It is at this time that he met Tony Blair

On the economic and political opening, correspondents abroad "echos" tell every day this week that prepare the heads of Government in major capitals.

It is one of the images that have retained the British summer: Tony Blair in shorts with flowers on a beach in Barbados, an island paradise of the Caribbean, at the time when Scotland Yard foiled a terrorist plot unprecedented against airliners. The Prime Minister of her most gracious Majesty did not consider it necessary to interrupt his vacation in the Sun, while the London airports were paralyzed several days a new draconian security measures. Leaving John Reid, his Minister of the Interior, manage effectively aborted as a result of these attacks. A somewhat cavalier attitude in the eyes of a large number of its citizens.

Often presented as a communication as Tony Blair seems to have lost a little hand. A few taken positions, in July, on the war in the Lebanon were not much better perceived revel. Already very weakened politically, less and less popular, host of 10 Downing Street prepares for a difficult re-entry. The pressure in the Labour Party so that it passes quickly hand should redouble. The annual Congress of Labour, to be held in Manchester in September, will be highly anticipated. Tony Blair might be forced to provide clear guidance on the date of his departure and his replacement by Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

For the financier, remained in the position the more long time in the history of Britain, and who presided over one of the longest periods of growth by the country, it will be a time key. The Minister is more than anxious to occupy the post promised more than ten years. The man is as same as Tony Blair, an animal policy first class. Fell into the political cauldron in their teens, he is quickly spotted by the Labour Party and became member of Parliament in 1983, at the age of thirty-two years. It is at this time that he met Tony Blair. With Peter Mandelson, they will form a "household three" intellectual, which lay the basis for New Labour.

When in the spring of 1994, the leader of the party, John Smith died suddenly of a heart attack, began a crucial period in the history of New Labour: Blair or Brown, should succeed him The two men are young, bright and able, in different genres. Blair is a bit of "ideal son-in-law" photogenic and charming, while Brown is rather intellectual highly competent and well inserted in the party, but whose temperament is more saturnien than solar. On 31 May 1994, the two men, and wants the to the legend, lunching in a London restaurant which has since closed its doors, the Granita. The Pact is sealed: Blair will be leader of the party for the elections and Prime Minister, Brown in Exchange will be equipped with a large economic power as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Until Blair fades to its benefit... But Tony Blair, after more than two terms of Prime Minister, seems no hurry to abandon the stage.

Gordon Brown could be dubbed "lucky Gordon". In fact, he arrived in business while the economy, boosted by the devaluation of 1992 and the order restoration carried out by the Conservatives, again. By being cautious, he helped the British economy to make spectacular progress. By freezing spending to prove that labour could be good managers, he was able to raise a budget surplus which was very useful after 2001 to compensate for the braking of the growth and feed a spending for public services program. It must be said that education, health and transport, long weaned investment, had need of a budgetary effort. His conservative opponents point out that in doing so, increased taxation, increased from 37.4 of GDP on average between 1999-2000 to 43.1 this year. He is also accused of having multiplied the regulations and obligations of companies, the "red tape" employers denounced tirelessly, and also made very opaque tax system with its various tax credits. Little, any sum compared to the positive points. His great blow in this area has been to give independence to the Bank of England, two days after his arrival in the business. This earned him the admiration and esteem of the City.

The big question that remains to this exceptional Chancellor is the policy that it would conduct as Prime Minister. So far, Gordon Brown did really hear that on the economy, even if it begins to speak on topics such as the Trident nuclear defence, very far from his usual skills program. He argued at the decisive moments, but very poorly, the Iraq policy of Tony Blair. He managed to never be involved in the various scandals that have blighted the lives of the party, as the case of loans rewarded with seats in the House of lords. Apart from his advocacy for Africa, the international does not appear to be his strong point. He speaks of Europe to refuse the euro or press his counterparts to revel to follow his example and liberalize their economies. Basically, he done more confidence to the American model, that he admired very much, to the European model.

Excellent expert, Gordon Brown dark will he be able one day to be a popular leader who carries the accession of opinion Difficult question, as it may, the day where Tony Blair will back him instead, voters are tired of the New Labour experiment...