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EspañolBLAIR-BROWN DEAL
The 'Blair-Brown deal', also known as the 'Granita Pact', is a shorthand term for a widely-held belief in British politics that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown made a gentlemen's agreement after the death of Labour leader John Smith in 1994.[1]
According to several authors,[2][3] Gordon Brown agreed not to stand in the Labour Party leadership election, effectively giving Blair a clear run, and letting him lead the Labour Party in the 1997 general election. In return Brown would be allowed wide powers over domestic policy. This was apparently confirmed by a copy of a note published in ''The Guardian'' in June 2003. The note mentions Blair's commitment to a "fairness agenda" consisting of "social justice, employment opportunities and skills" under a Labour government. [4]
According to a widely-held but unconfirmed rumour, Blair also agreed that he if he acquired the job of Prime Minister, he would stay in the job for an agreed period of time. He would then resign and hand the job over to Brown.[5]
It is commonly believed that the 'deal' was agreed at the now-defunct Granita restaurant in Islington, London.[5]. This too has been debated.
In 2003, columnist Tom Brown told the BBC that Gordon Brown had informed him of the 'deal' the day after it had allegedly been made. Tom Brown said to BBC Radio Scotland:
:''"I'm in absolutely no doubt there was a deal since Gordon phoned me the morning after it was made and told me about it. But at the same time I also believe that both men left the restaurant with a different version of the deal in their minds. They hadn't actually written it down on paper. Gordon believed Blair would step down about now actually, and Blair believed that he... hadn't committed himself to any timetable."''[7]
Some of Blair's supporters deny such a deal ever existed.[1] A 2007 Dispatches programme titled ''Gordon Brown - Fit For Office?'' claimed that Gordon Brown felt betrayed after losing support from Peter Mandelson and other friends and that this lack of support, rather than any deal, made him decide not to run for the leadership.[9]
A fictional account of the pact is given the 2003 TV play ''The Deal''.
1. Profile: Gordon Brown Brian Wheeler
2. Brown's Britain, , Robert, Peston, Short Books, , cited in
3. Policy Making In Britain: An Introduction, , Peter, Dorey, Sage Publications, ,
4. Happold, Tom and Maguire, Kevin. Revealed: Brown and Blair's pact ''The Guardian'', 2003-06-06. Retrieved on 2005-12-25.
5. Timeline: Blair vs Brown
6. Timeline: Blair vs Brown
7. Brown and Blair 'did make deal'
8. Profile: Gordon Brown Brian Wheeler
9. http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/dispatches/gordon+brown+fit+for+office/509052
According to several authors,[2][3] Gordon Brown agreed not to stand in the Labour Party leadership election, effectively giving Blair a clear run, and letting him lead the Labour Party in the 1997 general election. In return Brown would be allowed wide powers over domestic policy. This was apparently confirmed by a copy of a note published in ''The Guardian'' in June 2003. The note mentions Blair's commitment to a "fairness agenda" consisting of "social justice, employment opportunities and skills" under a Labour government. [4]
According to a widely-held but unconfirmed rumour, Blair also agreed that he if he acquired the job of Prime Minister, he would stay in the job for an agreed period of time. He would then resign and hand the job over to Brown.[5]
It is commonly believed that the 'deal' was agreed at the now-defunct Granita restaurant in Islington, London.[5]. This too has been debated.
In 2003, columnist Tom Brown told the BBC that Gordon Brown had informed him of the 'deal' the day after it had allegedly been made. Tom Brown said to BBC Radio Scotland:
:''"I'm in absolutely no doubt there was a deal since Gordon phoned me the morning after it was made and told me about it. But at the same time I also believe that both men left the restaurant with a different version of the deal in their minds. They hadn't actually written it down on paper. Gordon believed Blair would step down about now actually, and Blair believed that he... hadn't committed himself to any timetable."''[7]
Some of Blair's supporters deny such a deal ever existed.[1] A 2007 Dispatches programme titled ''Gordon Brown - Fit For Office?'' claimed that Gordon Brown felt betrayed after losing support from Peter Mandelson and other friends and that this lack of support, rather than any deal, made him decide not to run for the leadership.[9]
| Contents |
| The Deal in Fiction |
| References |
The Deal in Fiction
A fictional account of the pact is given the 2003 TV play ''The Deal''.
References
1. Profile: Gordon Brown Brian Wheeler
2. Brown's Britain, , Robert, Peston, Short Books, , cited in
3. Policy Making In Britain: An Introduction, , Peter, Dorey, Sage Publications, ,
4. Happold, Tom and Maguire, Kevin. Revealed: Brown and Blair's pact ''The Guardian'', 2003-06-06. Retrieved on 2005-12-25.
5. Timeline: Blair vs Brown
6. Timeline: Blair vs Brown
7. Brown and Blair 'did make deal'
8. Profile: Gordon Brown Brian Wheeler
9. http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/dispatches/gordon+brown+fit+for+office/509052
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