Brown, Gordon

(1951– )

   Gordon Brown was elected as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Dunfermline East and following a reorganisation of parliamentary constituencies in Scotland was elected to Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. He became head of HM Treasury in May 1997, making him the longest continuously serving Chancellor of the Exchequer since the early nineteenth century. He was widely regarded as the second most powerful member of the Blair Government, having been accorded substantial responsibilities over many areas of domestic policy. He assumed the leadership of the Labour Party without facing a challenge on 24 June 2007 and became Prime Minister three days later. Before becoming Prime Minister and in his early months in office, Gordon Brown was keen to emphasise that there would be no radical departure from the New Labour approach. However, he emphasised the need for a different style of government, stressing the necessity for high standards of ministerial behaviour. He made clear his support of the British presence in Iraq, but admitted that there was a need to learn the lessons of the mistakes made in policy towards that country.