Brown press conference as-it-happened
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11:20 Prime ministers never get a break, but Gordon Brown’s parliamentary recess has been less relaxing than most. Desperately trying to get his arguments across while rumours of his impending demise fill the airwaves can’t be fun. The latest news is that Harriet Harman, of all people, is favourite to succeed him. Not – as some would have thought – Alan Johnson. The other idea doing the round in Westminster is that he could go off to chair a new global economic taskforce, either within or separate from the IMF. Angela Merkel, German chancellor, likes it and apparently President Obama could be convinced. The prime minister will appear at noon.
11:59 – The room is full to the brim with journalists. Lobby hacks either shrivel up into aimlessness during the recess or wander around media offices desperately looking for something to do. The press conference gives those who didn’t take a holiday something to occupy them. politics.co.uk‘s lobby journalist, for the record, is thoroughly on holiday. We’re not bothered at all. No, really…
12:09 – Brown’s a little later than usual today. But out he comes. He says he’s publishing a document – The Road to the London Summit – referring to the G20 meeting in April. “We’ve got to show people the world can come together to make decisions about the banking system as a whole,” he says. He’s got talks with Berlusconi tomorrow and Merkel in Berlin over the weekend. “I believe we are fashioning a global deal, a grand bargain,” he says. Interesting. It sounds as if he has something up his sleeve. Each continent needs to know what its role is, apparently.
12:11 – Sooner than you’d have predicted – but not by much – he mentions the US stimulus package. There’s always an odd asymmetry to these press conference. The first ten minutes he tells everyone how well things are going, then for the next 50 minutes everyone tells him how awful things are. He just mentioned tax havens, the third or fourth time in the last fortnight – a sure sign of impending policy from the Brown camp. “We want to lead the debate towards the G20. We believe a global New Deal is possible. The old orthodoxies will not serve us well in the future,” he continues.
12:14 – The first question. Brown said ‘discussions with the Americans’. What plans does he have to meet Obama to discuss the summit? Also – the document mentions an enhanced role for the IMF. Is that a job application, or doesn’t he want that international financial position? “That’s a long speech, John,” Brown says smiling – although the prime minister struggles to maintain any smile for very long. He refuses to reveal any details of when he might meet the Americans. “There is no possibility” of a global financial regulator position. That’s on the record – for now. Reading between the lines: Not before the general election, anyway.
12:17 – Has the system failed and are you the right man to put in place an international system of regulation? Well, Brown says, he’s been proclaiming the need for one for years. Has he changed his hair? I can’t tell – always been terrible with noticing haircuts. Sorry. Got distracted for a moment there. He’s still talking about unified monitoring frameworks. “There was a shadow banking system which developed” which wasn’t reported to regulators. And now we see the new domino effect of global markets, as institutions fall one by one, and the problem need to be dealt with at a national and international level – absolutely nothing at all of any note there.
12:19 – Brown is asked how much RBS bonuses that do go ahead should be, and if retail and investment banks should be split. Brown says that’s too clear cut, but he wants to increase the responsibility of the investment side, certainly. As for RBS – all bonuses are dependent on performance. There is a claw-back power in the government’s bonus strategy, it’s worth mentioning. “I can understand the anger of people in this country,” he claims.
12:22 – Brown noticeably struggles to understand a foreign journalist. The image of Britain abroad is that if tourists take a picture of a bridge or something they can be arrested, the journalist says. He’s referring to new laws making it illegal to take photos which might be useful for terrorists, making all bridges or landmarks rather suspect. Brown replies: “I don’t accept that that’s the image of Britain at all,” and then just pushes on, which – frankly – is a little disgraceful, seeing as the law did actually come from his government.
12:25 – Why does the government keep on using national security arguments to stop embarrassing information coming into the public domain? Brown says: “I don’t accept that at all.” Literally, the exact same answer. There follows a deeply unconvincing rehash of the supposed threats from the Americans about data sharing if the judgement in the case about Binyam Mohamed is made public.
12:26 – Every economic question sees Brown look noticeably relieved. Every other one so far has been greeted by him saying: “I don’t accept that at all.” But luckily for him, we’re back on the economy. “This is a global problem, it cannot be solved without global action” – that sort of thing.
12:27 – If bankers say sorry, why won’t he? “I’ve apologised in the past when I’ve made mistake,” he answers, as in the 10p tax rate situation. He made a similar answer out of a similar question when in front of the liaison committee. Is the PM confident that an approved plan at the G20 summit would lead to recovery this year? The answer is maybe, but there are complications, due to the characteristics of international market causation- although he doesn’t put it that way. I’m surprised I put it that way. Surprised, and a little ashamed. Following Gordon Brown for years will sometimes make a man talk nonsense.
12:30 – Back on Binyam Mohamed. There is a perception of cover up – do you accept that? Brown says – I mean it – “I don’t accept there is a cover up.” He doesn’t accept much does he? “I can assure you there is no cover up.” There’s a question on anorexia. Isn’t late diagnosis putting lives at risk? Well, yes. “I can assure you that is one of the issues Alan Johnson is looking at in his health service plan.”
12:32 – Yesterday Obama said he was sending less troops to Afghanistan be than anticipated. What’s our response to the surge? Brown says he already mentioned that military action needs to be combined with army and police training, coordination with the tribes and dealing with the Afghan-Pakistan relationship. We know the fighters are coming from Pakistan. “And this is very pertinent to Britain,” because our terrorists often train in Pakistan. This section is being read entirely off a sheet of paper, without even looking up at the assembled journalists.
12:36 – A question on Jade Goody. “It’s very sad and tragic that someone so young has this disease of cancer and that the treatment she has been given has not been successful. Her determination to help her family is something I applauded. I wish her well, and I know the whole country will be anxious about her health.” Anyone else feel ill? That was one of the least convincing pieces of political theatre I’ve ever seen. He probably only found who she was a couple of hours ago at his media briefing.
12:38 – Is there anything you wish you’d done differently, given the crisis we’re in? “There’s been a need to change that international system of regulation for some time,” Brown replies. “My regret is I failed over these years to convince people” of the need for reform. Every time he mentions this he shows the flaws of his own political mannerisms. He did push for this, but was always so scared of sounding left wing that he now has nothing to point to to prove it. It was always behind the scenes. He pays the price for his own lack of political courage. Very Shakespearean, if it wasn’t basically a collection of financial strategies.
12:42 – What’s he going to do about the spike in anti-Semitism? “Anyone who is guilty of these attacks will be arrested,” he says. There’s a focus on education in schools and free speech in universities. Brown is asked about the Japanese finance minister who had to resign after appearing drunk at a conference. “What do you make of his miserable behaviour and the miserable Japanese economy now?” the Japanese journalist asks. Brown says he was actually quite ambitious sometimes, and… that’s all he has to say about that.
12:45 – Two interesting things about this question: a) the foreign journalist has a strong accent, and every time someone does Brown looks absurdly displeased. b) The second Iran is mentioned, Brown almost runs to the lectern to check his notes. His comments on Iran are entirely consistent with what he’s said before.
12:49 – An Italian journalist asks about Brown’s meeting with Berlusconi tomorrow. What best practise would he advise the Italian prime minister to take? Brown makes a poor joke about how he doesn’t own a football team, so that’s what he likes talking about with Berlusconi. The rest is just the usual pleasantries. Another question on his position. Members of his Cabinet are planning for when he leaves. How does he feel about that? “Trust the Daily Express,” Brown says, indicating they should worry more about international regulation rather than gossip.
12:54 – More fun. Will Brown mention the embryo research he is so keen on to the Pope when he meets him tomorrow? Brown dodges that one, but expresses, at length, how wonderful the Pope is. Next question – should Peter Sutcliff ever be released? Brown says no tribunal has been asked for to decide whether he should be released (that’s mandatory when you’re held under the Mental Health Act). Next question: “You said protectionism is the road to ruin, so were you in the road to ruin when you said ‘British jobs for British workers’?” Brown insinuates he’s taken the line out of context. Half-true – but what did he expect people to do with a line like that?
13:01 – “What nobody bargained for was a shock that went right through the system internationally,” Brown says, explaining the failure of the global capitalist system. No-one expected the ‘reverberation effect’. The biggest failure is not having an effective regulatory sector, but he accepts as well that the British one was not quite up to scratch either. On the other hand – everyone was asking him to deregulate more in the past.
13:03 – Is the PM looking forward to meeting Alex Salmond? Brown says there’s a meeting, but he emphatically doesn’t say he’s looking forward to it. Next question: What kind of tax havens will Brown look for? He’s not particularly specific. “I’m not going to name any particular organisations or countries.” Next question: Does he now regret the merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS? “This was their decision,” he answers. They only went to the government so it could amend competition law and allow it to take place. Shareholders approved it.
13:07 – Another Japanese journalist, again on the finance minister: “Was it natural for him to step down and if Alistair Darling did the same thing what would have happened?” Classic. “This was obviously one of the more interesting financial ministers’ meetings,” Brown says, but says he can’t comment on the man’s personal decision. I’m genuinely gutted not to hear the answer to the Darling part of that question.
13:09 – Last question. Are there any circumstances in which he won’t go ahead with Royal Mail privatisation and if not, how will he convince Labour rebels? Brown goes on about conditions. It’s too boring to reiterate. OK so that’s it – see you next month, or next week for PMQs. The ball is in your court.
