Gordon Brown: Blair Mark 2?

Goodbye TB. Hello GB. On Wednesday 27 June, Gordon Brown's political ambitions were realised when he became Prime Minister. Following his unopposed election for the leadership of the Labour party the previous weekend, the man who had been the longest continuously serving Chancellor of Exchequer since Nicholas Vansittart (1812-1823), entered Downing Street promising to 'renew' the party in order to meet voters' changing aspirations.

The question on the lips of the media and the public alike (at least those who care) is what will a Brown premiership look like and how will it be different from that of Tony Blair? The clues to answering this riddle are perhaps to be found in the former Chancellor's past.

An intellectual
First and foremost Gordon Brown is an intellectual. Where Tony Blair is intelligent, Gordon Brown is a serious academic. In fact, the UK has just got one of the cleverest Prime Ministers it has ever had.

Born in Giffnock, near Glasgow, Brown went to Kirkcaldy High School, where he excelled and was placed in the academic fast stream. He was accepted to Edinburgh University at the age 16 and graduated with a First Class Honours MP in 1972. In 1982 he gained his doctorate on the Labour Party and Political Change in Scotland 1918-29.

An ideologue
Secondly, Gordon Brown is an ideologue. The new Prime Minister is, as is frequently noted, a 'son of the manse'.

Brown's father was the Rev John Ebenezer Brown, a Church of Scotland minister. The religious beliefs that shaped Gordon Brown's early life have given him a strong moral code and a deep commitment to social justice. Indeed, his major speeches, most notably those on Africa and child poverty, are often peppered with references to injustice. Speaking at the Labour conference in Brighton in 2005, Gordon Brown confirmed that his parents were his 'inspiration' and that they had provided him with a moral compass which taught him that everyone has a duty to make use of their talents.

A determined man
Thirdly, Gordon Brown is nothing if not determined. As a student, he suffered a detached retina, after being kicked in the head during an end of term rugby match. Despite treatment including numerous operations and lying in a darkened room for weeks at a time, he was left blind in his left eye. Later at Edinburgh University, while playing tennis, he noticed identical symptoms in his right eye. After undergoing experimental surgery at Edinburgh Infirmary the eye was saved, ensuring he did not go totally blind. It is through the fire of events such as these that Gordon Brown's character has been forged.

Brown is not Blair but to pretend that he will represent a major break with Tony Blair would be foolish. Brown and Blair came into Parliament together in 1983 and shared an office, at a time when Labour was deeply divided and had won only 27 per cent of the vote under the leadership of Michael Foot. They understood that Labour had to change and they worked together to ensure that it did. The New Labour project was created by them. It was a genuine partnership.

|PIC2|In his acceptance speech to the Labour party after his election as leader, Brown promised change, using the same words that Tony Blair had done a decade earlier. Indeed, Brown's opening words mirrored those of his predecessor: "It is with humility, pride and a great sense of duty that I accept the privilege and the great responsibility of leading our party and changing our country." On policy too Gordon Brown has been central to all major policy decisions that Labour has taken over the past 10 years.

The idea that Brown will distance himself from Tony Blair on the relationship with the United States is as unlikely as it is popular. The tone may change but Gordon Brown is at least as enthusiastic about the special relationship as Blair. Brown is better read on American politics and is steeped in the writings of neo-conservatives such as Irving Kristol and Gertrude Himmelfarb.

So Brown and Blair cannot be separated so easily.

The question, then, is will Brown's premiership be anything more that Blair mark 2? Brown has spoken about progressive politics at length and it remains to be seen what this entails, but there are two main areas where Brown is likely to set out his own course.

The constitution

Brown is tipped to do what Blair never did and complete the unfinished business of constitutional change. We have already glimpsed the early signs of this. Where Tony Blair got 'cold feet' and decided not to share power with Liberal Democrats in Cabinet, Gordon Brown has already invited Lord Ashdown into his big tent. Brown's offer was of course rejected but it is still possible that he will attempt to introduce political reform at some stage during his Premiership. The reform of the House of Lords and a written constitution are also likely to be on his agenda.

Social justice and social conservatism?

Gordon Brown will try and take debt cancellation to new levels and increase spending on international development. Coupled with this approach to social justice, it could be that Brown will be more socially conservative than his predecessor. The combination of his background and concern that the party is in danger of alienating sectors of its core support (e.g. Catholic voters in Scotland) may help ensure that this is the case.