Against the odds: Why I admire Gordon Brown, and why he deserves to win

By Luke Bozier / @Luke_cb

I admit I was not a natural fan of Gordon Brown’s. I worked closely with Tony Blair in the small period of time I led Labour’s online communications in 2007. I, for various reasons, left at the same time as Blair, but I never said that Brown shouldn’t be leader of the Labour Party. Even when things got tough for Brown, I always realised the job of PM has always been far too complex and difficult for anyone to have the audacity to suggest they could do it better. In policy and style terms, you could call me a Blairite, but I apply that label liberally, knowing full-well that ‘Blairism’ is a concept created and shared even by Brown himself.

Having faced several serious challenges in my own life, and having grown up in one of the poorest parts of the country under Thatcher in the mid 80s, I understand what it is to struggle and fight for something in life. Operating in a political world full of cliques, I know what it is as a rank outsider trying to achieve something in British politics. Clearly I have no idea what being in Gordon Brown’s shoes is like, but I admire with all of my fibre the man he is, for not ever giving up, for not taking no for an answer, despite at times having what seemed like the whole world against him.

Let’s consider briefly just a few of the challenges that Gordon Brown has been through in his life. Famously he lost the sight in one eye at a young age – this would have been a huge hit not just to his vision but to his self-confidence. Having been fast-tracked through secondary education in what he himself referred to as a “ludicrous experiment on young lives”, Brown attended university at 16, barely given a chance to enjoy his youth.

As a young MP, having been selected in a safe Labour seat, Brown found himself in Westminster, labelled a “weirdo” by many in the political elite, not having come from the Oxbridge/London background that many in Westminster do (not that there’s anything wrong with that background), and being accused of having “psychological flaws” by some of his colleagues.

Gordon & Sarah lost their daughter Jennifer soon after she was born prematurely – this would derail the lives of some, but it strengthened Brown’s resolve even further.

Despite all of this, Gordon Brown persevered and became leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister.

After a few months of a honeymoon/Brown love-in, the political world turned on Gordon. Once again he was painted as the strange man leading our country, bringing Labour to her knees and devaluing the pound. Leadership contests brewed but were destroyed by Brown’s tenacity and willingness to continue despite everybody calling for him to stand down.

Polly Toynbee who so fervently supported Brown’s leadership in June 2007, mocked him for his “indecisiveness” and “dark side”, and suggested he would face an “imminent collapse” with lows lower even than Michael Foot’s in the 1980s. She was wrong, as so many of the Westminster elite were.

Brown has faced so many character tests, and has succeeded. He is still leader of our party, he saw through the economic disaster, he battled with challenges in his personal life since the youngest age, he proved the political circles and cliques in Westminster wrong and became the leader of our country. He absolutely, squarely, deserves to win this election and continue to be Prime Minister. He also, as I said earlier, should be a role model to any person facing a struggle no matter how big or small, because he has shown that no matter where you come from or what befalls you, you can dream big and achieve your dream.