‘Please, please,’ said Brown, ‘just talk amongst yourselves.’118 He started to go round shaking hands and hugging.
Many present were in tears or on the brink of them. The eyes of Campbell glistened. Mandelson looked less emotional. Martin Argles observes: ‘Peter was the coolest. He was being efficient, even brusque, still working away. He wanted to get the exit managed properly.’119 The veteran sultan of spin was determined that Brown should depart while it was still light. ‘All of us wanted Gordon to go out in a dignified way,’ says Forsyth. ‘We didn’t want Gordon to give his speech in the dark.’120 As Brown was moving towards the door, Mandelson, the man for the presentational details to the very end, came forward to centre his tie. Brown stood in front of the door, paused for a moment to brace himself and then the doorkeeper turned the handle.
Sarah stood by his side in Downing Street as he delivered a brief but gracious farewell speech. Wishing David Cameron well, he said: ‘Only those who have held the office of Prime Minister can understand the full weight of its responsibility and its great capacity for good. I have been privileged to learn much about the very best in human nature and a fair amount about its frailties, including my own.’ His voice was on the edge of cracking when he said: ‘As I leave the second most important job I could ever hold, I cherish even more the first – as a husband and father.’121
The abruptness of his departure caught the media, the other parties and officials by surprise. He had defied the pleas of the Palace and the Cabinet Secretary, who would have much preferred him to wait until Wednesday morning so that the shape of the new government was absolutely clear before he resigned. Gus O’Donnell phoned David Cameron to warn the Tory leader that they couldn’t hold back Brown any longer. Samantha Cameron was at home in north London helping her daughter with school work. Her husband phoned: ‘We could be going to the Palace. You’d better get your frock on.’122 A senior aide to Cameron says: ‘We got Sam there – just.’123 Nick Clegg was still haggling with William Hague over their coalition agreement. They were making handwritten alterations to the text as Cameron was driven to the Palace where he would tell the Queen that he was not quite sure what form of government he was going to head.124 Lib Dem MPs had not yet formally sanctified the coalition.
The manner of Brown’s departure was not entirely constitutionally proper, but it was understandable at an emotional level. He had hated the accusation that he was a squatter clinging on to power and such a proud man rebelled against being used as a bargaining chip in the formation of someone else’s government.
After his statement, the Browns briefly returned inside Number 10 and came out again with John and Fraser. The family posed for the media. Brown kissed his children on their heads. It was Sarah’s idea to bring their sons out for their first public appearance. ‘She thought it would be nice for the boys to have one picture of them leaving Number 10 and a happy picture.’125 The family walked, hand-in-hand, along Downing Street. Tears were clearly visible in Gordon Brown’s eyes.
He and Sarah then got into the Prime Minister’s blue Jaguar for his final ride. Thirteen years and ten days since Tony Blair travelled down the Mall on a sunny May morning to become Prime Minister, Gordon Brown was driven to the Palace in the expiring light of a May evening and resigned. The New Labour era was over.
References
PART ONE: THE COST OF CONVICTION
1. Twice Promised Land
1. Interview, Richard Wilson
2. Tony Blair to author at Number 10 news conference with Bill Clinton, 29 May 1997
3. Servants of the People, Chapters 20 and 23
4. Interviews, Jack Straw and others
5. Interviews, senior intelligence officers
6. Interview, Peter Hyman
7. Servants of the People, Chapter 17
8. Ibid., Chapter 18
9. Ibid., Chapter 6
10. Interview, Neil Kinnock
11. Servants of the People, Chapter 12
12. Interview, Barry Cox
13. Interview, Peter Mandelson
14. Interview, Peter Mandelson
15. Interview, Robert Harris
16. Interview, Tim Allan
17. Servants of the People, Chapter 4
18. Interview, Stan Greenberg
19. Interview, Charles Kennedy
20. Interview, William Hague
21. Interview, Jack Straw
22. Interview, Jon Cruddas
23. Interview, Matthew Taylor
24. Interview, Paddy Ashdown
25. Interview, Stephen Wall
26. Interview, Alan Milburn
27. Servants of the People, Chapter 16
28. Ibid., Chapter 13
29. Ibid., Chapter 8
30. Ibid., Chapter 11
31. Ibid., Chapter 14
32. Interview, Roy Jenkins
33. Interview, Michael Levy
34. Interviews, Charlie Falconer and Peter Hyman
35. Interview, Geoff Mulgan
36. Interview, Sally Morgan
37. Interview, Peter Hyman
38. Interview, Geoff Mulgan
39. Interview, David Blunkett
40. Interview, Peter Hyman
41. Interview, Peter Hyman
42. Interview, David Blunkett
43. Interview, Peter Mandelson
44. Interview, Geoff Mulgan
45. Servants of the People, Chapter 19
46. Conversation, Cabinet minister
47. Conversation, Blair aide
48. Servants of the People, Chapter 24
49. Interviews, Sally Morgan and others
50. Interview, Tony Blair
51. Servants of the People, Chapter 15
52. Interview, Andrew Turnbull
53. Interviews, David Blunkett, Stephen Byers, Alan Milburn and Estelle Morris
54. Interview, Jack Straw
55. Interview, Richard Wilson
56. Servants of the People, Chapter 3
57. Ibid., Chapter 9
58. Interview, Jonathan Powell
59. Andrew Rawnsley, ‘What Blair really thinks of Brown’, Observer, 18 January 1998
60. Interview, Brown inner circle
61. Conversation, Blair inner circle
62. Conversations, Cabinet ministers
63. Interview, senior civil servant
64. Conversation, senior Blair aide
65. Servants of the People, Chapter 17
66. Interview, Jonathan Powell
67. Interview, Sally Morgan
68. Interview, Jonathan Powell
69. Interview, Robert Harris
70. Interviews, Sally Morgan, Jonathan Powell and others
71. Interview, Barry Cox
2. A Cloudless Day
1. Interview, Andrew Card
2. Interviews, Andrew Card and others; C. Blair, p. 316
3. Interviews, Andrew Card and others; C. Blair, p. 305
4. Interview, Andrew Card
5. Interview, Jonathan Powell
6. Interview, Tom Kelly
7. Interview, Robert Hill
8. Interview, Peter Hyman
9. Interview, Robert Hill
10. Interview, Robert Hill
11. Interview, Robert Hill
12. Boulton, p.116
13. Interview, Robert Hill
14. Interview, Tom Kelly
15. Interview, Blair aide
16. Interview, Alastair Campbell
17. Interview, Richard Wilson
18. Interview, Jonathan Powell
19. Interviews, Jonathan Powell and Richard Wilson
20. Interviews, Alastair Campbell and Robert Hill
21. Tony Blair, remarks to TUC about 9/11, Brighton, 11 September 2001
22. Interview, Robert Hill
23. Interview, David Blunkett
24. Interview, David Manning
25. Interview, Michael Boyce
26. Interview, Mike Jackson
27. Interview, Jack
Straw
28. Interview, Stephen Lander
29. Interview, Richard Wilson
30. Interview, Stephen Byers
31. Interview, Richard Wilson
32. Interview, Richard Wilson
33. Interview, Blair aide
34. Interview, Robert Hill
35. Interview, Geoff Mulgan
36. Interviews, Robert Hill and others
37. Interview, Andrew Card
38. Interview, Andrew Card
39. George W. Bush, remarks at Emma Booker Elementary School, Sarasota, Florida, 11 September 2001
40. 9/11 Commission Report, p. 40
41. Interview, Tom Kelly
42. Interview, Richard Wilson
43. Interview, Richard Wilson
44. Interviews, Stephen Lander, Jonathan Powell, Richard Wilson and others
45. Interview, senior official
46. Interview, Jonathan Powell
47. Interview, Jonathan Powell
48. Interview, Tony Blair
49. Interview, No 10 official
50. Interview, Richard Wilson
51. Interviews, David Blunkett, Stephen Byers, Geoff Hoon, Alan Milburn, Jack Straw, Richard Wilson and others
52. Interview, Richard Wilson
53. Interview, Cabinet minister
54. Interview, Geoff Hoon
55. Interview, Jack Straw
56. Tony Blair, statement in Downing Street, 11 September 2001
57. Interview, Tom Kelly
58. Interview, Tom Kelly
59. Interview, Jack Straw
60. Interview, Christopher Meyer
61. C. Blair, p. 313
62. Interview, Stan Greenberg
63. Interview, Stan Greenberg
64. Riddell (2003), p. 119
65. Interview, Christopher Meyer
66. Interview, William Cohen
67. Interview, Andrew Card
68. A. Campbell, p. 485
69. Interview, Foreign Office official
70. Interview, Stan Greenberg
71. Conversation, Bill Clinton
72. Guardian, 5 April 2002
73. Interview, Jack Straw
74. Andrew Rawnsley, ‘America or Europe: Tony, the choice is yours’, Observer, 21 January 2001
75. Conversation, Tony Blair
76. Interview, Jack Straw
77. Interview, Tony Blair
78. Interview, Christopher Meyer
79. Interview, Foreign Office official
80. Interview, Christopher Meyer; C. Blair, p. 314
81. Interview, Andrew Card
82. Interview, Andrew Card
83. Interview, Christopher Meyer
84. Interview, Andrew Card
85. Interview, Christopher Meyer
86. Conversation, Cabinet minister
87. Blair–Bush news conference, Camp David, 24 February 2001
88. A. Campbell, p. 507
89. Blair–Bush news conference, Camp David, 24 February 2001
90. Interview, Condoleezza Rice
91. Interviews, Jonathan Powell and Tom Kelly
92. Interview, Tony Blair
93. Interview, David Manning
94. Interview, Alastair Campbell
95. Interview, Christopher Meyer
96. Interview, Tom Kelly
97. Interview, Clare Short
98. Clarke, p. 24
99. Frum, p. 127
100. George W. Bush, broadcast from Oval Office, Washington, 11 September 2001
101. Interview, Tom Kelly
102. Interview, Richard Wilson
103. Interview, senior intelligence officer
104. Interview, Richard Wilson
105. Interview, Stephen Lander
106. Interviews, Stephen Lander, Jonathan Powell and others
107. Interviews, Andrew Card, Jonathan Powell and Richard Wilson
108. Interview, Andrew Card
109. Interview, Jonathan Powell
110. Interview, Richard Wilson
111. Interview, Richard Wilson
112. Interview, Christopher Meyer
113. Conversation, Cabinet minister
114. Interview, Michael Boyce
115. Hansard, 14 September 2001
116. Newsday, 13 September 2001
117. Interview, Jonathan Powell
118. Interview, Alastair Campbell
119. Interview, Richard Wilson
3. Shoulder to Shoulder
1. Interview, Philip Gould
2. Tony Blair, remarks at St Thomas’s Church, New York, 20 September 2001
3. Michael White, ‘On the brink of war’, Guardian, 21 September 2001
4. Le Monde, 12 September 2001
5. Interviews, senior officials
6. Kampfner, p. 120
7. Tony Blair, news conference, Downing Street, 12 September 2001
8. Tony Blair, news conference, Downing Street, 20 September 2001
9. Hansard, 14 September 2001
10. Tony Blair, briefing to media en route to New York, 20 September 2001
11. The Westminster Hour, BBC Radio 4, 16 September 2001
12. Interview, Clare Short; A. Campbell, p. 569
13. Interview, Christopher Meyer
14. Interview, Jonathan Powell
15. Interview, Christopher Meyer
16. Interviews, David Manning and Jonathan Powell
17. Interview, Jonathan Powell
18. Interview, David Manning
19. Woodward (2002), pp. 49, 91
20. Interview, Christopher Meyer
21. Ed Vulliamy, Peter Beaumont, Kamal Ahmed and Jason Burke, ‘War on terrorism’, Observer, 23 September 2001
22. Interviews, Andrew Card, David Manning, Christopher Meyer, Jonathan Powell and others
23. Interviews, Andrew Card, David Manning, Christopher Meyer, Jonathan Powell and others
24. Interviews, Christopher Meyer and Jonathan Powell
25. Interview, Jonathan Powell
26. George W. Bush, address to Joint Session of Congress, Washington, 20 September 2001
27. From a low of 51 per cent in the last Gallup poll taken before 9/11, Bush’s approval rating surged to 90 per cent in Gallup’s poll of 22 September 2001 and remained above 85 per cent for the rest of the year
28. George W. Bush, address to Joint Session of Congress, Washington, 20 September 2001
29. Interview, Stephen Wall
30. Interview, Christopher Meyer
31. Interview, Alastair Campbell
32. Interview, Christopher Meyer
33. Interview, Michael Levy
34. Interview, Mike Jackson
35. Interview, Michael Boyce
36. Interviews, Michael Boyce and others
37. Interview, member of Joint Intelligence Committee
38. Interview, member of War Cabinet
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