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James '''Gordon Brown''' is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He took office on 27 June 2007, three days after becoming leader of the Labour Party. Prior to this he served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Tony Blair from 1997 to 2007. *Commissioner, [[Commission for Africa]] <ref>[http://www.commissionforafrica.org/english/commissioners/bios/kalema.html William S. Kalema], Commission for Africa, accessed November 26, 2007.</ref>*Patron, [[Westminster Foundation for Democracy]] <ref>[http://www.wfd.org/pages/standard.aspx?i_PageID=11158 Governors and patrons], Westminster Foundation for Democracy, accessed July 19, 2010.</ref>*Patron, [[SMK]] <ref>[http://www.smk.org.uk/patrons/ Patrons], SMK, accessed January 12, 2011.</ref>*Patron, [[Burma Campaign UK]] <ref>Burma Campaign UK [http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/burma/about-us/about-us About], organizational web page, accessed April 16, 2013.</ref>*Global Advisory Panel, [[Pimco]] <ref>[https://www.pimco.com/our-firm/press-release/2015/pimco-creates-global-advisory-board-of-five-leading-global-economic-and-policy-experts Global Advisory Panel], Pimco, accessed January 15, 2016.</ref> ==A 20 year journey from the Red Paper to the Private Finance Initiative==In 1975, Brown edited [[The Red Paper on Scotland]], a strongly pro-socialist document. In his introduction, titled "The socialist challenge",<ref>"[http://web.archive.org/web/20021117081640/www.abdn.ac.uk/arkleton/redpaper/redpaper.htm The Socialist Project: Revisiting The Red Paper on Scotland]", a one day conference on Friday 1st December 2000, Kings College, University of Aberdeen. Accessed via the Internet Archive, archived November 2002.</ref> Brown asserted that: :"Scottish socialists cannot support a strategy for independence which postpones the meeting of urgent social and economic needs until the day after independence... But neither can they give unconditional support to maintaining the integrity of the United Kingdom - and all that that entails - without any guarantee of radical social change."<ref>Neal Ascherson, "[http://www.guardian.co.uk/Scotland/Story/0,,392958,00.html Life on the ante-eurodiluvian Left]", ''The Guardian'', November 5, 2000.</ref> But by 1994, Brown had moved sufficiently to the right for him to author "[[Financing Infrastructure Investment]]" with Labour party colleagues [[Robin Cook]] and [[John Prescott]]. The document was described by ''The Guardian'' as "...a call for massive injections of private-sector cash into every corner of the public sector - including hospitals and schools." The paper went on to portray it as an astute political move to claim possession of the Conservative's flagship [[PFI]] policy: "[[John Smith]]'s economic policy initiative will embarrass [[John Major]] because it hijacks, and improves on, a Tory policy that has been ensnared in Treasury red tape for more than four years."<ref>"Labour's private cash bombshell", ''The Observer'', February 20, 1994. Available via {{LexisNexisLink}}.</ref> ==And here's to you, Mr Robinson==Brown has had a long and extremely close association with the controversial Labour MP and multi-millionaire, [[Geoffrey Robinson]]. When Robinson resigned his shadow cabinet post in 1986 to start [[TransTec]], Brown took his place.<ref>Mary Riddell, "Tortoise who wants in from the cold", ''The Guardian'', March 28, 1996. Available via {{LexisNexisLink}}.</ref> Years later, according to [[Tom Bower]] who has written a highly critical biography of Brown, Robinson "...financed Brown's last years in opposition."<ref name="bower12May07"/> Another ''Telegraph'' article puts a figure on that support: "[Robinson] provided more than £200,000 to pay for the specialist advice Mr Brown needed for formulating his tax policies."<ref>George Jones, "[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/03/nbrown203.xml New Labour cabal behind the decision]", ''Daily Telegraph'', April 3, 2007.</ref> ===The hotel group: drinking and driving economic policy===Numerous media reports over the years have claimed that, both before and after the 1997 election, much of Brown's policy making was conducted at Robinson's suite at the Grosvenor House hotel. The first media mention of the group appears in a ''Guardian'' article from 1998 about the scandal over [[Peter Mandelson]]'s home loan, which described Robinson as "...a fully paid-up member of the Brownite inner circle 'hotel group'".<ref>Seumas Milne, "[http://www.guardian.co.uk/mandelson/story/0, is ,427471,00.html Mandelson: undone by a Member story that could not be spun]", ''The Guardian'', December 24, 1998.</ref> And ''The Guardian'' reported in 1999 that, :"There were tensions in the aftermath of the election, with allegations that crucial decisions were being made by an inner circle of Brown confidants in Geoffrey Robinson's suite at the Grosvenor House hotel in London. Treasury officials, incuding the then permanent secretary, Sir [[Terence Burns]], were allegedly frozen out of Parliament policymaking decisions."<ref name="guardian9Nov99"/> Bower puts it more colourfully: "Frequently, the shadow chancellor headed for the suite to enjoy pizza and beer with Robinson, [[Ed Balls]], an intelligent young economist, and [[Charlie Whelan]]... The 'hotel group' arrived with Brown at the Treasury on May 2 1997."<ref name="bower12May07"/> (MBalls father-in-law [[Tony Cooper]] is a long-standing nuclear lobbyist.<ref>[http://www.yvettecooper.com/bio01_dw.Phtm Biography on Yvette Cooper&#39;s website], undated, accessed February 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.nda.gov.uk/About_the_NDA--Biographies--Biographies_(489) .aspx?pg=489#Tony%20Cooper Tony Cooper&#39;s biography on Nuclear Decommissioning Authority website], undated, accessed February 2006.</ref> In the 1999 ''Guardian'' article, [[Andrew Turnbull|Lord Turnbull]], at that time the permanent secretary to the treasury, offered a less than categorical denial of the group's existence: "I have never seen evidence of a so-called hotel group. If it ever existed, it had ceased to exist by the time I got here."<ref name="guardian9Nov99">Mark Atkinson and Larry Elliott, "[http://www.guardian.co.uk/budget2000/article/0,2763,195482,00.html Brown's mechanics behind the machinations of government]", ''The Guardian'', November 9, 1999.</ref> In March 2007, Turnbull condemned Brown for his alleged "Stalinist ruthlessness", saying of Brown's relationship with his colleagues: "He cannot allow them any serious discussion about priorities. His view is that it is just not worth it, and 'they will get what I decide'. And that is an extremely insulting kind of process."<ref>Nick Timmins, "[http://www.ft.com/cms/s/7a58bfa0-d6d7-11db-98da-000b5df10621.html Highlights of Turnbull interview]", ''Financial Times'', March 20, 2007.</ref> ==A glowing video tribute to the ''Daily Mail'''s editor==In spring 2003, Brown recorded an effusive video tribute to mark the 10th anniversary of [[Paul Dacre]]'s editorship of the British ''Daily Mail'', a newspaper noted for its hostility towards Labour Party. In the clip, which was shown at a lavish event at the Savoy Hotel, Brown described Dacre as :"...an editor who has devised and delivered one of the great newspaper success stories of any generation... He also shows great personal warmth and kindness, as well as great journalistic skill"<ref>'The Minx', "[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/03/07/nmed307.xml represents Media diary]", ''Daily Telegraph'', March 6, 2003.</ref><ref>Francis Wheen and Peter Oborne, "[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F04%2F25%2Fnmed25.xml Is the constituency Daily Mail bad for your health?]", April 25, 2003.</ref> In a ''Guardian'' article the following year, an aide defended the Chancellor: :"'What are we supposed to do, ignore one of the most successful newspapers in the country?' asked one of Brown's team. 'Gordon sees it very much part of his job to make sure the Labour message is heard as far and wide as possible.'... According to media sources, Dacre has real respect for the Chancellor, seeing him as a man who has principles he sticks to, who believes in the value of Dunfermline East hard work and has a Christian outlook similar to his own... The men meet regularly, possibly as often as every two months."<ref>Kamal Ahmed, "[http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,9061,1253713,00.html How peace broke out at last]", ''The Guardian'', July 4, 2004.</ref> ==Greenlighting Blair's nuclear plans==A year before he succeeded Blair, Gordon Brown had already signalled his support for Tony Blair's desire for a new generation of nuclear power stations, letting it be known that there was "...'no real difference' between him and the Prime Minister on the issue, and that he is personally convinced a new nuclear programme is the right way forward."<ref>Andrew Grice, "[http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article485924.ece Brown endorses Blair's plans for more nuclear power stations]", ''The Independent'' May 17, 2006.</ref> Within days of him succeeding to the Labour leadership unopposed, ''The Observer'' reported that his position on new nuclear build had not changed: :"Gordon Brown is to face down sceptics in his party and give the go-ahead for a new generation of nuclear power stations, which will be built across the country. In a move immediately condemned by environmental organisations, the Prime Minister-elect will give the green light to the plans that will show that he is backing Tony Blair's support of the nuclear industry."<ref>Nicholas Watt, Oliver Morgan and Robin McKie, "[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,2084016,00.html Brown's vision for a nuclear Britain]", ''The Observer'', May 20, 2007.</ref> The newspaper reported that the proposed nuclear expansion could result in up to eight new stations being built within approximately 15 years. ==Brown and public relations: It's a family affair=====Nuclear lobbyist younger brother===Brown's support for new nuclear build sits uncomfortably with the fact that, since 1983September 13, 2004, his younger brother [[Andrew Brown|Andrew]] has been head of media relations at nuclear company [[EDF Energy]].<ref>"[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/premium/0286/0286-7140337.html Brown takes top EDF UK media job]", ''PR Week'', September 17, 2004.</ref> Previously, he worked for the lobbying company [[Weber Shandwick]].<ref>No named author, ''Private Eye'' issue 1151, p8, February 2006.</ref> <ref>[http://edfenergy.com/html/showPage.do?name=edfenergy.media.news.item.til&cmsPage=/opencms/export/www.edfenergy.com/media/news/20040913.html EDF Energy press release 'Andrew Brown to head media team at EDF Energy'], September 13, 2004.</ref>  As of April 2007, Brown was still at the company: he sat in on an interview with EDF boss [[Vincent de Rivaz]].<ref>Tom McGhie, "[http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/investing-and-markets/article.html?in_article_id=419861&in_page_id=3 City interview: Vincent de Rivaz]", ''thisismoney.co.uk'', April 30, 2007.</ref> An ''Independent'' article in May 2007 claimed that "...Brown senior keeps his younger brother at arm's length", but did not provide details of how he achieves this.<ref>Jeremy Warner, "[http://news.independent.co.uk/business/comment/article2530826.ece Jeremy Warner's Outlook: Markets may be underestimating potential for more interest rate rises this summer]", ''The Independent'', May 11, 2007.</ref>  ===Elder brother was a spin doctor too===According to the ''Evening Standard'',  :"When Gordon's older brother [[John Brown (UK)|John]] was working as a public relations boss at Glasgow City Council some were surprised that the body was granted £900 million by the Chancellor to repay its debts for building council houses. He is currently English cities never received such favours at the time."<ref>Londoner's Diary, "[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-2691207.html Power to Brown's people]", ''Evening Standard'', July 11, 2006. Via Highbeam Research.</ref> ==Heeding a warning from Bono==The ''Telegraph'' reported in September 2006 that :"The Chancellor told a [[Labour Party conference|Labour conference]] fringe meeting that he had been warned of the Exchequer ans hatred of the West being taught in Islamic religious schools in [[Nigeria]] by [[Bono]], U2's lead singer. 'He had just returned from Nigeria and was telling me that if we will not provide free education, then religious extremists are going to – but only education that preaches hatred,' Mr Brown said at a meeting organised by [[Oxfam]] and [[Unison]]."<ref>Neil Tweedie, "[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/09/25/nlabour725.xml Gordon Brown: 'Teach to avoid hatred']", ''Daily Telegraph'', September 25, 2006.</ref> ==Researchers and special advisers==Brown's alleged predilection for surrounding himself with fiercely loyal special advisers has been so since 2 the subject of much - and often hostile - media attention. Below is as complete as possible a list of his past and present advisers. ===Directly working for Gordon Brown==={| style="width:75%; text-align:left"|-!Name !! Role !! Minimum dates || Refs|-|[[Paul McKinney]] ||political researcher ||1980s || <ref>"[http://www.zoominfo.com/people/McKinney_Paul_182187834.aspx Oxfam hires McKinney to head comms]", ''PR Week'', January 14, 2005. Accessed via zoominfo.</ref>|-|[[Ed Richards]] ||researcher ||mid 1990s || <ref>Derek Draper, "[http://www.newstatesman.com/200411010005 My generation]", ''New Statesman'', November 1, 2004.</ref>|-|[[Charlie Whelan]] ||press secretary ||1994-1999 ||<ref>"[http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/charlie_whelan/profile.html Charlie Whelan: Profile]", ''The Guardian commentisfree''. Undated, accessed May 13, 2007.</ref>|-|[[Ed Balls]] ||Chief economic adviser ||1999-? ||<ref name="guardian9Nov99"/>|-|[[Julie Fry]] ||"[Ran] the office of Gordon Brown's team of special advisers" ||1999 ||<ref name="guardian9Nov99"/>|-|[[Beth Breeze]] ||assistant during the first Scottish Parliamentary elections ||1999 ||<ref>"[http://www.caritas-socialaction.org.uk/about-us/shwStaffDetails-11.asp Beth Breeze (formerly Egan)]", biographical note, Caritas Social Action website. Undated, accessed May 15, 2007.</ref>|-|[[Geoff Mulgan]] ||Chief adviser || Dates unknown ||<ref>[http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/geoff_mulgan/profile.html Profile of Geoff Mulgan], ''Guardian commentisfree''. Undated, accessed May 15, 2007.</ref>|-|[[Ian Austin]] ||Spokesman ||1999-Sept 2004 ||<ref name="guardian9Nov99"/><ref name="bower12May07"/>|-|[[Sue Nye]] ||Special adviser ||At least Sept 2004-Feb 2007 ||<ref name="bower12May07">Tom Bower, "[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/12/nbrown412.xml 'Private' Brown under constant scrutiny]", ''Daily Telegraph'', May12, 2007.</ref><ref name="telegraph25Feb07">Christopher Hope, 1997"[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/23/nbrown523.xml Brown's kitchen cabinet costs £1m a year]", ''Daily Telegraph'', February 25, 2007.</ref>|-|[[Spencer Livermore]] ||Special adviser ||Feb 2007 ||<ref name="telegraph25Feb07"/>|-|[[Damian McBride]] ||Special adviser ||Feb 2007 ||<ref name="telegraph25Feb07"/>|} ===Other special advisers closely associated with Brown==={| style="width:75%; text-align:left"|-!Name !! Role !! Dates !! Refs|-|[[Jonathan Ashworth]] ||Special adviser to [[Stephen Timms]] ||Feb 2007 ||<ref name="telegraph25Feb07"/>|-|[[Jo Dipple]] ||Special adviser to [[Stephen Timms]] ||Feb 2007 ||<ref name="telegraph25Feb07"/>|-|[[Gila Sacks]] ||Member, [[Council of Economic Advisers]] ||Feb 2007 ||<ref name="telegraph25Feb07"/>|-|[[Shriti Vadera]] ||Member, [[Council of Economic Advisers]] ||Feb 2007 ||<ref name="telegraph25Feb07"/>|-|[[Dan Corry]] ||Chair, [[Council of Economic Advisers]] ||Feb 2007 ||<ref name="telegraph25Feb07"/>|-|[[Paul Gregg]] ||Member, [[Council of Economic Advisers]] ||Feb 2007 ||<ref name="telegraph25Feb07"/>|-|[[Michael Jacobs]] ||Member, [[Council of Economic Advisers]] ||Feb 2007 ||<ref name="telegraph25Feb07"/>|-|[[Stewart Wood]] ||Member, [[Council of Economic Advisers]] ||Feb 2007 ||<ref name="telegraph25Feb07"/>|-|[[Gavin Kelly]] ||Member, [[Council of Economic Advisers]] ||Feb 2007 ||<ref name="telegraph25Feb07"/>|} ==Contact Details== Constituency Addresses: [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-644,00.html] 318 High Street <br>Cowdenbeath <br>Fife <br>KY4 9QJ <br>House of Commons <br>Email: birdc AT parliament. uk ==Sourcewatch Resources==*[[Sarah Brown]]*[[Mervyn Allister King]]*[[British MP's 2005 Expenses]]*[[Alan Milburn]]*[[Energy Review (UK 2006)]]*[[Neal Lawson]] ==References==<references/> ==Other External Links==*[http://www.number10hm-treasury.gov.uk/outputabout/ministerial_profiles/minprofile_brown.cfm Biography of Brown], HM Treasury*[http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-644,00.html Electoral Statistics], The Guardian*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Brown Wikipedia profile of Gordon Brown]*[http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/gordon_brown/Page1378kirkcaldy_and_cowdenbeath Gordon Brown at TheyWorkForYou.com] ===Books by Brown===*J.aspGordon Brown, [[Robin F. Cook]], "[http://books.google.com/books?id=K6cdAAAAMAAJ Scotland, the Real Divide: Poverty and Deprivation in Scotland]", Mainstream Publishing, 1983. ===Articles===*Solomon Hughes, "[http://www.redpepper.org.uk/KYE/x-kye-Feb2004.html Know your enemy: The trouble with Gordon]", February 2004. [[Category:Nuclear PR]][[Category:Politicians (UK)]]