Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown (James Gordon Brown), 1951-, British politician. From 1975 to 1980 he taught at Edinburgh Univ. and Glasgow College of Technology; he then joined Scottish Television (1980-83) as a journalist. He ran unsuccessfully for Parliament in 1979 but won a seat in 1983. As a Labour party member (1983-97) under the Conservative government, he held major opposition posts on trade and economic affairs and, with Tony Blair , sought to modernize Labour and broaden its political appeal. A potential challenger for leadership of the party in 1994, he stepped aside in favor of Blair, and in 1997, after Labour's electoral victory, Brown became chancellor of the exchequer under Blair; his appointment to the post was widely believed to have been the result of a 1994 deal between Blair and Brown. One of Brown's early actions was to give the Bank of England the power to set short-term interest rates, a power previous Labour and Conservative governments had reserved for themselves. Brown also took a tough stance on government spending, earning a reputation as the "iron chancellor," and established economic criteria for Britain's adopting the euro that helped undermine the prime minister's push to do so. When Blair stepped down as Labour party leader and prime minister in June, 2007, Brown, who had become the longest serving chancellor in modern times, succeeded him in both offices. During the 2008 global financial crisis, Brown's government was the first to attempt to stabilize financial institutions by recapitalizing them with government money. Brown has written several books, including a biography (1986) of the socialist parliamentarian James Maxton, Where There Is Greed: Margaret Thatcher and the Betrayal of Britain's Future (1989), and Fair is Efficient: A Socialist Agenda for Fairness (1994).

Brown, Gordon (b. 18 July 1952). Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1997–  Born in Kirkcaldy (Scotland), he graduated from Edinburgh University with a first-class degree, and obtained a doctorate. He was a lecturer at Edinburgh University and then Caledonian University, and after a brief spell working for TV he entered the House of Commons at Westminster in 1983. He formed close associations with a group of fellow Scottish MPs, notably John Smith. His influence in the Scottish Labour Party became the backbone of his political strength, but this was insufficient in his bid for the Labour leadership in a three-way contest in 1994. He formed an alliance with Tony Blair in order not to split the moderate vote, and Blair duly won the leadership elections. The terms of this alliance were never made public, and have been subject to intense speculation. They ensured, however, Brown's unprecedented influence over Blair before and after Labour came to power in 1997. Brown became the first Labour Chancellor who managed to avoid panic in the financial and currency markets. He achieved this by handing over the autonomy to set interest rates to the Bank of England within days of taking up his position. Brown directed the 1997 and 2001 election victories for Labour, and his allies became increasingly numerous and powerful in Blair's cabinets. Arguably the most influential Chancellor of the Exchequer in British history, his scepticism was chiefly responsible for the reluctance of the Blair government for Britain to join the euro.

Brown, (James) Gordon (b. 1951). Politician. Born in Kirkcaldy, son of a Church of Scotland minister, Brown attended Edinburgh University, where he read history. Damage to an eye in a sporting accident did not prevent a vigorous political career and he was rector of the university 1972–5. Elected to the Westminster Parliament in 1983 for Dunfermline East, he formed a close understanding with Tony Blair and was one of the architects of ‘New Labour’. His aim, when appointed chancellor of the Exchequer in 1997, was to eradicate Labour's reputation for shaky financial management, and he dwelt constantly upon the need for prudence. One of his earliest actions was to hand over responsibility for setting interest rates to the Bank of England. Reappointed chancellor in 2001 and 2005, he succeeded Blair as prime minister in 2007.

J. A. Cannon