I see that Guido noted this a while a go, but I was busy working and have just got home and watched Channel 4 News so didn't know until I saw it there. I was however - I must admit - totally stunned when I saw Brown handing out as prizes a copy of his own book, Courage, to African children. Frankly, it was reminiscent of that moment when William Hague wore a baseball cap with the word "Hague" blazoned across it on a log flume ride.
You know the sort of moment right? You know, like when you watch The Office? That moment where you just think "nooooooooooooooooooooooo!" (in slow motion) and simultaneously experience the emotion of hilarity but also cringe at the same time (if you're really lucky it actually hurts mentally in your stomach). It was most definitely that kind of moment.
Seriously, who in their right mind in Downing Street said "you know what Prime Minister, I think it would be great if you gave these kids a copy of your book as a prize". More importantly why did no one strip off instantly, scream like the All Blacks and run round the table and then calmly say "it would be better if you did that"?
Where was the media advisor standing up and saying, in the most deadpan of voices, "or we could just ask Iain Hislop if he wants us to write his jokes for him to save him the bother". I mean seriously, did no one think that it might just be a tad egotistical (and sad) for the PM to give his own books away to kids in a developing country?
Were sales really that bad?
7 comments:
Probably not one of Miliband's better suggestions. One can only wonder what he was thinking of at the time.
"Whoever wrote Courage by Gordon Brown, he, she or they are to be congratulated" (19/04/07). Even the Guardian knew he had none.
His premiership does not remind me of the Major years but of Eden's. The control freak, the constant micro management of staff, the temper tantrums, etc. There are others similarities to. Both waited a long time for the job, both kept attempting to unseat their PM and both had severe personality weaknesses that were recognised. Eden held the job for just 20 months. I just wonder....
It's far worse than Hague.
Dear Mr Brown
Thank you for presenting copies of your book on Courage. If you do a sequel, and as you are a very courageous man I expect you will, please arrange for it to be printed on Andrex quilted. Unlike you, shit just will not stick to the paper.
What next?
"Dear Ms Chav,
We're all very sorry that the details of you and your child-benefit-receiving children (including I'm afraid the real ones as well as the pretend ones) have been casually exposed to fraud.
At this difficult time, we thought that the enclosed book by Gordon Brown entitled "Courage" might be of use to you.
Yours etc.
HMRC (a division of Bloomsbury)"
The reviews on amazon are very amusing. I can't work out which one was written by Balls and which by Minibrown.
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