Gordon Brown and Sir Gus O'Donnell

The turning point for the voters in the General Election was, by common agreement the Gillian Duffy affair. It was the moment when the veil was ripped. All the spin all the lies and all the toadying by the press lobby could not prevent Gordon Brown's exposure as a whining, self-pitying pugilist, who lashed out and blamed his minions over the slightest misdemeanour. Sky got the scoop because Sky is one of the few broadcasters who loathed the Labour party and were in turn loathed themselves by Labour. Certainly enough not to have to worry about being fed morsels and petted.

Wikileaks has this week given us further revelations about this nasty, lying little man who never was elected and never was going to be elected. He has been shown culpable over Lockerbie and culpable of gross politicking over the Military. This is what the latest Wikileaks material says in a diplomatic cable:

Mr Brown said that the British public needed to see more evidence of progress. “He repeated that the UK domestic audience needed to be able to judge successes 'month-to-month, not year-to-year’...According to the cable, Mr Brown said his challenge was “persuading the British people that there was a way forward and not a stalemate”. (Telegraph)

The implication, a fairly clear implication, is that Brown was obsessed with how Afghanistan was going to "play" with the domestic electorate, while the Military were for some daft reason obsessed with protecting our soldiers with basic kit and having the manpower necessary to finish the job.

So far I have said little to disagree with have I? So before you agree with me that Brown is a baddie, let us look a bit deeper.

Sir Gus O'Donnell was and is the Cabinet Secretary. A predecessor of Sir Gus, apparently coined the phrase "economical with the truth". It was the role of the Cabinet Secretary to facilitate, during those uncertain days of May 2010, the smooth transition of Government.

Ostensibly the role of Cabinet Secretary is not a political office of state, but of course they are appointed by the Government, so one makes an assumption of sympathy with the people who appoint him. So whereas it is not surprising that Sir Gus O'Donnell has witheld vital communications between Tony Blair and George Bush from the Iraq Inquiry, possibly for quite compelling reasons, he has "allowed it to be confirmed" that many of the "Gordon Brown is shite" stories, in particular, the contradiction between Brown's contemporary denials about his involvement over Lockerbie and the Wikileaks revelations, have substance. Sir Gus' said:

"the UK government had had an underlying desire to see Mr Megrahi released before he died" and that "Policy was progressively developed that Her Majesty's Government should do all it could".

I see a certain level of favouritism being applied; on the one hand a certain reticence over exposing Blair, but the canary-like singing over Brown. Of course, there is no parity between Iraq and Lockerbie, but nevertheless, this was an opportunity to throw Brown to the dogs, and that is what Sir Gus has done. As diplomatically as possible.
I would tell you that Sir Gus O'Donnell is a man of impeccable integrity and takes his role as the top civil servant very seriously. But if you had a madman living next door to you who made the last few years of your career absolute hell, would you not be tempted to get even? just a wee bit?

I say "absolute hell", but what's my evidence for this apart from a few broken bits of office machinery and weepy secretaries? O'Donnell had to admit it, as diplomatically as he could:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/7309716/Sir-Gus-ODonnell-I-did-tell-Gordon-Brown-to-be-nice-to-officials.html

Don't think O'Donnell does not know what he is doing over his confirmation that "the Government" (read Gordon Brown) was complicit in the Al Megrahi negotiations. Gordon's denials of intervention are, like many of his public assertions, plain lies, or to be fair, economies of the truth and O'Donnell knows it and now no longer wishes to invest emotional energy in protecting a tyrant. And I don't blame him.

You might say that Sir Gus has done a Duffy and facilitated a flow of insight. 

11 comments:

Smoking Hot said...

Wouldn't it have been refreshing to find just one member of staff who'd had the balls to turn round to Brown and said "Fuck you" and maybe adding a good slap in the process. :)

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Cannot agree more, Smoking. You have to stand up to bullys. There is no other way. People who get to Number Ten though, are conditioned differently. By the time they reach such an exalted position they have left their objectivity behind.

Rebel Saint said...

I almost feel sorry for the lying, cheating, two-faced, Machiavellian, incompetent coward. He was a man way, way, way out of his depth - he just didn't have what it takes to be a leader and he knew it. It was all the worse for the scumbag because it was something he's desired for so long. Imagine that ... waiting 20 years for something only to find that when you got it, you were absolutely crap & clueless.

I know something of that feeling ... when you're sinking and everyone's looking up to you. But I'm only responsible for a fairly inconsequental project, not a nation. When you feel trapped like that you resort to the lowest form of power - brute force.

Bliar was duplicitous seller of snake oil, but at least he was good at it.

Shysters, the lot of them.

strapworld said...

Rebel Saint, I feel sorry for those members of the armed services, killed or maimed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sent with inadequate training and equipment. Some just boys. Crocodile tears from politicians. They dont even stand in silence for these people. Surely, if they have given their lives for their Country they deserve better than a rushed announcement of their names by the Prime Minister of the day, followed by a parrot repeat by the leader of the opposition.

I see they are going to stop the bodies of the fallen going through Wooton Bassett. Obviously they want to keep the number of deaths silent-as they do the number of seriously injured.

As for Gordon Brown I have just anger that a man so inappropriate for the job was allowed to get it by the crowd that make up the shadow cabinet. Cowards all.

Brian said...

I must disagree on two points. The turning point of the election was the "I agree with Nick" teledebate when the Hibernian third-rater boosted the Euro third-rater in the empty minds of the Strictly electorate. That prevented a Conservative majority government.
Secondly, the military have not been starved of wonga by nasty chancellors using Treasury cost/benefit analysis figures on armour protection vs. military funerals. The top brass, ostensibly the intelligent customers, have spent stupidly to maintain a big, though hollow structure in order to provide plenty of starred posts for Brigadiers and above. They have been abetted by the defence contractors - buy this that you don't need now or we close your voters' factories down. Think of the money wasted on FRES, the cost overruns or undersupplies on nearly every project or the half billion spent on joint development of a Scorpion/Scimitar replacement.
The top brass had plenty of time to introduce mine-proof patrol vehicles - it sold the ones it used in Bosnia to Estonia - or body armour but lacked the imagination for a war outside of Germany.
As for no civil servant standing up to Brown, it was the surprising retaliation by a junior staffer that brought Sir Gus into the loop. SPADS and senior civil servants are expected to have thick skins but treating the servants badly is beyond reproach in clubland.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Crikey yes, gentlemen. This is the kind of thing that makes the blog.

I have no "inside" knowledge, and I know for a fact that some of you do. When I do a story like this, I always rather hope that people know more than me will contribute. And they have. Thank you all.

I am sorry I do not have the time to respond point by point even though the comments deserve it. I have to write a blog every day and at the moment I am transcribing an hour long interview for publication later this month.

Span Ows said...

I am sure the real shit has yet to come out...I doubt it ever will but I do know several people in the Met. Some now retired, some high up, that reveal snippets of pure "tabloid sensational headline" material. Think V for Vendetta and what Bishop Lilliman gets up to.

Not saying it's Brown but he was the one I always assumed they meant!

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Span Ows. I am not in the loop but I know people who are and they all say the same thing, which is that the real dirt is locked away.

Think Mark Oaten. That story was well known, but it had the lid on it until Oaten ran for leadership. Somebody also made sure that William Hague would never attain leadership of the Conservative Party again.

The elite has its own system of control, checks and balances; a word here, a word there.. Gordon Brown is not in the Elite and never was, but they tolerated him because it was convenient for them to do so. He is adrift now and has no mates.

FAIRFACTS MEDIA said...

Excellent post there, WW.
But your last comment gave me the most horrifying vision.

Gordon Brown with William Hague!

What a nightmarish thought at this time of night!

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Welcome to the blog Fairfacts Media. I shall make a note to do a soothing post for the evenings. Maybe a bit of Julie London or some Oscar Peterson to listen to. mm.

Foxy Brown said...

Somebody also made sure that William Hague would never attain leadership of the Conservative Party again.

Hague - the greatest leader this country will never have.