A week in review

The politics pages in this weeks newspapers have been filled with pretty much one thing: the allegations of bullying made by Andrew Rawnsley against Gordon Brown.  Perhaps such allegations aren't particularly shocking given the nature of previous stories about our esteemed Prime Minister, which have accused him of throwing not only mobile phones, but laser printers too. See here

Most shocking of all, in my opinion, is how the Labour leader appears to have emerged unscathed by the whole affair.  Not only that, but in the last seven days Labour have reduced the Conservative Party's lead in opinion polls to (in comparison to a meaty 18 point lead just twelve months ago) a mere five points.

There are those in the media who suggest that such accusations have actually worked in Mr. Brown's favour, stating that such stories create an image of a strong and powerful leader with human faults, who has the best interests of the country at heart.  No, Fleet Street, I think you will find that the accurate image is that of an authoritarian bully.

In concluding this short comment, I shall ask three questions:

1)  If these allegations are as unfounded, as Mr. Brown and his Party have gone to great lengths to assure us, why aren't the massed lawyers of the Labour Party currently breaking down Mr. Rawnsley's door?

2)  Given the apparent boost to Mr. Brown's image that these accusations have resulted in, is it too far removed to think that, maybe, this might all be a tremendous piece of PR from those at Millbank?

3)  What does Brown actually have to do to lose public trust in him?