Among those who believe there is some truth to the rumours of Gordon Brown’s bullying, there are many who seem to favour this form of tough leadership, a survey of British adults for the Sun newspaper suggests. The majority of those who believe the rumours about Brown declared that they would prefer a Prime Minister who occasionally goes over the top than one who lacks passion.
43% believe that Gordon Brown had bullied his own staff to some degree, but it is what this is seen to represent about the Prime Minister’s character that make pertinent reading. Of those who believe that Brown has engaged in bullying of some kind, 40% think that he is bad tempered and 24% think him a bona fide bully.
But there are some more promising interpretations of his behaviour for Brown: 27% think him tough compared to only 13% feeling the same about Cameron. As the Conservatives continue to draw attention to the so-called ‘broken Britain’, the electorate might wonder whether Cameron is strong enough to tough it out should he form the next government.
Brown’s leadership was thrust into the spotlight after a new book by political commentator Andrew Rawnsley claimed that staff in Number 10 and civil servants alike had suffered bullying by the Prime Minister. These were supported by Christine Pratt, head of the National Bullying Helpline, who declared that she had received calls from ‘three or four’ employees working for, or close to, the Prime Minister. The claims were comprehensively rebutted by the Prime Minister and the Labour Party.
The public’s view, as shown in these results, suggest that what some might see as bullying, others simply see as evidence of a tough leadership style.
For survey details and full results, please click here
