The Big B meets GB
I write this from a viewing screen in one of Bollywood's top studios. Gordon Brown is here with his friend aka Big B. His son is marrying , and both also star in the film Brown watched.
In fact, bizarrely, in the film, Big B鈥檚 character is flirting with that of his future daughter-in-law鈥檚.
There is, I might add, something faintly surreal about watching a suggestive Hindi song-and-dance routine whilst sitting behind two managing directors of the Treasury.
Afterwards I asked the chancellor whether he felt able to take a role in the film himself. He declined to comment, saying he didn鈥檛 feel quite up to it.
I also asked him if he鈥檇 received an invite to Bollywood鈥檚 鈥渨edding of the year鈥 and he didn鈥檛 say no鈥
PS. You can hear an interview I did with Gordon Brown by clicking here.
I'm 
Comments
On the interview,at this stage i would have liked too have heard a more assertive GB,at this point in time one would love to hear from Kinnock,the former labour party leader,as too why he preferred Blair to BROWN?as we draw nearer to Blair's exit i think the Kinnock choice becomes more interesting?
Why should the taxpayer fund this poseur's strutting abroad.
He is, after all the Chancellor indeed pretender, not PM.
It is a disgrace he can waste money in this way.
Hi Nick,
I had a thought that I would like to share with you and the rest of the guys and girls here.
How about a BB where Tony Blair, George Galloway, George Bush, Mahmood of Iran, The former Shah of Iran, and Jade get to live together for 30 days.
Could you imagine the tasks?
Bush and Blair could be challenged to invade the Eastern part of the house, and Galloway has to stop them. Mahmood could be challenged to make a nuclear reactor with bit of sticky back plastic and a 1977 Blue Peter annual. And Jade could be the UN representative and international diplomat.
Any input or suggestions anyone, with the way pensions are going I suspect that Galloway at least will be interested.
Remind me again why he's in India? Oh.. yes.. that right he's there for you to stoke his ego, whilst not asking those awkward questions about rising inflation and his 'handling' of the economy.
I listened to the interview in full, Nick, and was impressed by the gentle precision of your questions. They looked pretty spot on to me and were respectfully delivered. What did bother me as the interview went on was how Gordon Brown seemed to use forceful and vague language. As the interview concluded, it was noticeable how he barracked you as the lack of precision and candour in his answers became clear.
Considering Gordon Brown鈥檚 reported forceful and manipulative character within the Treasury, his bullish and all encompassing leadership campaign, and his tough talk and vagueness on detail, I see an emerging pattern. To me, this is the old politics. The world I would like to see emerge is one which recognises that things are connected, prioritises mindfulness, and maintains an unceasing pursuit of better ways. I鈥檓 not sure Gordon Brown fully understands different cultures, history, or the tests of life.
He mentions Churchill and Ghandi, yet, overlooks that Churchill鈥檚 comments have a sensitivity to them, and Ghandi鈥檚 have a hardness to them. While he鈥檚 free to interpret them how he likes, the perspective he's presenting is difficult to accept. I鈥檓 not the world greatest expert on America, Europe, or Asia, nor Daoism, Buddhism, and martial arts, but I have studied these cultures, histories, and ways carefully, and applied many of their lessons. Gordon's record seems thin by comparison.
Never mind what a man says. Watch what he does.
gordon brown sounds like a tough man to interview
Nick reading your last post, I just realised something- I have no idea what Gordon Brown is doing in India.
Could you please tell us because I am sure he didn't predict the diplomatic tensions that may arise as a result of big brother and plan a trip accodingly so what is he actually doing in India, apart from being environmentally unfriendly???????
Thanks Nick
Strikes me that when Gordy becomes PM he wont need all the aides Tb had - Nick you are doing a great PR job on behalf of the dour one. Please stop - any more of this and I will resort to watching BB - what side is it on?
I have always been a Tory but I am crosssing the divide to join labour as he is simply inspiring when you listen to him. How can anyone want to vote for Cameron when he simply wants to streal Blairs clothes. We need a vision for the future anfd Brown provides that. I believe that we now have hope for the future.
could you ask him next what he is up to... like say running the economy? Instead of swaning around india doing precous little.
Watching Brown in India - being even more transparently crass and awkward - makes me call for him to be "pulled" even before Big Brother.
We have "Charisma Blair" utterly short of integrity, banging on about integrity and "Gauch Brown" doing "The People's Priceless" and trying his hand at cack-hand at charisma. Who needs fiction?
I hope the indian authorities will show Gordon Brown the slums of Delhi and Mumbai which i saw in the past as his real heart is with these people worldwide in his quest for reducing poverty and uplifting poor children's hope who die of disease and lack of food with no fault of theri own.As someone expressed my concern to an international conference in 1987 about the reality of millions of children dying below the age of 5 and proliferation of nuclear arsenal on the one hand and deteriorating environment,which cambridge scientist famed for his blackhole theories of universe only warning now,i do think in Gordon Brown we have a PM in waiting with potential to reshape the world order to face 21st century reality of emerging economic powers of asia.
A wonderful opportunity for Brown to grow in stature as a world leader. India is a great country and it is highly important for the PM-in-waiting to get full exposure especially with a key Asian giant! Brown needs to come out of his cocoon,relax more. Tony Blair realised the importance of doing his diplomatic rounds, visiting strategic countries in the 21st century. Brown is definitely on a learning curve as far as learning the ropes of PM is concerned. He has performed excellently as Chancellor but as PM, he will need further consumate diplomatic skills.
I listened to your interview with Brown, Nick, and couldn't quite work out what he was saying that was different from Blair. In fact, apart from talking about "challenges" rather than Blair's "changes" there wasn't any real difference at all.
Except for the letters "lle" which could mean anything - like e.g. labour leadership enterprise, likely limited exercise, low level expectancy. I'm sure you can all think of others. But, still on this point, if changes come after challenges, why are we handing over to a PM who is still recognising that challenges exist? Blair knows already. Listen to his speech at the party conference, link on my site, for confirmation of that.
To Craig, At 04:17 PM on 19 Jan 2007,
What? Brown "simply inspiring"? Brown, like Cameron, is wearing Blair's clothes too. Trouble is, there is more to a man than the clothes he wears.