Guido took the time to graphically track Gordon during the Scottish election campaign just in case he tried to shirk responsibility for the outcome. It was intended to map for all to see his day-by-day close involvement. It says something that Guido’s suspicions were great enough to motivate such uncharacteristic diligence.

Look at the situation today; the soon to be leader of the Labour party and next PM is travelling around in vehicles with blacked-out windows, maintaining a media black-out and waiting quietly out of sight until the news agenda moves on. He does not show public humility to the electorate, does not defiantly climb the ramparts to rally the Labour party and inspire his troops with well judged oratory – all of which would show leadership. His response perfectly illustrates his calculating personality, he makes himself invisible when trouble is about. What would he have done in the immediate aftermath of September 11th, 2001 if he were prime minister? Invite some wonks to Downing Street to hold a private study seminar? Blair showed leadership, he judged the moment and acted, he told the world that we would fight terrorism and America that we would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them. Blair acted decisively.

Gordon Brown simply does not have the empathy required to make that kind of judgement or ironically the courage to take the risks. He has held on to his goal of power with an obssessive determination and pure malevolence towards rivals. The author of “Courage : Eight Portraits“ has worked deviously and cravenly towards his ultimate goal. He has invariably dispatched his enemies indirectly without taking them on personally.

The Labour party is mesmerised, the party elite all know the true nature of Gordon, just as another party elite in another century knew the true nature of Stalin. The public will never warm to him, the more they study him, the less they like him. Even his allies make excuses for his personality flaws.

He is darkly forceful, unnatural in his ways and it says something profound that he is personified as a great clunking fist.