Biography
Scottish Member of
Parliament, Chancellor of the Exchequer for ten years under Tony Blair
before becoming British Prime Minister on June 27, 2007. In the
mid-1990s, he wanted to be the next Labour Leader but was upstaged in
1997 by his friend and former roommate, Tony Blair. They initially
worked well together to define their new Labour party, with Brown
writing some of Blair's early campaign speeches and working as the
junior partner.
The second of three boys whose dad was a minister, young Gordon formed
political opinions early, having been influenced by the poverty he
witnessed on the streets of Glasgow as he was growing up. Naturally
athletic, he was an avid player of football. A head kick during a rugby
game resulted in four surgeries and loss of sight in his left eye.
During recovery he spent a lot of time listening to the radio, following
political developments, and firming up his views.
Brown entered Edinburgh University at the age of 16 and graduated when
he was 21, subsequently earning his doctorate degree. His began his
career in education, first as Rector of Edinburgh University and then
lecturer for that institution and Caledonian University. He followed up
with a short stint as a Scottish TV researcher from 1980-1983. In 1983
he made his second bid for a seat in Parliament, this time successfully.
He has remained in politics ever since, representing his Scottish
constituencies. In 1997 he rose to the office of Chancellor of the
Exchequer for the Labour Party Government when Tony Blair became Prime
Minister. He is seen as somewhat bookish, in command of statistics to
support his ideas, tough-minded, sometimes moody and introspective. With
his “savage wit” and brilliant speeches, he has been known to flay his
opponents.. His detractors have accused him of being a control freak,
who doesn’t bother to listen to others and runs the Treasury with
"Stalinist ruthlessness.” His relationship with Tony Blair deteriorated
somewhat, ostensibly over policies, but back room pundits have presumed
that Brown has resented Blair’s long stay in the Prime Minister’s
office. Nevertheless, Brown has been careful to support Blair’s policies
publicly while leaving room for change, and Blair endorsed Brown’s
nomination for the Labour Party leadership in 2007.
Brown married Sarah Macaulay on August 3, 2000 in North Queensferry,
Fife. The first years of their marriage have witnessed unspeakable pain
along with great joy. Their daughter Jennifer Jane Brown was born at
12:16 PM GMT on December 28, 2001 at Forth Park Hospital in Kirkaldy,
Fife. The infant, born seven weeks prematurely, weighed less than two
and one half pounds at birth. Just ten days later, she suffered a brain
hemorrhage and died on January 7, 2002 at 5:20 PM GMT in Edinburgh. The
couple’s first son John came along on October 17, 2003 at 9:28 AM BST in
Edinburgh, Scotland. Less than one year later, Brown's mother died in
Aberdeen on September 19, 2004 (his father had died in 1998). The Browns
welcomed their second son on July 17, 2006 at 9 AM in Edinburgh
according to the parents’ announcement; shortly afterward the child,
named James Fraser Vaughan Brown, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
Fulfilling his ambition, Brown became Prime Minister on June 27, 2007,
when the Queen asked him to form a new government. He happily complied.
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