We do not often talk about politics on this podcast, but today is different. Today is a special day. Our Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has been Prime Minister since 1997. But today he will resign. In fact, Tony Blair told us many months ago that he was going to step down. But instead of quitting immediately, he decided1 that he needed time to say goodbye properly. Since then, he has been saying goodbye to everyone – goodbye to his party, goodbye to Parliament, goodbye to President Bush, to the European Union, to the whole world. He has made speeches, he has gone to meetings, and attended receptions and dinners. He has appeared on chat shows and children’s programmes on television. He has been like a pop star making one last tour, to bid farewell to his fans. Do his fans still love him? How many fans does he still have? I don’t know and I don’t care. After today we will have a new Prime Minister, and Tony Blair will be yesterday’s man.
Who will our new Prime Minister be? We have known for months, or even years, that Tony Blair’s successor would be Gordon Brown. For the last ten years, Gordon Brown has been
Chancellor2 of the
Exchequer3 – that is, he has been Minister of Finance. He has been the second most powerful man in the government. He and Tony Blair have not had an easy relationship. The problem has not been about policy – it is difficult to see any real political difference between them. Rather it has been a clash of
personalities4. Tony Blair thought that Gordon Brown was trying to push him out. Gordon Brown felt that Tony Blair stayed as Prime Minister for far too long. Every week the press has reported some new row, or some new problem in their relationship. It has been like a national soap opera. We all looked forward to the next episode.
What is Gordon Brown like? Well, he is Scots. He is serious-minded. He may have a sense of humour, but he hides it well. (The famous 18th century English writer, Dr Johnson, once said that it requires a
surgical5 instrument to insert a joke into a Scotsman’s brain. He was perhaps thinking of Gordon Brown). And Gordon Brown is a very skillful politician.
His political skill is clear in today’s newspapers. He has persuaded a Member of Parliament from the
opposition6 Conservative Party to leave and join the Labour Party instead. In other words, on the day that he becomes Prime Minister, Gordon Brown has made his political opponents look foolish.
His main opponent is the leader of the opposition, David Cameron. David Cameron is young – only 40 years old. He has an informal and easy style. People have described him as the “new Tony Blair”. This may not help him very much; many people do not want a new Tony Blair. David Cameron comes from a rich family, and was educated at one of England’s leading and most expensive private schools. Despite this, he would like people to think that he is in touch, particularly with younger people. So he has a You Tube site, and a podcast. Several months ago, I sent him an e-mail asking him if he would make a special guest appearance on this podcast. I regret to tell you, dear listeners, that I received no reply. Until David Cameron takes the Listen to English podcast seriously, I cannot advise you or anyone else to vote for him.
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