Former British cabinet minister Charles Clarke publicly attacked Chancellor Gordon Brown on Saturday, calling him ill-suited to succeed Prime Minister Tony Blair, despite Labour colleagues urging him to stay quiet.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Clarke said his time working with Brown on student finance and identity cards left him convinced the chancellor struggled to collaborate with others. Clarke described Brown's inability to work with people as his "massive weakness."
Clarke acknowledged Brown's intelligence and self-confidence but questioned whether he possessed the decisiveness required of a prime minister, arguing Brown avoided risk in situations that demanded bold action.
The criticism came just days after Blair announced he would step down within 12 months, a move intended to calm internal party tensions following the resignations of one junior minister and seven aides who had pressed him to set a firm departure date. Blair had previously committed to not contesting a fourth election and to passing leadership to Brown, but had kept the timing open.
Clarke, who was dismissed by Blair, denied acting at the prime minister's direction. In a separate interview the previous day, he had also faulted Brown for doing too little to defend Blair during the recent pressure campaign against the party leader.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.