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"Iron Chancellor" turns malleable

Hasan Suroor

— PHOTO: AP

SEEKING SUPPORT: Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown meets supporters in Knebworth, England, on Friday.

LONDON: Gordon Brown, actually smiling? Cracking jokes? Encouraging journalists to ask him more questions?

With the keys of No 10 Downing Street almost in his grasp, the famously dour and humourless Mr. Brown, with a reputation for lacking charisma and not suffering fools, looked an altogether different man on Friday as he launched his campaign to succeed Tony Blair as Britain's next Prime Minister.

The "iron'' Chancellor, whom a former senior Cabinet colleague recently described as "difficult'' and "non-collegiate'', oozed charm in his first public appearance as the Prime Minister-in-waiting, less than 24 hours after Mr. Blair announced that he would be quitting on June 27.

Mr. Brown, who is almost certain to be elected the Labour Party's new leader in the absence of a credible challenge, appeared determined to defy the image of a nail-biting, shy and inarticulate man, ill-at-ease with the media.

This was not the Brown who is said to be prone to snapping at colleagues and frowning at awkward questions.

He was in the glare of TV cameras for nearly an hour and there were moments when, on another day, he might have lost his patience. But not on this occasion.

In what went down as arguably one of his most self-assured and please-all performances, Mr. Brown humoured journalists, made light of awkward questions, praised "Tony'' repeatedly and even managed to have a dig at himself saying that Mr. Blair's endorsement of his candidature meant that at least he had "one nomination''.

Ridiculing the Tories' demand that he must seek the people's mandate to gain political legitimacy for his leadership, Mr. Brown reminded them of their famous campaign during the last general election: "Vote Blair, get Brown''. Well, they voted for Mr. Blair and were now getting Mr. Brown!

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