The score at my son’s football game this morning was 3-3. There were lots of smiling parents on the touchline. I asked them their views about the Blair-Brown leadership row, but they were more interested in cheering their lads on for a victory than discussing the dire and desperate state of this Government’s failing leadership. That’s what makes their life tick, along with the majority in this country.
It’s a totally different scenario for Blair and Brown who now both face the toughest fight of their political careers. Both need to win the support of fellow MPs and restore their public image; this tough match will certainly not end up a draw with handshakes all round. And there will be lots more fouls along the way too, but that’s what makes politics so intriguing for me, and you too, I guess.
While Charles Clarke felt driven to vent his rage on Brown in an unprecedented and vitriolic public attack, there are limits to what is acceptable name calling.
We have been told that Brown suffers from a kind of political Asperger’s syndrome, that this is the reason for his recent poor behaviour and lack of judgement. Asperger’s is defined as someone who deficient in social and communication skills, but can be intellectually brilliant. Even the Prime Minister of Thailand has been accused of having an “autistic smile”.
Robert Harris refers to Gordon’s autism with personal relations, something Richard Nixon is said to have suffered from too, but surely there are lots of clever people who have communication problems, are they all tarred with the same brush? Do they all have Asperger’s?
Why can’t the truth simply be that Brown lacks clear judgement, loyalty, is out of touch, a remote figure who will never be able to connect with the public? Why does he have to be labelled with a syndrome which for others is a very real difficulty?
Maybe I am being ultra-sensitive about this, the reason being I would like to do some press consultancy for a very special school where young autistic pupils have achieved outstanding results having struggled elsewhere, so it makes me cross to hear this term used unless it has been medically proven. And there shouldn’t be a stigma attached to it, but understanding and compassion to those who have this syndrome.
According to Blair’s former spin doctor Lance Price, it was Blair, not Campbell, who made that famous jibe about Brown being “psychologically flawed”. This is surely worse than being told you are useless at your job, it was meant to hurt below the belt.
It reminds me of my school days when cruel kids would call you a spastic if you weren’t as fast or as good at them at sports. At least my son’s football match is more civilised, no wonder people are losing interest and confidence with our politicians.
Btw, Brown has said he had been innocently chuckling with one of his staff about his newborn son when that grinning pic was taken – I don’t believe a word of it, do you?
I’ve taught children with Asperger’s and I agree with you that it is not a term that should be used unless the condition has been medically proven.
I don’t know what I’d do politically if I were in the UK now – I probably wouldn’t even bother to vote.
Welshcakes Limoncello, it’s only Labour who is squablbling, you could always vote Conservative!
Hmmm … I hold no opinion about nothing (apart from me and ladies), but I using a picture of a smiling man to suggest his complicity in the whole affair moves towards mendaciousness.
He’s damaged goods, Ellee. But have the voters noticed?
Kay, hi, I like the word mendacious, could Brown be menacing and mendacious, I wonder? Would that sum him up?
Daily Pundit, I agree that Brown is highly undesirable – but what a great leader by default he would be for us, our polls would soar even higher!
However, I believe that describing Brown as having Asperger’s should be avoided if it is not medically true, it’s not fair on those that are real sufferers.
You hit the nail on the head for me there Ellee. This Asperger’s Syndrome thing really makes my blood boil. I get sick of hearing of young people being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome who blatantly do not have it, but it is instead used as a convenient answer for a range of social and behavioural problems normally as a result of a chav upbringing. It takes ages to properly diagnose AS and yet we are noticing soaring rates in the UK as it quickly becomes the fashionable excuse of bad parents and incompetent child psychologists and the like who sap the much needed resource and focus from genuine sufferers.
PS Ellee: I got my own website now so I can post more of my own moans and keep them seperate from the business entity.
[…] Check out Ellee Seymour’s post about Gordon Brown and Asperger’s Syndrome as she makes some very good points. […]
Mike, Thanks, I have checked out your site and your test and it is a very informative read. It’s not just kids who get labelled with Asperger’s, but adults too if they have difficulty communicating in a relationship, I know of one woman who has accused her partner of this.
It’s ridiculous to use the phrase “emotional Asperger’s” against our politicans because they can’t communicate, in this case by Robert Harris but from the sound of his article, he was not the first to have said it. Even though I am certainly no fan of Gordon Brown, the fact is he will never connect with the public like Tony Blair because he lacks charm and charisma. But it doesn’t mean he has Asperger’s syndrome.
I have 2 friends, both have boys with Aspergers Syndrome. It really is very obvious condition, both of these boys suffer difficulty in communicating yet both are brilliant mathematically wise. Either boy has also had his share of “fixations” one on trains and the other on dinosaurs! These fixations lasted a few years when the boys were younger. Not seen them for a few years so i have no idea if they are progressing or not.
I agree though its not a term that should be used lightly, it really is a serious condition.