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Brown: I'm no hero for role in rescue
Joe Murphy and Paul Waugh14.10.08
GORDON BROWN denied he was a "superhero" today as ministers began to worry that the economic crisis will soon be affecting ordinary families.
At a press conference with the foreign media, Mr Brown was asked if he considered himself to be a superhero and if he was Flash Gordon, to which he replied: "Just Gordon, I can assure you."
The Prime Minister found himself being heaped with praise around the world for his banking rescue plan.
Even the French daily Le Monde joined in, describing it as "an English triumph" and hailing him as "the magician of Anglo Saxon social-liberalism".
But Mr Brown tried to douse the praise saying: "Politics, I have found, is about ups and downs." Ministers fear praise of the Mr Brown should not be allowed to get out of control in case the public react with anger when the "real economy" is affected by the downturn.
But David Cameron today claimed that Mr Brown had simply been following the Tories' lead in tackling the banking crisis. "I said at the beginning of our conference it may be necessary to do something very big and I had the idea of putting taxpayers' money into banks," he told BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine programme.
Mr Cameron rejected suggestions that Mr Brown's fortunes had recovered, citing his call for bonus cuts at last week's Prime Minister's Questions.
"What matters more than appearance is the substance. The substance is that I said: 'No bonuses for senior executives in banks getting taxpayers' money and a week later the Prime Minister did pretty much that."
The Conservative leader attacked Mr Brown for changing City regulation in 1997. "He took the Bank of England out of the scene of regulating the level of debt in the economy," Mr Cameron said. "And we are paying for it now."
Mr Brown also said at his press conference that he will outline plans tomorrow for new global financial rules.
Reader views (27)
Gordon Brown the hero, dont make me laugh , he's the villain.
- Mr.S.Port, London
I'll have half a pint of whatever Michael Toner's on! All Brown has done is throw a lot of money that he doesn't have at the problem on the advice of a bunch of bankers at UBS. We (that's you and me the taxpayer) will be paying for this for a very, very long time.
- Paul, London
Good grief.Because of the stupidity of some moron at a press conference asking if this man considered himself a superhero for using our money to get himself out of this pickle (albeit temporarily) we're now having to endure cartoons of this incompetent in a cape.I wish that person never asked that question.This will follow him right up to the next election and some of the fickle amongst us might well believe this is indeeed the case.
- Steve, London
Where was this fool for the last ten years? He is an idiot of TITANIC proportions.
- Frederick, London, UK
is this the same hero chancellor sold off half of our gold reserves at rock bottom prices. the same man who stole millions in pensions.and everyday he is pounding our heads with the words global and new world order.
- Frank, stoke-on-trent england
You can say that again Brown. It was your policies that got us into this mess, and getting us out of it is what you're so extravagantly over-paid to do. Just remember, you wanted the job. so stop crowing and get on with it.
- L.Taubler, London / UK
I'm no hero for role in rescue, Brown quotes!... how right you are.
You are a disgrace and should hold your head down low, along with your friend Prudence and all the other useless characters in the party you pertain to rule over unelected! And proved inadequate time and time again.
You have taken the Greatness out of Britain, the money out of our pockets. the food from our tables, the heat from our homes and the laughter from our hearts.
This with wringing hands of wanting, graving control of all aspects of the miserables lives you have drained of both young old and all, who suffer at your expense! and we should be grateful for what you have taken from us are monies, souls and liberties. Then in garbled tongue tell us what you are doing, giving us to get us through these difficult unprecedented times.
This world is not a happy world, to bring are children to live in.
- Mandelson De'Menace, birmingham
What a bunch of sad socialist sicko's. Now we see why our £2.4 billion agricultural refund was used for but why isn't Dave fighting back?
- Mike, London
Superhero? Absolutely not. He's the ****head who caused the mess by spending all our reserves and borrowing us into the poorhouse for the last 11 years.
And have you noticed that his spinmeisters are now floating that he has increasing visual problems? No doubt a devious plan to go on invalidity benefit when he gets his P45 at (or before, please God) the next election - rather than unemployment pay, like the rest of the misguided people who voted for his sorry party last time round and are now losing their jobs and homes.
- Justin, London, UK
He caused the problem in the first place, the day he handed the BoE independence.
In addition, not sure it's a great idea to invest all our cash in a firm which will shortly see all of its talent walk to other banks who will pay bonuses.
- St, UK
This is Gordon Brown's finest hour. When the financial world needed a leader, Gordon led the charge, spreading his commanding influence from Europe to New York. The begrudging remarks from the Tory "shadows" are just that.
History will be kind to Gordon Brown, a pseudonym for Great Britain.
- Michael Toner Msc, Bsc, Belfast, Northern Ireland
He got us into this position in the first place.
He's no hero he is just saving his arse.
Nobody has voted for him, he has no mandate from the British people to rule on any level.
- Frank, Home Counties, England
Another majority coming for Gordon, as he steps into the breach to cure the economic ills. People have short memories, and will forget that the problems were mainly of his making.
- Phil Jones, London UK
The Tories` and Dave have been so out of their depth that all they could do was paddle in the rock pools.GB`s vast experience may well have steered us and the financial world back from an abyss. It would seem that most European,US and Nobel economists are of this view. But gushing Torygraphmail vent their vitriol as usual.Keep going lads. It amuses us. And maybe GB has just done enough for another term. He deserves it!
- Stephen Bluestone, London
Hero, Hero? Villain of the piece more likely. Eleven years he presided over the Treasury and we went from solvency to broke as a result of his mismanagement.If the Americans think differently they should come and live in England and test the water.
- Len Welsh, Grays, England
Destroyed the economy and then dusted off an old Swedish idea? Some hero! PS On the continent this miracle of Brown's is called "Le Plan Sarkozy."
- Bruce Robertson, Brighton, UK
Not so long ago i said Brown was the answer to our problems and that there is no alternative.Aha Aha Aha a week is too long in politics . I made it quite clearly and frankly that it was wrong to write Brown out of history . I was called delusional when i supported almighty Brown. Well Well we have still got 18 months to go. I still stand by my word Brown is the answer. If Gordon don't want to accept that he is a hero, then Flash Gordon I am telling you, you are a hero.
- Alex Lisinge, Putney London
I have been watching the speeches on CSpan (re: the House of Commons meetings) and must say, as an 83 year old American, I am delighted with your George Brown and what he has done. I don't understand the politics but I call him hero anyway. Good wishes to all.
- Elizabeth R., Voorhees, New Jersey USA
The prime minister reminds me of the unfortunate Captain of HMS Nottingham who was responsible for his ship that hit Wolf Rock off Lord Howe Island. The Navy praised his handling for saving the ship from total disaster and at the appropriate moment slung the book at him. Parliament should do the same to Brown.
- Alexis Dogilewski, London, England
Ah and Dave had such an unbelievable opportunity-and George said nothing.And the Uk will get another 5 years of NuLab minimum!
- Anna Moreno, luxembourg
Whenever any government member in the past suggested any kind of regulation or interference with banks, there were squeals of outrage from the bankers. But not a squeak about this new nationalisation plan. One has to question who thought of the idea in the first place. The government or the bankers?
- John Problem, Hackney Wick, London, UK
Villain yes, hero no!
- Joe, Barking, UK
"Superhero"! Don't make me laugh! It would not have been so bad in the UK, had it not been for GB's ineptitude and bunglings with the economy. Nothing he could do will convince me he's fit to govern this once-great country. He has no mandate to govern and he should be gone.
- Yvonne, Doncaster, UK
First honest words from Gordon in a long time. He steered the ship onto the rocks and deserves no credit for lowering the lifeboats.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
I agree that he is certainly no hero in the current crisis.
We have Bungler Brown who saw fit to let the financial sector self regulate and Dithering Darling who brought a full stop to the housing market by his delay in announcing what he was doing about stamp duty.
- John J, Edinburgh, Scotland
Superhero!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You must be joking - he caused the problems in the first place.
- Roger Slade, Winchester, Hampshire, England
Whoever thinks this waste of space is a hero needs their heads tested.
- Ritchie, London
