Probably the last PM to be interested in winning the battle of ideas, it’s refreshing to remember that politicians can develop arguments rather than reheat soundbites. Perhaps it’s just me, but a lot reads like an implicit criticism of Starmer. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... - ThreadSky

oldtrotter.bsky.social • 6 days ago

Probably the last PM to be interested in winning the battle of ideas, it’s refreshing to remember that politicians can develop arguments rather than reheat soundbites. Perhaps it’s just me, but a lot reads like an implicit criticism of Starmer. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/12/new-world-order-conflict-era-multilateralism

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alistairblantyre.bsky.social•5 days ago

🧐

cjhartnell.bsky.social•5 days ago

He is a remarkable writer. Across history & economics & recognising the significance of inflection points. I didn’t read a criticism of Starmer - I read an acknowledgement that there is an imbalance (between China & the US) & this must be addressed in a new principles based order.

oldtrotter.bsky.social•5 days ago

The criticism lies in what he didn't say about Starmer. Not, for example, included in the list of leaders seeking to preserve the rules based order and the Beveridge quote was very pointed since Starmer wants to argue everything has changed but our policies haven't.

sylviademars.me•6 days ago

Brown is imv probably the most underrated political actor in post 1950s UK history. The parts of NuLab we shouldn't write off by and large, I feel, have more to do with him than with the charismatic dude who sold them. He got shafted by a PLP that has not proven remotely capable of replacing him.

sylviademars.me•6 days ago

I just discovered about myself that I'm apparently a Brown diehard, but honestly, all social democrats should be.

oldtrotter.bsky.social•6 days ago

I’ve never forgiven him for over complicating the tax system for tactical reasons, but his instincts on devolution, the NHS and transport (the Eddington Report remains a fascinating, but largely forgotten piece of analysis) were always sound.

sylviademars.me•6 days ago

See, the UK tax system is SO EASY compared to the other two I've had to deal with in my life (as a private party with some self employed income) that this is not a thing I would have known about or found out about. (I only moved here in 2007, mind.)

invalid-handle.com•6 days ago

In some ways it continues ideas he’s had for a while. And he seems broadly supportive of Starmer and Reeves. Maybe more so in the first part he wrote than this? But combined I don’t see it as overtly critical, perhaps more a bit of helping lay groundwork or support factions/ideas within cabinet?

oldtrotter.bsky.social•6 days ago

The criticism lies in what he doesn’t say. And I thought the quote from Beveridge was particularly pointed.

invalid-handle.com•6 days ago

Perhaps.

It could be Brown’s style that I’m misreading. And I’m sure there are decisions he disagrees with.

Seen as a whole I see both pieces as more offering a path and encouragement to be bolder.

What do you see as the criticisms? And how firm would you say they are?

invalid-handle.com•6 days ago

Certainly more thoughtful and for me welcome than interventions from other previous PMs.

clairington.bsky.social•6 days ago

I think it's also clear, in hindsight, that the enormous amount of redistribution that happened under New Labour was a matter of conscience for him, and is not something usually associated with Blairism (mainly because they didn't talk about it at the time)

oldtrotter.bsky.social•6 days ago

I often wonder what he might have achieved as PM had not the GFC taken up so much of his time. He had some interesting innovations on devolution, such as the Regional Select Committees (boycotted by the Tories, obsessed with playing political games)

sdinpraxis.bsky.social•5 days ago

Brown drew on his experience as chancellor to be one of the driving forces on shifting international funding for education, and for vaccination, to scale and was a firm proponent of international development. He could be irascible but he delved deeply into issues.

invalid-handle.com•6 days ago

I’m thankful he was PM then because he did so much to help. But also disappointed he got so little credit, quite the opposite.

People seemed to dislike him despite being exactly the moral and unspun character they had said they wanted after Blair ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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