Respect or Able?

The Scotsman printed this letter of mine along with another couple that are basically attacking the budget.

I don't see the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, as Joe Stalin (your report, 21 March), but I have never seen him as a great leader either. As anyone who has worked in business knows, a number two often finds it hard to step up to become leader.

It would be far more apposite to compare Mr Brown to Machiavelli. Interestingly, the Italian was eventually accused of conspiracy and arrested. On second thoughts, I may be muddling up my comparisons here.

What this budget has been designed to do, apart from 'harmonizing our taxes' - nothing wrong in that - was to try and make Brown look good. Even down to the way he delivered it was all about how it reflected on him. What Broon needs to remember is that being a leader is not just about having people like you. It's got an awful lot more to do with people respecting you. I think that Broon's only real saving grace has been that many people had a grudging respect for him, which is now slipping away.

Update

I've just read the excellent Joyce Macmillian in the Scotspeople and she's reminded me of the post Budget interview on the Today programme in which Broon came over all gooey about fatherhood and marriage. Click HERE to read what she says. To me Gorgan sounded not a million miles from Blunkett and the famous "little lad" speech. It's almost as though he's playing at families. Better have one as it ticks that particular box.