Gordon Brown To Stand Down.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/dec/01/gordon-brown-stand-down-mp

/// His decision to stand down means there is an Commons exodus of major parliamentary figures of the Blair-Brown era from the Labour benches. Alistair Darling, David Blunkett, Jack Straw, Dame Tessa Jowell, Peter Hain, Hazel Blears and Frank Dobson are among those leaving their seats. ///

7 Labour MPs and now Brown, and to top it all Alan Johnson has turned down Ed Milliband's offer of a front bench seat.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/alan-johnson-turned-down-ed-milibands-offer-return-labours-front-bench-1477432

Oh and I forgot to bring the polls up to date Labour 34, Cons 32 and UKIP 15.

[Gromit]

Brown has been an MP for over 30 years.

His reputation was dented by the financial crash, but his handling of that was highly praised in the rest of the world.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/3189371/Paul-Krugman-wins-Nobel-economics-prize-and-praises-Gordon-Brown.html

Are these people leaving not expected? I don't think there is anything significant to be concluded from it.

[BlackadderV]

Alan Johnson is not stupid. That is why he turned down Millipede's offer.

[BlackadderV]

Since 1945 there have been only two PMs who have stood for re-election since losing office: Winston Churchill (though he resigned, not defeated) and the odious Ted Heath.

[BlackadderV]

I am wrong. Harold Wilson also stood for re-election after resigning.

[youngmafbog]

I dont see anything here that is unusual. Brown wanted to go out on a high, like most of us would. Campaigning for the No vote and succeeding has given him that opportunity. I can't abide the man but I don't think there is anything sinister, just he has had enough.

[Slapshot]

Gordon Brown is one of the best politicians of the last 25 years very much in the mould of John Smith. Gordon Brown's failing was his inability to be as "liked" as Tony B Liar was and hence he was forced to spend too many years in the shadow. In terms of ability, he knocks spots off EVERY SINGLE Lefty MP sitting in parliament right now, transpose that north of the border, there isn't a labour politician who is fit to lace him shoes

Outwith politics he is a good man and does a lot of great work with charities and other areas in life.

[weecalf]

dont knows could win this election , agh I don't know though .What Geordie gonna do .write a book ?

[douglas9401]

^ What Slapshot said. ^

[anotheoldgit]

youngmafbog

/// I can't abide the man but I don't think there is anything sinister, just he has had enough. ///

Never said or implied that there was anything sinister in him resigning, just reporting a fact.

[wolf63]

Gordon Brown is a trillion times better than that Blair guy. GB is and honourable man and a decent human being. I think that he is just one of these people who doesn't care if people like him or not.

I wish him and his family well.

[janbee]

Like him or not, Gordon Brown was the voice of reason during that silly referendum debacle. I like Gordon Brown. I think he was much maligned and that was wrong. He was an EXCELLENT politician I wish him well. He spent too many years in TB's shadow. I will not hear anything bad said about Mr Brown. However, I am willing however, to hear anything you like to say about Ed Millie. A VERY bad choice for a leader., but then so are little Nickerless and Cojones-free Dave.

[janbee]

Gordon Brown is a good, honourable and decent man and waaayyy too good for the scummy world of politics. I wish him well.

[sandyRoe]

The old order changeth, yielding place to new.
He served his country and his party well.

[youngmafbog]

Actually, if I had my way Brown would be in jail for what he did to the country.

[New Judge]

I can forgive just about everything that G Brown did which I did not like (and that was quite a lot) because he kept the UK out of the euro. For this the entire nation should be eternally grateful.

[jourdain2]

I feel instinctively that he is, at base, a decent man - who did a Hell of a lot of harm, probably with the best of intentions, given the fact that Tony was in charge and that he was blinkered by his belief in the 'Project'. So, culpable there.
I suspect that he looked at the Referendum results and decided against a possible defeat - he's not been enthusiastic about Parliament for some time after all. The Referendum speech was magnificent and was his finest hour - he should be honoured for that.

[lindapalmara]

He sold our gold reserves at rock bottom price, ruined most people's private pensions and called an old lady a bigot because she dared mention immigration. He was a nasty vindictive man. I could go on but haven't got the room.