Cheers Gordon!

No bounce back for Brown

I've finally managed to watch a re-run of Gordon's press conference today, having only been able to half-listen to it early on.

I suppose I should give the man some credit for bravery in facing a press pack who he has so completely mishandled in recent days.

That said, I've got a feeling he was backing some innate talent he believed would allow him to use the occasion to begin a fight back. If this is the case, he clearly does not possess the ability he thought he had.

Content-wise, there's very little to add to Iain Dale's live blogging, and Dizzy's similar efforts.

What struck me though was the body language, especially in the pauses between questions, presumably as the microphone was repositioned. He twitched, he fidgeted, he grimaced, and gurned, he scratched his head and god knows where else behind the lectern. It's hardly unfamiliar behaviour from Brown, but this was unusually intense and continuous.

I'm no expert on body language but he looked to be a very nervous man, becoming less and less sure of himself as the questions rained in, and the when he had the chance to make a well practised line of support for England's efforts in the rugby seemed to bring a very real sense of relief.

So why do I raise a glass to Gordon?

OK, I didn't predict the excuse Brown would use for his election climbdown, but my gut instinct on the no autumn election was finally justified.

It's not that it's saved me a diet of chapeau a l'orange for the coming week, but I managed to get £20 on a January-June 2009 general election on Betfair at a little better than 7 to 1. OK, I didn't quite catch that market at its peak, but it's a damn sight better than the little better than even money you can get now. Coupled with a smaller punt on the second half of 2009 at even better odds for insurance, I've got high hopes of finally screwing some money out of the miserable bastard.

Thanks Mr Brown!

Update 8:00PM:
I watched the Iraq announcement and debate earlier and felt I should add a comment. To be fair, Brown seemed a bit more comfortable on this ground. Cameron needs to be careful not to be seen to be playing too much politics with the issue himself. As I've posted before, I don't buy into the 'too old' line for Ming, but I thought his was a fairly tired performance on a subject that should be meat and drink.

Benn who followed on Foot and Mouth was bloody awful, robotic and dithery - needs some hints from dad. You could accuse some of the Conservative interventions of being opportunistic, but with such a poor ministerial performance they simply seemed like a party in the ascendancy.