We love this country. And we have shown over the years that if you aim high you can lift not just yourself but your country — that there is nothing in life which is inevitable – it's about the change you choose.
And I say to you now –
- Never stop believing in the good sense of the British people.
- Never stop believing we can move forward to a fairer, more responsible, more prosperous Britain.
- Never stop believing we can make a Britain equal to its best ideals.
- Never, never stop believing. And because the task is difficult the triumph will be even greater.
- Now is not the time to give in but to reach inside ourselves for the strength of our convictions.
Because we are the Labour Party and our abiding duty is to stand. And fight. And win. And serve.
Final thought: there's very little in any of this that people couldn't agree with. The trouble is that with leaders, you have to buy into the person as well as the message.
Showing posts with label Gordon Brown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gordon Brown. Show all posts
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Antidepressants
Much of the talk in the blogosphere is about 'that question'. Lets get a few facts straight:
- Roughly 25% of the population have a serious depressive episode at some stage. It doesn't mean you're 'mad'. The kind of abuse and stereotypes chucked around demonstrates that many people are still at some infantile playground stage of understanding when it comes to mental illness.
- Taking antidepressants to control mood is analagous to diabetics taking insulin - it corrects a chemical imbalance in the body.
- Guido Fawkes claims double standards, in that David Cameron has been asked about his drug use, whilst suddenly everyone is protesting about Andrew Marr's question. Wrong. Antidepressants are legal, spliffs are not. Questions about illegal drug use are entirely proper for someone who is going to be making laws.
- Having depression needn't affect your ability to do the job. Churchill is a prime example of this, but there are thousands of other good examples. I would hope Nadine Dorries might spring to Gordon Browns defence, having counselled 'suicidal' MP's in the wake of the expenses scandal. (Update: she has). Depression is no respecter of political boundaries, and the Westminster village should be mature enough to set the tone on this, rather than use it as a means to score political points. Some journalists get it too.
- It just so happens that 11th October is World Mental Health Day, and churches are being encouraged to take part in the Time To Change campaign to end mental health discrimination. We've had some stories, prayers and sermon notes circulated by our Diocese, you can find them here. Perhaps this sorry business might actually give more impact to the campaign, and to what we say in our churches.
- I've had depression, and have taken antidepressants. Does that make you think any less of me? If so, why?
- Gordon Brown should be judged on his abilities and achievements as Prime Minister. What he takes to cope with the blues, or with a headache, or with irritable bowel, or whatever, is nothing to do with this.
Links: (sensible posts only)
Enemies of Reason: what an unbleeped Alastair Campbell might have said in response to the question.
Polis on the genesis of the rumour.
Graeme Archer at CentreRight, writing as a psychiatric specialist. Good article.
Interesting piece at The Appalling Strangeness, written a couple of weeks ago, about the stigmas around mental illness, and whether public figures, by going public, might help lift it.
Libdem Voice.
- Roughly 25% of the population have a serious depressive episode at some stage. It doesn't mean you're 'mad'. The kind of abuse and stereotypes chucked around demonstrates that many people are still at some infantile playground stage of understanding when it comes to mental illness.
- Taking antidepressants to control mood is analagous to diabetics taking insulin - it corrects a chemical imbalance in the body.
- Guido Fawkes claims double standards, in that David Cameron has been asked about his drug use, whilst suddenly everyone is protesting about Andrew Marr's question. Wrong. Antidepressants are legal, spliffs are not. Questions about illegal drug use are entirely proper for someone who is going to be making laws.
- Having depression needn't affect your ability to do the job. Churchill is a prime example of this, but there are thousands of other good examples. I would hope Nadine Dorries might spring to Gordon Browns defence, having counselled 'suicidal' MP's in the wake of the expenses scandal. (Update: she has). Depression is no respecter of political boundaries, and the Westminster village should be mature enough to set the tone on this, rather than use it as a means to score political points. Some journalists get it too.
- It just so happens that 11th October is World Mental Health Day, and churches are being encouraged to take part in the Time To Change campaign to end mental health discrimination. We've had some stories, prayers and sermon notes circulated by our Diocese, you can find them here. Perhaps this sorry business might actually give more impact to the campaign, and to what we say in our churches.
- I've had depression, and have taken antidepressants. Does that make you think any less of me? If so, why?
- Gordon Brown should be judged on his abilities and achievements as Prime Minister. What he takes to cope with the blues, or with a headache, or with irritable bowel, or whatever, is nothing to do with this.
Links: (sensible posts only)
Enemies of Reason: what an unbleeped Alastair Campbell might have said in response to the question.
Polis on the genesis of the rumour.
Graeme Archer at CentreRight, writing as a psychiatric specialist. Good article.
Interesting piece at The Appalling Strangeness, written a couple of weeks ago, about the stigmas around mental illness, and whether public figures, by going public, might help lift it.
Libdem Voice.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Rebels without a Commander
Tom Harris is the latest Labour MP to ask for Gordon Brown to go, along with Jane Kennedy, Frank Field, James Purnell, Caroline Flint, Stephen Byers, Charles Clarke, Siobhan McDonagh, Sally Keeble and Fiona McTaggart. There seem to be plenty of rebels, but many are acting alone.
Where is the leadership?
I'm reminded of a scene in Gladiator, where Russell Crowe (a former Roman army general, who
is now a slave gladiator) gets the slaves to work together as a team. They're chained and on foot, faced by soldiers on chariots, but by locking shields and working together, they win. The one or two who try to go it alone are cut to pieces (literally).
Gordon Brown seems to have faced down the possibility of a leadership challenge precisely because of lack of leadership from his opponents. Various MP's have spoken out or stood down, all hoping that their actions would precipitate a leadership election. But without leadership and strategy, these have just been a series of damaging, but isolated, incidents. Hopi Sen says a bit more about this.
Maybe it's a tacit respect for Brown that none of them will openly stand against him. Maybe it's a lack of nerve among his potential rivals. If anyone outside the current cabinet goes on to stand in a future leadership contest, they need to be asked "why didn't you stand in June 2009?" If courage fails them now, then what other tests will they balk at?
The other quality on display is loyalty: from the Damascene convert Peter Mandelson through to Alan Johnson, senior figures have made a point of rallying round Brown and speaking up in his defence. She's not my favourite politician, but Harriet Harman has led from the front in this, putting herself through 2 election nights in the TV studios to defend Brown and his record.
Loyalty is vital to success as a leader. If you can't take people with you, and have those who will take a bullet for you, then you won't last very long under pressure. It's significant that in the Bible, several leaders who go it alone fall away (e.g. Saul, David, Solomon, Elijah), whilst others learn to build a team (Moses, Elisha, Paul) and are able to see things through to the end. It takes time to invest in others, and to win their loyalty and trust, but once that's been done "a cord of three strands is not easily broken" (Ecclesiastes)
Where is the leadership?
I'm reminded of a scene in Gladiator, where Russell Crowe (a former Roman army general, who
is now a slave gladiator) gets the slaves to work together as a team. They're chained and on foot, faced by soldiers on chariots, but by locking shields and working together, they win. The one or two who try to go it alone are cut to pieces (literally).Gordon Brown seems to have faced down the possibility of a leadership challenge precisely because of lack of leadership from his opponents. Various MP's have spoken out or stood down, all hoping that their actions would precipitate a leadership election. But without leadership and strategy, these have just been a series of damaging, but isolated, incidents. Hopi Sen says a bit more about this.
Maybe it's a tacit respect for Brown that none of them will openly stand against him. Maybe it's a lack of nerve among his potential rivals. If anyone outside the current cabinet goes on to stand in a future leadership contest, they need to be asked "why didn't you stand in June 2009?" If courage fails them now, then what other tests will they balk at?
The other quality on display is loyalty: from the Damascene convert Peter Mandelson through to Alan Johnson, senior figures have made a point of rallying round Brown and speaking up in his defence. She's not my favourite politician, but Harriet Harman has led from the front in this, putting herself through 2 election nights in the TV studios to defend Brown and his record.
Loyalty is vital to success as a leader. If you can't take people with you, and have those who will take a bullet for you, then you won't last very long under pressure. It's significant that in the Bible, several leaders who go it alone fall away (e.g. Saul, David, Solomon, Elijah), whilst others learn to build a team (Moses, Elisha, Paul) and are able to see things through to the end. It takes time to invest in others, and to win their loyalty and trust, but once that's been done "a cord of three strands is not easily broken" (Ecclesiastes)
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Grace Under Pressure?
“What a man is on his knees, that he is and nothing more.” (Robert Murray McCheyne)*
The Toothpaste Test: what comes out when the pressure is on? It’s easy to put on a facade when everything is fine, but there’s nothing like a tight squeeze for revealing what we’re really like:
- Gordon Brown has displayed a spectacular level of resilience (or desperation?). Both James Purnell and Caroline Flint may have thought they were delivering the ‘Geoffrey Howe moment’, but Brown has clung on. Most people would have ended up in the Priory after the sort of week he’s had. You have to admit his toughness, even if you’d rather he wasn’t there. I rather admire his dutiful refusal to give up and walk away.
- Caroline Flint’s resignation letter sadly comes across as a petulant response to not being promoted in the reshuffle, rather than a principled refusal to be ‘window dressing’. It reflects badly both on Brown, but also on Ms Flint herself.
- Brown has also displayed, again, his misjudgment of character. On one day Brown talks about his ‘Presbyterian conscience’, then the next he appoints Alan Sugar to a top government role. In one week, the PM has gone from Simon Cowell to Alan Sugar: you wonder if he put together his Cabinet by browsing the Radio Times.
As the public clamours for honest MPs in the wake of the expenses scandal, Sugar is a man who awarded the Apprentice crown last year to a man who was found out for lying in his CV. His public persona is a mixture of grouchiness and greed - you might argue that this is only a persona, but frankly I’m sick and tired of people who put on an act for the cameras, but behave differently in private. Dizzy also notes that Sugar has a bit of history with Gordon Brown.
Squeezing Dave
For an observer, its certainly been an exciting few days, but I’m glad Brown is staying. Why? Because his rivals haven’t yet had the Toothpaste Test. We don’t really know what David Cameron is like under pressure. The Tories have floated to the top of the polls without, as yet, serious scrutiny of their policies, their character, or their principles. Cameron’s calls for an election have been irresponsible - how can we possibly have a sensible election in the midst of the current mess? What kind of mandate would it give to whoever won?
Britain’s Got Talent reminded us that the spotlight can reveal our frailties, as well as our gifts (and whilst we’re on the subject, any show that hospitalises its contestants needs to be taken off air, no matter how popular it is). Brown used to have a reputation for rising to challenges - remember summer 2007? In a years time his response to the economic crisis may be judged more kindly too, as we remember that the Conservatives failed in their Opposition duty to blow the whistle on a debt-fuelled boom.
The media seems to enjoy bringing people to its knees - Tony Blair once famously called them a pack of feral beasts. There’s a fine line to tread between vigorous scrutiny, and respecting the human dignity of those you are calling to account. Brown needs to be given the chance to stand up and get on with his job.
Meanwhile I wouldn’t want to see Cameron brought to his knees, but I still don’t believe we’ve really seen him tested, and that worries me.
*The full quote is “What a man is on his knees before God, that he is and nothing more.” McCheyne was a missionary, but I’m not sure if he was a Presbyterian. By way of contrast, I'm currently reading a biography of the missionary Hudson Taylor, and one thing which stands out is his constancy of character, rooted in prayer and dependence on God.
This is a cross-post from 'Touching Base', a weekly column hosted at the Wardman Wire.
The Toothpaste Test: what comes out when the pressure is on? It’s easy to put on a facade when everything is fine, but there’s nothing like a tight squeeze for revealing what we’re really like:
- Gordon Brown has displayed a spectacular level of resilience (or desperation?). Both James Purnell and Caroline Flint may have thought they were delivering the ‘Geoffrey Howe moment’, but Brown has clung on. Most people would have ended up in the Priory after the sort of week he’s had. You have to admit his toughness, even if you’d rather he wasn’t there. I rather admire his dutiful refusal to give up and walk away.
- Caroline Flint’s resignation letter sadly comes across as a petulant response to not being promoted in the reshuffle, rather than a principled refusal to be ‘window dressing’. It reflects badly both on Brown, but also on Ms Flint herself.
- Brown has also displayed, again, his misjudgment of character. On one day Brown talks about his ‘Presbyterian conscience’, then the next he appoints Alan Sugar to a top government role. In one week, the PM has gone from Simon Cowell to Alan Sugar: you wonder if he put together his Cabinet by browsing the Radio Times.
As the public clamours for honest MPs in the wake of the expenses scandal, Sugar is a man who awarded the Apprentice crown last year to a man who was found out for lying in his CV. His public persona is a mixture of grouchiness and greed - you might argue that this is only a persona, but frankly I’m sick and tired of people who put on an act for the cameras, but behave differently in private. Dizzy also notes that Sugar has a bit of history with Gordon Brown.
Squeezing Dave
For an observer, its certainly been an exciting few days, but I’m glad Brown is staying. Why? Because his rivals haven’t yet had the Toothpaste Test. We don’t really know what David Cameron is like under pressure. The Tories have floated to the top of the polls without, as yet, serious scrutiny of their policies, their character, or their principles. Cameron’s calls for an election have been irresponsible - how can we possibly have a sensible election in the midst of the current mess? What kind of mandate would it give to whoever won?
Britain’s Got Talent reminded us that the spotlight can reveal our frailties, as well as our gifts (and whilst we’re on the subject, any show that hospitalises its contestants needs to be taken off air, no matter how popular it is). Brown used to have a reputation for rising to challenges - remember summer 2007? In a years time his response to the economic crisis may be judged more kindly too, as we remember that the Conservatives failed in their Opposition duty to blow the whistle on a debt-fuelled boom.
The media seems to enjoy bringing people to its knees - Tony Blair once famously called them a pack of feral beasts. There’s a fine line to tread between vigorous scrutiny, and respecting the human dignity of those you are calling to account. Brown needs to be given the chance to stand up and get on with his job.
Meanwhile I wouldn’t want to see Cameron brought to his knees, but I still don’t believe we’ve really seen him tested, and that worries me.
*The full quote is “What a man is on his knees before God, that he is and nothing more.” McCheyne was a missionary, but I’m not sure if he was a Presbyterian. By way of contrast, I'm currently reading a biography of the missionary Hudson Taylor, and one thing which stands out is his constancy of character, rooted in prayer and dependence on God.
This is a cross-post from 'Touching Base', a weekly column hosted at the Wardman Wire.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
10:01pm, and here we go
"I am calling on you to stand aside to give our party a fighting chance of winning" James Purnell letter to Brown, forwarded to Times, reported by Nick Robinson on Beeb. Purnell is Work and Pensions sec and has quit the Cabinet.
Update: the letter is to the Sun and Times. Murdoch papers. Sorry, the 'media conspiracy' bit of my brain is now working overtime.
Times has the full story, with much of the text of the resignation letter. Geoffrey Howe moment?
Full text of letter.
In my humble opinion: this would be the worst possible time to have a general election. It would be dominated by (relative) trivia. We need to have one when there isn't an ongoing expenses scandal, or a backstabbing frenzy within the Labour party, so that we can make a cool headed, sensible decision about what policies and government we need.
I.e. please can the Conservatives be quiet and calm down, or we'll start to think that you're just opportunistic bandwagon-jumpers, and not a serious party.
Update: the letter is to the Sun and Times. Murdoch papers. Sorry, the 'media conspiracy' bit of my brain is now working overtime.
Times has the full story, with much of the text of the resignation letter. Geoffrey Howe moment?
Full text of letter.
In my humble opinion: this would be the worst possible time to have a general election. It would be dominated by (relative) trivia. We need to have one when there isn't an ongoing expenses scandal, or a backstabbing frenzy within the Labour party, so that we can make a cool headed, sensible decision about what policies and government we need.
I.e. please can the Conservatives be quiet and calm down, or we'll start to think that you're just opportunistic bandwagon-jumpers, and not a serious party.
Today I Will Be Mostly Voting.....
Euro Elections: Green. Climate Change is the biggest issue facing the planet (bigger than the debt crunch), and if we don't sort it out soon there will be hell to pay for those who are too poor to insulate themselves against its effects. Needs to be continental co-ordination on this.
Local Elections: Libdem. It's them vs Conservatives (mixed track record in Somerset, plus a nearby delivery of horse manure) or communists. The Libdem councillor seeking re-election has been very supportive of Street Pastors, someone we can do business with.
General Election: there isn't one (at time of writing), despite David Cameron's desparation to get one called. Why is he in such a hurry? Are there expenses secrets about his front bench that he's afraid will get out if he leaves it too long? A couple of thoughts about this:
1. If there were a General Election, I would probably vote Conservative, because I think they've got the Broken Britain stuff about right, and are the only party who are prepared to take social breakdown seriously. But....
Cameron's team impress me more than Cameron, who (it seems) can't see a bandwagon without jumping on it. The seeds of the debt crunch were there - he did nothing. MP's were fiddling expenses - he did nothing. Electoral reform was always an option - he did nothing. Yet as soon as these become issues he is jumping up and down at the despatch box, projecting himself as the man of action.
I'm struggling to think of a distinctive Cameron policy - most of the best ideas have come from his team (and he does seem to be better and buildling, and getting the best out of, a leadership team). I'm not parroting Labour lines here, it's just that Cameron is quicker out of the blocks than Brown, and that looks like decisiveness. Appearances are deceptive. Not a single Tory MP has actually stood down over the expenses scandal, though several of them should. If Cameron were really as angry as he says he is, he would have thrown some of them out by now.
Clearly, Cameron is a much better communicator than Brown, but how much more to him is there?
2. I find myself praying for Gordon Brown more than usual. Why?
- The Bible tells me to (Romans 15)
- I'm praying that he doesn't get distracted. His line at PMQ's today was spot on - there are major national and international issues going on, thousands are losing their jobs every day, and all the other parties can do is talk about expenses, electoral reforms, and calling an election. There is too much important stuff at stake for the PM to take his eye off the ball. Yes the expenses scandal is serious, but so are a lot of other things.
- In Browns early days, he seemed rather good in a crisis. He's done reasonably well over the debt crunch too, though we won't be able to judge that until we're out of it.
- If you're a leader under pressure, you need all the encouragement you can get. We probably get the political leaders we deserve: everyone knows that praise gets more out of people than criticism, yet we repeatedly whinge about our politicians, never give them credit for getting things right, and then complain when they under-perform.
- Patience is under-rated. It's easy to grab headlines, but some things need some thinking time to come up with the best solution. Brown looks indecisive, when perhaps it's just that he (like Rowan Williams), likes to take his time to think things through. Wisdom is knowing when to act immediately, and when to bide your time and get it right. And wisdom is granted in answer to prayer (James 1).
- If I had as much responsibility as the PM, I'd want people praying for me too. I only co-lead a church of 120 and I ask people to pray for me in that, so goodness knows how much prayer you need to run one of the most powerful and prosperous countries in the world.
and having said all that, I reserve the right to change my mind between here and the ballot box....
Update: good election day coverage at Andrew Sparrows rolling blog at the Guardian
Local Elections: Libdem. It's them vs Conservatives (mixed track record in Somerset, plus a nearby delivery of horse manure) or communists. The Libdem councillor seeking re-election has been very supportive of Street Pastors, someone we can do business with.
General Election: there isn't one (at time of writing), despite David Cameron's desparation to get one called. Why is he in such a hurry? Are there expenses secrets about his front bench that he's afraid will get out if he leaves it too long? A couple of thoughts about this:
1. If there were a General Election, I would probably vote Conservative, because I think they've got the Broken Britain stuff about right, and are the only party who are prepared to take social breakdown seriously. But....
Cameron's team impress me more than Cameron, who (it seems) can't see a bandwagon without jumping on it. The seeds of the debt crunch were there - he did nothing. MP's were fiddling expenses - he did nothing. Electoral reform was always an option - he did nothing. Yet as soon as these become issues he is jumping up and down at the despatch box, projecting himself as the man of action.
I'm struggling to think of a distinctive Cameron policy - most of the best ideas have come from his team (and he does seem to be better and buildling, and getting the best out of, a leadership team). I'm not parroting Labour lines here, it's just that Cameron is quicker out of the blocks than Brown, and that looks like decisiveness. Appearances are deceptive. Not a single Tory MP has actually stood down over the expenses scandal, though several of them should. If Cameron were really as angry as he says he is, he would have thrown some of them out by now.
Clearly, Cameron is a much better communicator than Brown, but how much more to him is there?
2. I find myself praying for Gordon Brown more than usual. Why?
- The Bible tells me to (Romans 15)
- I'm praying that he doesn't get distracted. His line at PMQ's today was spot on - there are major national and international issues going on, thousands are losing their jobs every day, and all the other parties can do is talk about expenses, electoral reforms, and calling an election. There is too much important stuff at stake for the PM to take his eye off the ball. Yes the expenses scandal is serious, but so are a lot of other things.
- In Browns early days, he seemed rather good in a crisis. He's done reasonably well over the debt crunch too, though we won't be able to judge that until we're out of it.
- If you're a leader under pressure, you need all the encouragement you can get. We probably get the political leaders we deserve: everyone knows that praise gets more out of people than criticism, yet we repeatedly whinge about our politicians, never give them credit for getting things right, and then complain when they under-perform.
- Patience is under-rated. It's easy to grab headlines, but some things need some thinking time to come up with the best solution. Brown looks indecisive, when perhaps it's just that he (like Rowan Williams), likes to take his time to think things through. Wisdom is knowing when to act immediately, and when to bide your time and get it right. And wisdom is granted in answer to prayer (James 1).
- If I had as much responsibility as the PM, I'd want people praying for me too. I only co-lead a church of 120 and I ask people to pray for me in that, so goodness knows how much prayer you need to run one of the most powerful and prosperous countries in the world.
and having said all that, I reserve the right to change my mind between here and the ballot box....
Update: good election day coverage at Andrew Sparrows rolling blog at the Guardian
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