So I'm Pleased to Announce...

In the early to mid '90s, when John Major's Government defined what a clapped-out administration looked like, Cabinet Ministers would save up 'juicy' policy announcements for their Party Conference speeches. Senior Labour figures, Prescott in particular, were scathing about this pointless attempt at titilating the public and were suitably dismissive of its likely effect on voting intentions.

Now we fast-forward 12-15 years, we find Labour playing exactly the same game. Brown's speech on Tuesday was a catalogue of tears; national care service, more child nurseries and help for single-mums. Some new policies, like electoral reform, had not even been discussed with the relevant Ministers. (It may have sounded initially progressive of him but Brown blew the only chance to lock the Tories out of power. Polly Toynbee in the Guardian summarised this gross error with her sparkling prose, "forever triangulating, his vapid promise of a referendum in the manifesto offering only AV, was as meaningless as he meant it to be. How bitterly Labour will come to regret this folly.")

Brown was obviously feeling pretty pumped about his policy anouncements. He did a round of interviews next morning (above) and felt he had earned the right to talk about the issues of his choice and which did not include his leadership, the allegiance of the Sun newspaper nor the inevitable public service cuts. Such is the fragility of his confidence, the PM began to interupt questions from Sian Williams (BBC) and Adam Boulton (Sky) when he didn't like their direction.

Even old Jim Hacker from Yes Minister could handle interviews better than this. Jim would have advised; ignore the question, answer your own, don't get rattled, if necessary put the interviewer down mildly and always show good humour. Brown then sealed his embarrassment when he tried to storm off, forgetting he was still electronically attached.

It seems likely Gordon will agree to the request to hold 1,2 or 3 Presidential style debates with Cameron and perhaps Clegg. He clearly feels it is policy and substance which count not presentation and soundbites. Well on TV with two minutes per question, slick superficiality looks favourite to triumph. I would never liken Cameron to Jack Kennedy but it's not hard to place sweaty old Gord into the guise of Nixon.

One can but hope he doesn't use the occassion to offer new policy bribes to the voters at the same time. Just don't bet on it.