Two interesting interviews with Gordon Brown and David Cameron this weekend. The Prime Minister, quizzed by Adam Boulton on Sky News this morning, clarified his pledge to create "British jobs for British workers." It's NOT about discriminating against foreign workers, he insisted, but encouraging firms to fill vacancies with people on the unemployment register. To be fair, the PM announced such a scheme at the TUC conference in September. But he was probably also trying to send a reassuring signal to people worried about immigration, and that landed him in hot water because he adopted a slogan once used by the far right British National Party and National Front.
Brown was typically business-like in his interview. He clearly regards "getting on with the job" as the only way to regain the initiative after the non-election fiasco. Cameron gave a very different interview to Michael Parkinson on ITV last night.
Of course, it was a very different stage to Brown's, but the Tory leader passed the test (in front of a much bigger audience). He does up close and personal well, and again talked movingly about his disabled son. And he had a very funny story about Kate Moss, who asked for his phone number - but only because she mistook him for a plumber after he burbled on about the floods at her Oxfordshire home when they met at a charity event.
Brown has also known personal tragedy but does not like speaking in public about his family. We should respect that, but the PM does need to connect more with ordinary people and maybe his aides should give Parky a ring.
P.S. There's an intriguing opinion poll in today's Sunday Express. Although the ICM survey shows the Tories (on 43%) eight points ahead of Labour (35%) with the Liberal Democrats on 15%, Brown is trusted more than Cameron on the economy, avoiding a recesssion, defence, health, law and order and education. The only issue on which the Tory leader is ahead is immigration. Although Mr Cameron is more likeable, Brown is seen as more popular, trustworthy, a strong leader, a conviction politician, courageous and understanding ordinary people. Which all makes the headline "Cameron storms eight points ahead of Brown" rather misleading, and shows that Plumber Dave still has a hell of a lot of work to do.
He was great on Parky. And the Kate Moss story was marvellous. I'm no Cameron fan but he does come across well on the box. But that's no reason to make him PM now, is it?
Posted by: Greenman | Sunday, 11 November 2007 at 04:59 PM
That's the difference isn't it? Brown has a rather serious job to do. Cameron has, er, well, er, he's got lots of cycling to do obviously and, then, there's, well, er,...
Posted by: Biffo | Sunday, 11 November 2007 at 05:09 PM
So Cameron came across well on the television and had some interesting anecdotes, but to be fair you need more than a few interesting well orchestrated stories to lead a country. Brown doesn't let his personal life to affect his job. Brown is decisive while Cameron simply plays up to the media, and that is why i cannot take him all to seriously
Posted by: Roberta | Sunday, 11 November 2007 at 07:38 PM