Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown, generally known as Gordon Brown, is a Scottish Labour politician who has served as Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer since 1997. His mutual enmity with Prime Minister Tony Blair has been a consistent feature of British political life for a number of years, and he is widely expected to take over as Prime Minister when Tony Blair retires in the summer of 2007.
In Britain, Brown is seen as being a more somber, sober and serious figure in contrast to Tony Blair, who has generally been perceived as lightweight and as an overly "slick" media performer (not unlike Bill Clinton). This resonates with a stereotype that many English people have of Scottish people being humorless and dour. Brown's father was a Minister in the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and it is thought that Brown's religious beliefs have influenced his serious, sober style. On the negative side, some believe that he is insufficiently likeable and sunny to appeal to voters.
Brown is one of the longest serving Chancellors in history, and has taken credit for the consistently healthy state of the British economy during his tenure. He is a passionate advocate of reducing poverty in the Third World. He has also acquired a reputation for being strongly patriotic, following speeches in which he has praised the concept of "Britishness" and suggested that Britons should display the British flag outside their houses, as many Americans do with the US flag. However, his patriotic convictions are expected to have consequences in foreign policy which are arguably negative: it is widely believed that he will be zealous in defending British interests (narrowly defined), but that he will neglect broader elements of Tony Blair's foreign policy such as support for the United States and the War on Terror.
During Brown's tenure as Chancellor, the UK has enjoyed sustained economic growth and generally positive reports from the IMF, although there were concerns at extreme inflationary pressures in the housing market. At the same time, he has followed a generally redistributionary policy, increasing spending in the National Health Service and education, whilst giving tax breaks to poorer families.
