The King is (almost) dead! Long live the (presumed) King!

So Tony Blair finally made his much anticipated resignation speech yesterday sounding almost as if he had chosen to go, a speech full of the Blair mix of the apparently sincere and the sentimental. I thought at one point he was going to burst into 'I did it my way' or when he spoke with hand on heart of his devotion to Britain, 'I did what I did for Maria' ( anybody recall Tony Orlando?). Anyway Britain's king of the hammy exit has finally laid down an exit date amid gasps of relief from many of us.

Barring a miracle, for which many in the Labour Party have unsuccessfully prayed, Gordon Brown will move into the top job on June 27th, the date Blair hands his resignation to the Queen.



What can we expect from a Brown premiership. Well, dealing with the cosmetics first, it will be almost a breath of fresh air to see the dark, brooding, glowering face of the ultimate political professional on our screens in contrast to Teflon Tony's toothy Colgate grin as he tippy toes to his next photo opportunity.

Brown is not glamorous. He can also be awkward, surly and downright bloody minded. But he is a tough politician. Whether he is Prime Minister material is a question which is yet to be answered. His competence with a brief is beyond question. For one man to be the supreme finance Minister in British politics for ten years is unheard of. Now he has to translate his perceived dour Scottish competence into a figurehead who can win another General Election.



One thing which will undoubtedly change, to the relief of many on the British Left, is the relationship with the United States, and in particular this current Administration. Oh there won't be a severing of ties and diplomats will be beavering away just as keenly in the background to ensure that Anglo American relations remain sound but Brown is keenly aware of the irritation felt by many Britons - and particularly those on the left of the Labour Party - at Tony Blair's effusive endorsement of every American political/military initiative, particularly under the Bush administration and the Republican Party.

In truth the British left distrusts all American politicians as being somewhat to the right of any concept of 'Left' known to Europe and as such was somewhat suspicious of Blair's love in with Clinton. But Bush and his neo cons have been the last straw.

Brown knows full well that his personal rating, important at the start of his Premiership, will go up several notches over here if he is seen to be less enthusiastic about embracing every American cause. I believe the Americans are well aware of this and may well expect a lot more British caution in future, particularly if attention is turned to the likes of Iran and North Korea.

The other factor of course is economic policy. Brown has been Chancellor for so long that his is the ONLY fiscal stamp on this government. Now he will have to let go of the reins or risk constantly losing Ministers if he insists on maintaining a hands on approach to the economy himself. These are interesting times.

How much of Brown's undoubtedly more socialist past still lingers in his soul and how much has he been pandering to the Blair 'New Labour' label. As Chancellor of the Exchequer, Brown has not had to make many statements on national social policy. It will be interesting to see if, and by how much, he leaves Blair's shadow behind.