The 'lies and distortions'
13 April 2012
- The Chancellor has been accused of ordering deep cuts in the Defence budget as "revenge" for the Iraq War which he never "really supported"
- It is alleged the Chancellor has infuriated Tony Blair by refusing to meet him to discuss details of the comprehensive spending review. According to reports there was meant to have been a meeting last week but it was postponed
- Downing Street was reportedly unhappy that Mr Brown refused to back Mr Blair over the European Constitution. While other senior members of the Cabinet took to the airwaves to sell the new Treaty, the Chancellor only gave his endorsement after being criticised by Christ Patten, the EU Commissioner.
- There was a similar row over the EU referendum. Again Mr Brown was alleged to have held back from publicly supporting Mr Blair's u-turn to hold a referendum on the constitution
- Jonathan Powell, Mr Blair's chief of staff, was reported two weeks ago to have said "a Scot would never become Prime Minister" and to have compared Mr Brown's position to a Shakespearean tragedy. "Gordon Brown is the guy who likes to think he's going to be king but never gets it. He's never going to be Prime Minister," he is reported to have said.
- Political commentators have suggested Mr Brown "had missed the boat" if he wanted to become Prime Minister. They said Mr Brown was in danger of joining Roy Jenkins and Denis Healey on the list of Labour Chancellors who never became leader.
