Assets and liabilities

Brown promised a "government of all the talents". Why doesn't he show them off more?

Tonight Labour kicked off the party election broadcast season in the run up to the local and European elections on June 4th. Nothing remarkable in that. But what was remarkable was the fact that the only member of the government to appear in the 3 minute video was ... Gordon Brown.*

When Gordon promised a government of all the talents, I hadn't realised he meant just himself. What about David Miliband or Straw? Smith or Johnson? Mandelson or Benn? What about Alexander or Hutton? Harman or Blears? Hoon or Balls? Ed Miliband or Purnell? Woodward or Baroness Royall? What about Burnham or Denham? Cooper or Murphy? (And that's before we even get to the GOATs.)

It is understandable that Labour wish to emphasise Gordon's economic credentials by focusing on him in a broadcast about the recession. But such a strategy is doubled-edged: if voters buy the line that the UK is well placed in the current recession thanks to Gordon, then Brown is the primary beneficiary; if they don't, they'll blame Gordon, not necessarily the government.

Would it not be better to show a unified cabinet out and about sorting out the recession? Working together to make life better for all? Interspersed with shots of Gordon speaking at G20 and Congress, to emphasise his leadership credentials, this would surely have made for a more compelling narrative.

For someone so economically and commercially tuned, his party election broadcast suggests Brown has confused Labour's assets and liabilities.

*The back of Alistair Darling's head got a cameo.