Gordon Brown has said he wants to get involved in charitable work when
he leaves office, rather than go on lecture tours.

In an interview with Piers Morgan for GQ magazine Mr Brown said he was
"shy by nature rather than extrovert".

Mr Brown - an X Factor fan - questioned the salary paid to BBC star
Jonathan Ross, but said entrepreneurs like Simon Cowell "deserved"
their money.

The full interview is due to be published on Thursday.

In it, Mr Brown insists Labour can win the next election - but when
Piers Morgan asked how he would make himself "sexy", Mr Brown said: "I
can't change in the way you're asking me to."

Your actions should speak for themselves, but that's not the way
politics works these days
Gordon Brown

When Mr Morgan suggested the public perceived him as miserable and
dour, Mr Brown said: "I accept I have to do better in the presentation
area. I've got my strengths and I've got my weaknesses."

Mr Brown said his strengths were "that I make big decisions and I'm
not afraid of breaking new ground".

But he said: "I could present our message a lot better. I'm actually
shy by nature rather than extrovert, someone who feels that your
actions should speak for themselves, but that's not the way politics
works these days."

'Very little money'

On money issues, he said ITV X Factor judge Simon Cowell deserved the
millions he earned because entrepreneurs had ideas, then put them into
practice.

But he said there was a feeling of "unfairness" over the sums of money
being paid to TV stars.

When asked: "Is it right that someone like Jonathan Ross gets £18m
from the BBC?", Mr Brown replied: "The BBC has got to seriously
consider its salary structure."


I'm an X Factor fan, and Peter Mandelson looks after Strictly Come
Dancing
Gordon Brown

Earlier this year, the BBC said stars' salaries would be reduced when
their contracts came up for renewal. And last week it announced it was
to cut the amount it spends on the salaries of some 640 senior
managers by a quarter over the next three-and-a-half years.

Mr Brown went on to say that he himself had "very little money",
adding: "It's very expensive being prime minister. I gave up my prime
ministerial pension that would be worth around £2 million, but on my
first day in office I gave it up.

"And my salary is frozen. And I don't want our ministers to take any
rise in salaries either."

Responding to allegations the expenses scandal "made you all out to be
a bunch of corrupt spivs", Mr Brown said: "Yes, and that's very
hurtful. I have never tried to make any money out of being a
politician. The timing could not have been worse.
X Factor fans

"People were doubly angry because they were suffering financially
themselves."

While the prime minister said he wanted to be involved in charitable
work when he left office, he refused to condemn former prime ministers
for doing speaking tours.

He told Mr Morgan he talked regularly to Tony Blair, saying their
relationship was "very good", despite what people often claimed.

When asked how he wanted history to judge him, Mr Brown said: "That he
stood up for fairness, and tried to ensure that people got a fair
deal."

Cameron 'good politician'

On the recent controversy over Andrew Marr asking him if he was taking
medication he said he was not bothered by it but added: "I've been
honest about it. I really dislike the trivialisation of politics."

On his opposite number, Tory leader David Cameron, he said he was a
"very good politician" but added he would never "hang out" with him.

"I have my own friends," he added.

He described Mayor of London Boris Johnson as a "subset of the
entertainment business".

On the subject of entertainment, the PM talked of his preference for
ITV's X Factor over the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.

He said: "[Simon] Cowell accused me of wavering in my support for The
X Factor, but I haven't. I'm an X Factor fan, and Peter Mandelson
looks after Strictly Come Dancing."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Give the lecture tour and be charitable? MY FUCKING HAIRY ARSE Gordon.
You'll in the swill with the rest of the pigs. I bet you're even
writing your memoirs just now from your bulging diary. You're a lieing
cunt just like your predessor.

McKevvy

On Tue, 3 Nov 2009 03:38:50 -0800 (PST), McKevvy
 wrote:

>Gordon Brown has said he wants to get involved in charitable work when
>he leaves office, rather than go on lecture tours.

he's been wasting our money for years

-- 
web site at www.abelard.org - news comment service, logic, economics 
 energy, education, politics, etc over 1 million document calls in year past
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  all that is necessary for       []     walk quietly and carry
  the triumph of evil is that     []           a big stick.
  good people do nothing     []    trust actions not words
                    only when it's funny -- roger rabbit
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