Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, ousted in this year’s election, is forming the Gordon and Sarah Brown Foundation, and has accepted three pro-bono appointments all with some connection to the Web. He’s joining Queen Rania of Jordan’s Global Campaign for Education. Queen Rania has 1,337,872 followers on Twitter and last year spoke at Le Web. Brown is also working on a new programme to bring the internet to Africa and joining the board of Tim Berners Lee’s World Wide Web Foundation. If you recall, just prior to the election in May, Brown launched a policy initiative to put £30m into a “centre for the semantic web” which would have been headed up by Berners-Lee. That centre has been cut dead by the new government, so perhaps Brown joining BL’s...

Senior cabinet members joked three Fs at centre of election campaign should be 'futile', 'finished' and 'fucked'The leaders of Labour's general election campaign believed their party was "fucked" six months before Gordon Brown fired the starting gun in April, Lord Mandelson has revealed.In the latest instalment of his memoirs, the former business secretary says three senior members of the cabinet joked last October that Labour should fight a campaign based on three Fs: Futile, Finished and Fucked.Mandelson, Labour's general election campaign director, proposed the slogan along with Douglas Alexander, the party's election co-ordinator, and the former chancellor, Alistair Darling.The three ministers made the joke when Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader, proposed at a cabinet meeting...

Do you recall Gordon Brown the Prime Minister saying that the banking crisis was brought on my a world wide problem and nothing to do with Gordon Brown the Chancellor?Do you recall Vince Cable warning both Gordon Brown the Chancellor and Gordon Brown the Prime Minister of serious flaws in banking regulation that needed to be dealt with?You probably won't recall George Osborne nodding his...

Five new polls over the last 2 days of the campaign: YouGov in the Sun … CON 39%(+2), LAB 33%(+2), LIB DEM 20%(nc) ComRes for the Independent/ITV … CON 37%(-2), LAB 30%(-2), LIB DEM 20%(+4) ICM in the Guardian … CON 37%(-1), LAB 31%(+1), LIB DEM 20%(-1) Opinium in the Express … CON 39%(nc), LAB 31%(+2), LIB DEM 17%(nc) YouGov in the Sun … CON 37%(-3), LAB 31%(-1), LIB DEM 20%(+2) After the small uptick in support registered by Anthony Wells’ UK Polling Report ‘poll of polls’ over the weekend, today sees the Tories dropping down 1%, with Lib Dems and Labour both unchanged – as they have been since the campaign began last week: Con 38% (-1%), Lab 30% (n/c), Lib Dem 20% (n/c) Interesting to note from today’s YouGov findings that the issue...

Even before it started, one was expecting a 9-9 score-draw – you know the sort of thing, arguments posited which pass each like ships in the night at a distance of one full nautical mile, angrily blasting their fog-horns at each other but not actually coming close enough for any meaningful interchange via Aldis lamp or semaphore. Also, before it started, a guess as to the first question from Cameron? Could it just be on National insurance perchance? A friendly Labour MP spiked the guns of Cameron by asking about the “£6 billion gap” first of all. So Brown could fire off his pre-prepared sound bites in advance. Cameron then deftly side-swerved NI and started by giving Brown a “last chance” to admit he sent troops into battle without sufficient marmite sandwiches. Followed by a...

Politaholic has been reading Andrew Rawnsley's book. This caught my eye (page 364):"The two men (Blair and Brown) were forced into each others company in the first week of April when they shared a car journey...As they sat in the back of the limo, Blair attempted to engage Brown in conversation. Brown responded by taking out some papers and burying himself in them. He refused to reply to every overture until Blair eventually gave up trying to make conversation. The journey passed in bitter silence".The source for this is: "Interview, Cabinet Minister".Well, how did the unnamed Cabinet Minister know this? There are several possibilities:1. He also was in the car (Rawnsley doesn't make it clear if Brown and Blair were, apart from the driver, alone)2. He was told this by either Brown or...

This was a PMQs where if you are a Labour supporter you will think Brown wiped the floor with Cameron and if you are a Conservative supporter you will think the reverse. I would say that both views have an element of right on their side. When Cameron went off script and attacked Labour back benches for questioning the politics of the Chiefs of the General Staff, I was cheering him on, but I recognise that others will think it was a mistake. Brown could have scuppered Cameron by immediately disassociating himself from the remarks, but Brown wouldn't have ever had the good grace to do that. Cameron pressed Brown on the lack of provision of equipment in Afghanistan and then on defence spending, but the only answer that came from Brown was "Lord Ashcroft, na na na na na". Pathetic stuff, but...

Minute-by-minute coverage as prime minister gives evidence to investigation into Iraq war. To start the live video stream, press the 'play' button under the picture below10.09am: Lady Prashar asks about Brown's views in the pre-war period.Brown says the international community has to be prepared to take action against aggressor states.Prashar says Blair argued in the Commons on March 18 2003 that the threat posed by the possible link between Iraq and terrorism was a real danger. Did Brown perceive this threat?Brown says after the end of the cold war a number of post-state terrorists were threatening instabliity around the world.In my view the international community was justified in taking action ... where international obligations were not being honoured.The international community has...

New Andrew Rawnsley revelations detail the extent to which Brown manoeuvred to oust Blair as PMGordon Brown repeatedly shouted at Tony Blair "You ruined my life" in the final confrontation that forced Blair to agree to announce a date by which he would stand down as prime minister, according to Andrew Rawnsley's new book.The revelations in the Observer journalist's book, The End of the Party, raised fresh questions this week about Brown's character and prompted him to deny at prime minister's questions yesterday that he had ever sanctioned briefings against his chancellor, Alistair Darling.The latest disclosures detail the extent to which Brown manoeuvred to oust Blair. Rawnsley describes how in a two-hour morning meeting in early September 2006 Brown insisted not only that Blair step...

Brown shouted in final confrontation that accelerated Blair's resignation as prime minister, according to Andrew Rawnsley's new bookGordon Brown repeatedly shouted at Tony Blair "you ruined my life" in the final confrontation that forced Blair to agree to announce a date by which he would stand down as prime minister, according to Andrew Rawnsley's new book.The revelations in the Observer journalist's book, The End of the Party, raised fresh questions this week about the Brown's character and prompted him to deny at prime minister's questions today he had ever sanctioned briefings against his chancellor, Alistair Darling.The latest disclosures detail the extent to which Brown manoeuvred to oust Blair. Rawnsley describes how in a two-hour morning meeting in early September 2006 Brown...

Brown to face questions about his involvement in Iraq policy both as chancellor and as prime ministerGordon Brown will give evidence to the Iraq inquiry next Friday, it was announced today.He is scheduled to take questions for around four and a half hours about his involvement in Iraq policy both as chancellor and as prime minister.Sir John Chilcot and his team originally said that they did not want to call Brown before the general election because they did not want his evidence to be exploited for party political purposes.But Chilcot changed his mind after the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, suggested that Brown had something to hide. Chilcot decided that it would be unfair to Brown not to let him give evidence before polling day.The inquiry has heard evidence that the Treasury did...

Prime minister will now appear at Iraq inquiry before election, along with David Miliband and Douglas AlexanderSir John Chilcot today said that he had invited Gordon Brown to give evidence to the Iraq inquiry "as a matter of fairness".The inquiry chairman said that Brown, David Miliband, the foreign secretary, and Douglas Alexander, the international development secretary, would be appearing within the next couple of months.Chilcot also repeated his assertion that he wanted the inquiry to stay "outside party politics". This was the reason he gave before Christmas for his original decision not to invite Brown, Miliband and Alexander to give evidence before the general election.Brown and his two colleagues were originally given special treatment because they are due to be questioned on...

Well that was a bit heated wasn't it? Both Gordon Brown and David Cameron were on good form, each with some good lines, some clearly rehearsed, but others not. Brown played his usual trick of turning it into Leader of the Opposition's Question Time, something the Speaker ought to have prevented but didn't. Brown tried to turn every question back on Cameron, which is a fair enough debating tactic, but doesn't do a lot to answer the perfectly legitimate questions put to him by the Leader of the Opposition.I would say that Gordon Brown just shaded the exchange, in part because he showed a passion which has not always been evident in his performances, but also because he had a couple of good, spontaneous oneliners. Cameron's "I love you, Darling" was probably the most memorable line of the...

With apologies to Charles Dickens, Gordon Brown is visited by three spirits and the chain-clanking spectre of Tony BlairOnce upon a time – of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve – old Brown sat busy in his counting house. It was cold, bleak, biting weather. The door was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, Darling, who in a dismal little cell was copying figures and then erasing them again as soon as he had set them down. Brown had a small fire of smouldering parliamentary expenses' claims. The clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal."A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!" cried a cheerful, rather posh voice. It belonged to the old Etonian who owned the toy shop next door. "Bah!" said Brown. "Humbug!"Master Cameron had so heated...

David Cameron raised the question of youth unemployment, which has now reached 19%. He said the Prime Minister had once promised to abolish youth unemployment and he should now accept that he has failed. Brown replied that it would be worse under the Conservatives. Cameron compared the record of this government with that of France and Germany. We have 943,000 youth unemployed, Germany 550,000 and France 750,00 - and they have higher populations than us.Brown responded that there are more young people in work than ever before, and more people in full time education. Brown said youth unemployment was worse in Spain and Ireland. Cameron accused the government of wanting to cut expenditure on helping youth unemployment. He then quotes a leaked memo from the Business Department. It calls for a...

Dear The Sun, Yesterday, both Sky News and the BBC were fixated with your story detailing how the mother of a dead soldier was said to be upset by Gordon Brown’s letter of condolence to her, in which he made several spelling mistakes including the soldier’s name.  You also attacked Brown for failing to bow at the Cenotaph.  The story is still running today after you published the transcript of the conservation between Brown and the soldier’s mother from Sunday evening.  While these incidents are all regrettable, your suggestion that this amounts to evidence that Gordon Brown does not care about Britain’s armed forces is absurd. First, the Cenotaph.  I don’t think anyone will be particularly thrilled with Brown if questioned about it, but before you tried...

I think its bang out of order that the grieving mother has gone to the media with the Brown letter that had mistakes in it; Brown is meant to be the leader of the country, not a personal letter writer to grieving mothers whose sons and daughters die fighting for us.I respect our armed forces, I salute every single man and women in the army, but what I can not stand for is petty attacks on Brown for writing a letter with spelling mistakes in it. It’s just not on. The parents of the lost children have enjoyed the nice salaries that their children have been earning from the army, clearly demanding the Prime Minister bends over backwards for you is not right.I think Brown needs people to cut him slack, he might not be the best man for Prime Minister but at least he is getting on with the...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/nov/06/brown-karzai-afghanistan-corruption In other news: Brown calls on Taliban to join Methodist Conference Brown calls on Mugabe to retire Brown calls on Winehouse to join Temperance League Brown calls on bears to use inside......

I sang the song "Gordon Brown be my Angel" and received a thank-you letter from Gordon Brown.Lyrics of the song are below:Gordon Brown! Gordon Brown!Will you be my angel?Guardian angel is what I meantWill you rescue my soul?For you are in chargeOf these people I wrote toStephen Timms, Jack StrawLet me place my trust in youGordon Brown! MP’s!Let me sing out loudFor what you do, for my countryFor my reproductive systemYou right wrongs! My right’s been wrongedI am desperate for youNot just you! There’s Jon HerringI’m a violated womanGordon Brown, help me sleep!Help me sleep like a babyWill my babies ever come out?Maternal desires!I lost my womanhoodIn a sinister curseGordon Brown! Bring it back!You are perfect for that!Gordon Brown, Gordon BrownChase the devil for me!!EdelweissGordon...

Political Betting has a post that suggests that Barry Sheerman, a Labour party MP could put his name forward for next months Parliamentary Labour party chair position. This according to the suggestion would make Sheerman the protest candidate, he would then receive the anti Brown vote and this could lead to the PLP telling Brown to go.Do I think this will work? Do I think that Sheerman as chair of the PLP will drive Brown away? No is the answer for both questions. For far too long have I seen things like this happen, things come and go but Labour seem to not be able to get rid of Brown.That's my verdict and unless Brown resigns as the leader of the Labour party by December then I can safely say he will lead Labour into the general...

Charles Clarke is right to call on the Prime Minister to resign and use ill health as his excuse. The problem is that many including me do think Brown is ill. As people like Guido suggested a while ago the PM is on anti depressants, clearly if that is true then Brown needs to call it a day.Brown is known for throwing mobile phones around, maybe Labour need to throw him out of the Labour party and Number 10.Will Brown go at the Labour party...

Gordon Brown has lied to parliament and the nation. When he repeatedly told us that he would increase spending - whilst the Tories would cut by 10% - he was intentionally lying. According to George Osborne, Brown lied to us whilst he was in possession of treasury documents outlining near 10% cuts he himself would have to make. We all knew Gordon Brown was lying to us, but now those treasury documents have been leaked to the Tories, we have the proof.You would expect a decent man to resign in Gordon Brown's position, but we all know that the man who writes about courage has no honour or moral fibre. It's shameful that such a man is representing our nation.George Osborne said:"It's about trust and honesty... what they show - these are the internal government projections for spending - and...

Political Betting has covered a piece on the Mail's website about the might be stalking horse that will take Brown out. The stalking horse is Barry Sheerman MP who has been an MP for 30 years, and is clearly experienced enough to take Gordon Brown out.I personally think that Brown and the Labour party have a tough conference season ahead of them, Brown will either get the support of Labour members or they will break him. I personally think Labour should break Brown, and get Johnson as the leader of the Labour party.Fun times...

Sarah Brown, yes that Sarah Brown, is being touted as the new face of Marks & Spencers. Perhaps Lily Cole and Twiggy weren’t sufficiently persueding us ladies to identify with them and their lifestyle and buy M & S clothes. Sarah Brown! cried the marketing people, that Sarah Brown, they’ll be queueing up to look like her. ‘Course...

Political Betting posted yesterday about how Darling could be the final blow for Brown, they wrote about how suggestions are flying around that Darling will stand down at the Labour party Conference as the Chancellor leading to a massive explosion in the Labour party. The explosion is then meant to take Brown out with it...This all seems interesting, but PB now has another post about how a back bench campaign is being run to take Brown out. I actually think this is an idea that could work, PB suggests how the back bench clan are thinking of their candidate and I have some questions and a suggestion.With it being summer and MPs on holiday, I backed the 38 Degrees campaign to find out what MPs are doing over recess. It seems that Gordon Prentice (a well known Brown hater and back bench MP)...

My main worry leading to the next general election is a Tory government with Cameron as the Prime Minister, and that's why I ask the above question. I think Brown and party have seriously made a mistake with the release of the Lockerbie bomber Megrahi, which they will live to regret.The problem is Brown doesn't even have the support of a large number of Muslims in the UK, even Muslims are fed up with terrorists and them destroying the image of Islam and for that reason think Megrahi shouldn't have been allowed out. Brown and the SNP made the move which I think will turn on them.If you ask me I think this move will damage the Labour vote, with people who are anti the release of Megrahi. Damage isn't the only thing that might come of this move and some might even suggest that Brown is...

Eating too much food can make us fat when this happens it gets stored as white fat. When you’re trying to lose weight, in the first place, this tends to be the type fat that can be hard to lose. In our bodies, we have two types of fat brown and white. The last of the two is the hardest to shift. It ends up deposited in various parts of our bodies, in our abdomens arms and various other places. It does not really have a specific purpose it just sits there. Whereas brown fat is more for the metabolism burning process, it is for generating heat once that happens. It uses white fat up and hence because of this you start to lose weight Thin people can have more brown fat than other people can, and so are able to maintain a normal weight without too many problems. This possibly could explain...

Gordon Brown is John Major. There are simply too many parallels between them for this to be denied - that they both took power after the assassination of a previously all-powerful and extremely popular leader, they’re both rather bland in personality (especially in contrast with their predecessors), and they both took over at the ass-end of an administration. But can Brown be seen as being a 1992 or 1997 version of Major? If we were following a strictly linear interpretation, we would have to have to say 1992 - since Brown has not yet faced a general election as PM. But, obviously, we can’t. One thing that implies that Brown may be Major circa-1997 is that he has already had his “back me or sack me” 1995 moment (or, rather, several of them). Plus, of course, the...

Mike Smithson has a blog post over at PB that suggests Labour MP's will resign, so Brown will lose the by elections, and will have pressure put on him to resign and personally I think that's a silly idea. Labour MP's are not going to force Brown out of Number 10 with resignations and like I have said before Brown should be told at Conference to go.Labour activists who attend Conference could really tell the Prime Minister they want him to go by going to every debate, speech except for Brown's speech. Now that really would send out a message to Brown that he isn't wanted, or will it?What do Labour activists think is the best way to get rid of...

R&B; star Chris Brown has issued a public apology for beating up his former girlfriend, singer Rihanna.Brown said he was "truly, truly sorry", adding that what he did was unacceptable and that he had apologised to his victim "countless" times.He is due to be sentenced on 5 August having pleaded guilty to assaulting Rihanna just hours before the pair were due to perform at the Grammy Awards in February.The attack left Rihanna with heavy bruising and a "mouthful of blood" according to police reports. But Brown is expected to avoid jail when he is sentenced, with a recommendation of six months of community service and probation. Brown was arrested on 8 February, hours after a party in Los Angeles.According to an affidavit filed by an LA detective, the attack happened in a car when the...