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Gordon Brown staged a show of unity with Alistair Darling today amid Tory claims he was “at war” with the Chancellor ahead of the crucial pre-election Budget.
The Prime Minister laughed and joked with Mr Darling during his weekly Commons question time, prompting David Cameron to taunt: “Any closer, they'll start kissing.”
But it emerged that Mr Brown and Mr Darling met early today to smooth over the furore caused by the Chancellor claiming on TV last night that No 10 had unleashed “the forces of hell” against him.
His comment backed up claims that two of Mr Brown's close allies, former spin doctors Damian McBride and Charlie Whelan, had bad-mouthed Mr Darling for giving a 2008 interview admitting the economic crisis would be the worst for 60 years.
Before meeting Mr Darling, the Premier dashed to GMTV to state publicly he was not behind the attacks. “I would never instruct anybody to do anything other than support my Chancellor,” he said. He did not deny negative briefings took place, but said: “I was never part of anything to do with this.”
The bizarre comments threw an unwelcome spotlight onto tensions between No 10 and the Treasury before next month's Budget, which will set the tone for the general election. No 10 is concerned that Mr Darling may be talked into austere measures rather than an election-winning package.
Some thought Mr Darling's “forces of hell” revelation may be his way of warning No 10 to keep off his turf. His aides made clear that his comments were not premeditated, but there was no attempt to withdraw them.
In the Commons, Tory leader Mr Cameron said “the Prime Minister and Chancellor are at war with each other”.
There have been signs of discord over the scope for election sweeteners in the Budget, the date of which will be announced next week, probably mid to late March.
Allies of Mr Darling were irritated when Mr Brown told the Financial Times recently that spending might increase in some areas if debt interest and benefit spending were lower than expected.
In a swift rebuff, Mr Darling declared he would “go further” in slashing the £178 billion public deficit if possible.
But allies on both sides insist the pair are working well together and Mr Brown emphasised their long friendship in this morning's GMTV interview.
“Alistair has been a friend of mine for 20 years, we have worked together, our families know each other. We have worked together all this time and have huge mutual respect,” he said.
In the Sky interview last night, Mr Darling recalled: “I'd done this interview and the forces of hell were unleashed.” Asked if No 10 was responsible, he replied: “Not just them, the Tories as well.”
A book by Andrew Rawnsley claims that Mr McBride and Mr Whelan mounted a smear campaign against Mr Darling.
Both Mr McBride and Mr Whelan denied they had briefed against Mr Darling. Mr McBride said: “The idea of Gordon instructing us to brief against Alistair Darling is totally wrong. The idea of me briefing against Alistair Darling is totally wrong.”
He added: “The Sunday papers were ringing up and asking us if we were angry with the Chancellor and the answer was no.”
Reader views (48)
Nothing in the story. Tories up to their tricks again.
- Dhan Raj, Basildon, 24/02/2010 16:39
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Cameron needs to grow up and stop it with the homophobia.
- Jacqui Smith'S Dvd Collection!, Hackney, London, 24/02/2010 16:17
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The Captain is on the bridge. It is important to avoid icebergs. Please, simple stokers, avoid using the Tannoy to distract the whole crew. Once we've reached port, the Captain might be changed (God help us, given the apparent alternative). I'd vote for anyone who could avoid the 'European' mine-layer shadowing us.
- Steve, London, England, 24/02/2010 15:53
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I am prepared to give the PM's denial some credence. The instruction was more likely to come from Mandelson than from sideshow Gordon.
- Andrew, Hampton Hill, 24/02/2010 15:26
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Brown condemns himself with his ridiculous denials that he knew what his minions were up to. They would not have done anything that their Master did not want. Bully Brown needs eviction from Downing Street so he can concentrate on agnegr management classes and re-acquaintance with truth.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne, UK, 24/02/2010 15:11
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#Rob, Jim, Brian
I stand corrected; I don't know why I said third, I did mean fourth. I apologise for my error. However, Rob, please don't patronise me, I am not a child. Regardless of whether the percentage was 0.1% or 10%, we still emerged from recession at the time Alastair Darling predicted. I mention the Conservatives in the context of this discussion. It is common knowledge that Margaret Thatcher, Ted Heath and John Major each had serious disagreements with their Chancellors, as I'm sure Harold Wilson and James Callaghan did, too. I merely point it out to make the point that this does not only happen in Labour governments. The point about Labour stealing Tory policies is risible. The only Conservative policy I can name is reducing IHT for the 3000 wealthiest estates in the country, oh, and selling the publicly owned bank shares at a price higher than they can buy them for today. Michael Goves' Academies were set up by Tony Blair, and the Swedish model Mr Gove also lauds has recently been discredited and is in the process of being dismantled by Sweden.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain, 24/02/2010 14:58
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Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain - Oh Val bless there you are stating untruths as good as any labour spinmeister - where is yur evidence to back up your nonsense IMF statement - bring it on come on?
- Christian Ball, London, UK, 24/02/2010 14:55
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Really, who cares?
- Jay, London, 24/02/2010 14:39
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Gordon believes in his own persona no one elses his dirty tricks are only just starting.He has been trained to deny anything that does not put him in a good light,then to rubbish everyone he has a disorder and is dangerous.
- Lionel Davis, leeds west yorkshire, 24/02/2010 14:37
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I am afraid I have to say that even I have no faith in Gordon Brown.I was bullied myself and won't stand for this.
Now I shall vote Conservative!
- Keith Pric*, Luton, 24/02/2010 14:33
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Gordon believes in his own persona no one elses his dirty tricks are only just starting.He has been trained to deny anything that does not put him in a good light,then to rubbish everyone he has a disorder and is dangerous.
- Lionel Davis, leeds west yorkshire, 24/02/2010 14:29
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brown deserves locking up for failing to implement financial regulation in the boom years ... probably so he would not choke of the artificial boom he was engineering .. having said that I actually think Darling comes across as a decent man .. anyone else think similar ?
- Kevin, Chichester, 24/02/2010 14:08
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Like a Wagnerian Opera, the Forces of Hell. Gotterdammerrung.
- Dhan Raj, Basildon, 24/02/2010 14:02
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Can you just call an election Broon. This freak show of a government is making us look like a joke abroad. What a useless bunch of second rate failed politicians you are. Frank Field being the exception to the rest of you. Now he would be a good leader. Its time to leave the twisted hermetically sealed bubble you all live in. Come out, give us an election get back in the bubble - think of your country - and leave UK PLC to get on with the future.
- David S., Burgess Hill UK, 24/02/2010 14:00
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I think gordon Brown had his truth bone surgically removed some years ago,Labours lies will ensure their total annihilation come may/june, in fact I believe they will effectively cease to exist as a credible political party after the summer....I'm taking bets now.
- Jacob, Britain hates Marxists, 24/02/2010 13:43
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"Bring on the Muppets of War! Let the Fun and Games begin - Let there be an election, quickly. Else all fails and we sink into a Pseudo-Marxist grip of Yoghurt crunching, Bed wetting, Tree hugging arms of another 5 years of McBalloon and his Proto-Commie fellow travellers!"
It was PMQs again today. McBalloon did not look a happy man. A man on the edge again. It seems to point all over the place as McBalloon pushes the blame of the woes of the Labour Party on anybody except where the responsibility truly lies - with himself, Paw McBalloon!
- Uncle Vanya, East Angular Area UK now a province of EU-SSR-Land, 24/02/2010 13:36
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Amazing how this horrid parasite will never admit to anything.
- Bernard Ex Pat, Myrtle Beach SC USA, 24/02/2010 13:31
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Who cares, either way. Nulabore will be history in a couple of months.
- Dee Jay, Fleet Hampshire, 24/02/2010 13:13
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@Val, I always thought that the third quarter was the July to September quarter (except in Tax matters)and we did not emerge from recession until the October to December quarter which is the fourth quarter. As for the Tories having no policies, that's because ZaNu Liebore keeps taking them and then accusing the Tories of no policies. I think once the election campaign is offically launched that we will see policies from both the Tories and the Lib Dems as GB and co will no longer be able to pass them off as their own.
- Jim, London, 24/02/2010 13:12
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This is a perfect illustration why decent, honest, peopel do not enter politics.
Why would anyone be suprised by Darling's allegations? Brown drove Blair from office by his bullying. And people actually sound suprised when it occurs again. and again. and again.
- Ian Gilbertson, Newcastle, 24/02/2010 13:09
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At PMQs today Gordon was directly asked by Cameron to state that he knew nothing - zero - about Darling being briefed against by his aides ie Brown`s spin doctors. Brown refused to answer. Think that about sums the situation. No he didn`t instruct them but he knew what was happening and didn`t stop it as he wanted to move Darling and replace him by Ed Balls.
Especially for Val, this country was still in recession in the third quarter of 2009. We only scrapped out of it by 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2009 and it looks odds on we are going back into recession in the 1st quarter of 2010. We are just printing too much money and borrowing too much above our income.
- Brian G, Norfolk Gorleston, 24/02/2010 13:08
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I love it, Gordo blames everyone else, your the one who sold all this countries gold at cut price, your the one who set up the FSA and its rules to lead to the banking crash, your the one who introduced IR35 and other rules against ltd companies making it almost imposible to do anything without HMRC hunting you, your the one that thinks introducing Retrospective tax is right (FA 58 BN66) and distroying 1000s of families in one swoop, your the reason why the Highly skilled are leaving this country (im one of them), you bulled your way to PM, YOUR NOT GOING TO BULLY US INTO VOTING FOR YOU OR LABOUR AGAIN!!!
- Ben, London, 24/02/2010 13:04
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No doubt Crash Gordon will be able to roll out Madlespin, Presser and his wife to confirm that as well!!
- John Bull, London, 24/02/2010 12:37
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I hated Majors government back in 1997 and at the time thought it had been the worst there had ever been. Worse than Wilson and Healeys first term back in the early 70's. However, I for one would be more than pleased for Major to return, or even Harold Wilson. There has never been a worse Prime Minister or government than this one. We need an election NOW !!!
- Anna Key, London, 24/02/2010 12:28
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Val - let me explain it in simple terms for you.
1. Mr Darling accused aides to the Prime Minister of unleashing "the forces of hell" against him for predicting the recession would be the worst for 60 years.
2. When the chancellor of a country accuses aides of the PM aides of unleashing the forces of hell - that is a quote from the chancellor by the way not anyone else - then it shows that there is utter anarchy at the top. And if it's like that at the top then goodness knows what it's like down the chain.
3. I was not talking about bullying allegations.
4. In every statement you make you always bring the Tories into it as though 2 wrongs make a right. They don't.
5. We have the biggest deficit we have ever had or are ever likely to have. You consider this good governance. The majority of people in this country and indeed the world don't.
- Rob, london, 24/02/2010 12:22
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Ooooh yessss youuu diddd!!!!
- Steve, Brentford, 24/02/2010 12:18
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We are broke and this shower can do nothing better than quarrel among themselves or, in Gordon's case, appear on TV to emote and then to deny that he ever hit anyone (which wasn't quite what he was accused of in the first place).
I did not think we would ever see a worse Government than John Major's. But we have. Much, much worse.
- David, London, 24/02/2010 12:04
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I almost prefer the growling Gordon. It is when he turns that sanke like smile that I want to be sick. The man has to go! Not only has his party invited the whole sorld to settle here in order to gain votes, but they have also dumbed down education to the point where people think their only future is on benefits and only Labour will keep doling them out.
- Beatriz, London, 24/02/2010 11:53
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I don`t think we would mind if Gordon was a strong, decisive leader getting things done. The problem is we know he is not, he procrastinates at every turn and any meaningful decision is kicked into the long grass called a "review". DELIVERY under Labour has simply not happened despite all the money thrown at problems. All Brown cares about is clinging onto power, he managed to get rid of Tony Blair and now sits in his bunker trying to manage the news on a daily basis to lift his ratings.
- Nickspurs, London, 24/02/2010 11:52
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#Rob, London
No, you are wrong. Gordon Brown did not have to go on television to defend himself against allegations Alastair Darling had made about him.The Chancellor did not make any such allegations; in fact he categorically denied he had ever been bullied by the PM. Alastair Darling is a man, not a mouse. Gordon Brown was appearing to talk about an entirely different subject. The questions were put to him, and he answered them. As for it being the opposition's job to attack Alastair Darling when he says the economy is in the worst state it has been for 60 years, why would they attack him for saying something they repeat, parrot fashion, every day. They get off on running the country down because they have no policies and nothing positive to say. People appear to have forgotten the bitterness between Margaret Thatcher and her Chancellors, Nigel Lawson and Geoffrey Howe, (who resigned as Chancellor because of her treatment of him). At the end of the day, as I posted on here over 12 months ago, the Chancellor has been proved right in his predictions. He was right in saying we would emerge from recession in the third quarter of 2009, and the Conservatives were wrong. The IMF stands full square behind Gordon Brown and Alastair Darling with regard to continuing to spend until the economy stabilises. I am beginning to believe George Osborne's brain is missing, and the majority of leading economists and 'brains' in the city appear to agree with me
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain, 24/02/2010 11:48
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Darling says that Brown unleashed "the forces of hell"; Gormless says he didn't.
One or both them is a liar. Either way, they are both culpable for bringing the economy and taxpayers to their knees, and I look forward to them joining the queues at Job Centre Plus in Fife and Edinburgh respectively, after May 6th.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 24/02/2010 11:44
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If Brown denies it. It is probably true. BUSTed Brown get out of town. From Prime Minister to Scottish Clown.
- Bob Stone, Bournemouth, England, 24/02/2010 11:29
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So Labour cuts the polls deficit and then starts to fall apart? They are really, really trying to lose this election aren't they!
- St, London, 24/02/2010 11:19
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Gaz
Of course journalists know the truth but they rely on the patronage of Govenment official and unofficial spokesmen and no their sources will dry up if they disclose them.
Val
Gordon has got other attack dogs not least Lord M. Also wouldn't you expect the Conservative to attack Alistair, they are the opposition after all but I have to admit both Gordon and the Conservatives were wrong and Alistair was right.
- Stephen C, London, 24/02/2010 11:02
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Funny how McCavity Brroooon is never there or responsible for dark and dastardly deeds but is always there to claim credit for the sun rising, saving the world etc
- Ian C L, Bangor, 24/02/2010 11:01
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Val it is the Conservatives' job to unleash the "forces of hell" against him - they are the opposition. His boss is supposed to be on his side!
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent, 24/02/2010 10:51
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My God, Glasgow Friday night is what we want. They're a disgrace to all patriotic Scots.
- Bj, East London, 24/02/2010 10:36
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Dear Val Daniels
The PRIME MINISTER of our country has had to go on the TV to defend himself AGAINST comments made by his CHANCELLOR. We are in the 21st Century and the reason people have no respect for politics anymore is because the people at the top ( and yes I include the Tories and Lib Dems in this) are not fit for purpose. I am truly stunned it's sunk so low.
- Rob, london, 24/02/2010 10:35
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Pity he doesn't have the same 'huge' respect for the electorate and taxpayers of this country and their opinions.........
- Andy Woodhead, London, ENGLAND, 24/02/2010 10:19
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#Paddy
If you read his comments you will see that Alastair Darling was explicit in his denial that he was ever bullied by Gordon Brown. In fact he said there was more that united them than ever divided them. He also included the Conservatives in those who were involved in 'unleashing the forces of hell' against him that weekend, not just the attack dogs in No.10, who by the way, are no longer there.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain, 24/02/2010 10:15
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Why does Brown consistently deny being the instigator of malicious spin when he has never being accused of such??
- Bingham Macnamara, lymington, hampshire, 24/02/2010 10:00
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We are supposed not to judge them on their record. Ha ha ha.
- Frederick, London, 24/02/2010 09:59
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Surely it's a matter of record. Brown's staff did brief against Darling...or not. Journalists must know. Who else would the recipients be? Why the silence? Brown is either a bare-faced liar or doesn't know what's going on in his office. Either way, he's not fit to govern.
Journalists must know the truth; why do they remain silent?
- Gaz, london, 24/02/2010 09:57
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Don't think it's possible to bully Darling, thank God he's got guts whatever one's opinion of him is. Doesn't stop othere briefing against him with the implicit (not explicit because that takes guts) approval of Gordon.
Modest of Gordon to compare himself with Winston, what a contrast in men!
I thought Cameron was just asking for an internal inquiry which costs nothing as opposed to a Public Inquiry which costs a fortune.
I think we all know what Gordon is like now in spite of the "bullying" spin and character assassination of New and Old Labour.
- Stephen C, London, 24/02/2010 09:55
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I wish he would 'instuct' the bankers and MP's expenses to be repaid.
- C Cusano, Bedford, 24/02/2010 09:37
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Having listened to the to and fro arguements over the last few weeks, I have come to the opinion that we must have a Public Enquiry into why David Cameron thinks that public money should be spent on Public Enquiries every time Gordon Browns name appears in the newspapers.
If you spent less time asking others to explain themselves, and more time explaining what you're all about, you might have a slim chance of getting into No. 10 - oh sorry I forgot - you haven't got any substance have you?
- Barry, Welwyn England, 24/02/2010 09:20
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Is Darling inferring he too was bullied then?
- Paddy, London, 24/02/2010 09:07
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Always with Brown read the fine print. "I would never instruct anybody to do anything other than support my Chancellor." Interesting emphasis on the word, instruct. Brown does not deny that he spoke with his aides about Alistair Darling. Saying neither yes or no was as good as a nod and a wink to his aides who knew exactly what to do that would please their lord and master. The constant assertions that Brown is a hard task master, gets angry etc etc only add credence to the fact that there may well be a culture of bullying inside No10. He would be better to shut up, rather than keep digging and making the hole bigger and bigger. I don`t think Brown is a bully, just a very unpleasant person whose peoples skills are virtually non existent.
- Brian G, Norfolk Gorleston, 24/02/2010 08:45
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