Brown attack backfires

I thought yesterday while watching Prime Minister's Questions that Gordon Brown's call for unspecified "authorities" to investigate George Osborne, when far more serious evidence of wrongdoing has existed for some time about Labour party fundraising, might come back to haunt him. It has.

Papers including both the Sun and The Times wrote up the story in a way which is not exactly favourable to the PM. The Sun pointed out that there is no evidence of wrongdoing. The Times said that the PM's attack "appeared to back-fire."

As they pointed out, surprised Downing Street officials could not say to which authorities Mr Brown was referring. A spokesman told The Times “Whichever authorities are appropriate.”

The Times also reports that "Sources close to Mr Brown admitted that he might have gone farther than he intended." and that

"His surprise statement eased rather than increased the pressure on Mr Osborne."

A senior MP told The Times:

“Prime ministers order investigations. They do not call for them.”


Tony Wright, Labour chairman of the Public Administration Select Committee, also weakened the Prime Minister's position by by playing down suggestions of an inquiry and admitting that there was no corruption or law-breaking.

You can read the full Times report at

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4996464.ece

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