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Gordon Brown

2,116 bytes added, 16:40, 26 June 2017
Removal of Nuclear spin badge tags, and subsequent replacement with Nuclear PR Category tags.
James '''Gordon Brown''' is a Member the Prime Minister of Parliament (M.P.) for the British [[Labour Party]]. He has represented the constituency United Kingdom of Kirkcaldy Great Britain and Cowdenbeath since 1983Northern Ireland. He is currently the Chancellor took office on 27 June 2007, three days after becoming leader of the Exchequer and has been so since 2 May, 1997Labour Party. <ref>"[http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page1378.asp Prior to this he served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, James Gordon Brown]", biographical note, 10 Downing Street website. Undated, accessed May 14, under Tony Blair from 1997 to 2007.</ref>
In May *Commissioner, [[Commission for Africa]] <ref>[http://www.commissionforafrica.org/english/commissioners/bios/kalema.html William S. Kalema], Commission for Africa, accessed November 26, 2007 Brown was elected unopposed as leader of the Labour Party. He will take over as prime minister from </ref>*Patron, [[Tony BlairWestminster Foundation for Democracy]]<ref>[http://www.wfd.org/pages/standard.aspx?i_PageID=11158 Governors and patrons] on 27 June, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, accessed July 19, 2010.</ref>*Patron, [[SMK]] <ref>"[http://newswww.bbcsmk.coorg.uk/2patrons/hiPatrons], 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.</uk_newsref>*Global Advisory Panel, [[Pimco]] <ref>[https:/politics/6664063www.pimco.stm Brown 'humbled' by Labour backingcom/our-firm/press-release/2015/pimco-creates-global-advisory-board-of-five-leading-global-economic-and-policy-experts Global Advisory Panel]", ''BBC News''Pimco, May 17accessed January 15, 20072016.</ref>
==A 20 year journey from the Red Paper to the Private Finance Initiative==
:"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 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"/> (Balls father-in-law [[Tony Cooper]] is a long-standing nuclear lobbyist.<ref>[http://www.yvettecooper.com/bio01_dw.htm 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 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: itIt's a family affair==
===Nuclear lobbyist younger brother===
Yet Brown's support for new nuclear build sits uncomfortably with the fact that, since September 13, 2004, Brown's 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. 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==
*[[Alan Milburn]]
*[[Energy Review (UK 2006)]]
*[[Neal Lawson]]
==References==
*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)]]

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