Brown just doesn't do it for me

"They taught me that most of politics isn't about politics, in the sense of meetings, resolutions, speeches or even Parties. It starts with people.

It's about friendship, art, culture, sport. It's about being a fully paid up member of the human race before being a fully paid up member of the Labour Party."
Tony Blair, Labour Party Conference 2006.

"If I thought the future of politics was just about celebrity and not about something more substantial, I wouldn't be in politics.

If being in public life becomes about image above all else then I don't believe politics would be serving the public."
Gordon Brown, Labour Party Conference 2006

Unfortunately for Gordon, celebrity and image do matter in modern politics. Perception is important. If unemployment is at 3 million, a smile and a good bedside manner won't win the incumbent party an election but a Prime Minister must show personal authority and be able to transmit this authority to the nation. Blair's personal charm and ability to communicate may have lifted the bar in this respect - we didn't expect any of this from John Major in 92' - but Brown's failure to come close should raise alarm bells within the Labour Party membership.

In a public contest about being a 'fully paid up member of the human race' Brown stands to lose out. He might be the best Chancellor since the Crusades. He might be humorous and charming in private. He might be a pinball-wizard in his spare-time. But none of this matters because he is unable to communicate his genuine passion for politics in a manner which convinces the general public that they want to be a part of his project.

Writing after the Chancellor’s own conference speech, Polly Toynbee’s article was entitled “There is no longer any doubt: Brown will be the next PM”. Wishful thinking on Polly’s part, me thinks. There are plenty of doubts and not just those aired by disgruntled Cabinet colleagues. Real concerns must remain about whether Gordon can lead us in the Labour Party to victory in the next election. The polished performance of Blair's speech this week not only showed the Labour Party what it would be missing but it also served to highlight Brown's own deficiencies in this area.

Witness Brown's reaction to the tribute paid by Blair. Upon hearing these words Brown appeared to suffer a malfunction - 'Praise...cannot compute'. And it wasn't just when Blair spoke that Brown's body language was all wrong. When Clinton spoke of the Chancellor's achievements, a chip in Brown's CPU said 'smile'. Unfortunately Brown's team hadn't yet downloaded the necessary patch so after a quick flash of teeth the system error of the previous day was replicated and Brown's face reverted to a blank screen...

It might seem harsh to focus on every reaction and every word. It might appear to trivalise politics to focus on presentation in this way. But it is important that a leader is able to present the ideas of the party to the nation and Brown looks as if he will struggle to do this effectively. It might be nice to think that electing Brown as leader would show that we in the Labour Party are serious about the politics rather than the froth. But the fact is that we would be choosing someone who will not have the benefit of being a new face to the public and who lacks the skills to communicate a fresh message to voters.

So, unlike Kerron, I don't think I want Gordon to be our next leader. But whatever happens there must be a proper contest. Just don't let John Reid win it...