Gordon Brown on Andrew Marr

Well, let's be honest, it wasn't a car crash. A bit sweaty, but not a disaster.

In terms of the detail, I'm almost hesitant to talk about it as the fact that Andrew Marr asked the Prime Minister if he's on anti-depressants could be all this interview is known for going forward.

Despite clear shock and disgust at being asked the question, Brown was big enough to answer it and even gracefully suggest Marr was right to ask it but come on, surely we have boundaries and a person's medical and mental situation is way beyond them.

So poor form from Andrew Marr and I suspect the time he has remaining hosting this show has just decreased drastically.

Anyway, that's by the by. The detail of the interview was typically bland sad to say. Lots of chat that's just blah from our uninspiring leader.

Some key forgettable quotes:

"I'm going to tell you. We have a fiscal reduction plan.... Publish our figures in the pre-budget report that will show how we will protect front line services"

"my fight is for the future of Britain"

"we need to be less responsible and more responsible"

The biggest news was perhaps the announcement of "a business and financial services act that will ban the old bonuses". I'm not entirely sure how that will work and there was precious little detail coming from the PM but it's a tangible move rather than just the words that other party leaders have put forward, in this country and beyond.

Marr asked Brown about Megrahi:

"As a Scottish MP, what do you think of the release of Megrahi"

Brown said he wouldn't change anything which won't displease the Scottish Government too much. Speaking of which, I did enjoy how Gordon initially called it the 'Scottish Executive' only to later follow Marr's lead (after the PM's hackles were raised) in going with the 'Scottish Government'.

Brown was at his strongest when talking about the economy and the recession and, to be fair, it should be the only show in town going into this election. The line "at every point in this economic downturn we made the right choice" should be on every leaflet and every placard Labour has out there. Could Labour still win if we think, well, we don't like the PM much but at least they made the right decisions at the crucial time? They probably should.

There was an interesting exchange where Brown said Marr's figures were wrong, quoted his own (which were presumably right) and then later went on to say that no figures are ever definite.

Marr then pushed Brown hard on his lowest poll ratings. "You must look yourself in the mirror and think, am I really the man for this job?" and "are there any circumstances in which you would stand aside?"

Brown seemed to suggest his low poll ratings are because of the MPs expenses scandal and the public not knowing if we are past the worst of the credit crunch. Difficult to believe that somehow but an understandable answer. Noone likes admitting they're just a bit out of their depth.

Overall, I doubt the interview will make much of a difference to those poll ratings and despite how he allegedly comes across in person (as a fun, nice guy), I just think Gordon's main problem is that he doesn't come over as a likeable person.

So all in all, I still think that Gordon Brown's best bet to win votes over this weekend is to do a Kinnock-style dunk in the sea. Bit of banter never hurt anyone...

UPDATE - Interesting to see that despite near-unanimous support for Gordon Brown on the 'health' questions that were tossed his way, Labour councillor and popular blogger Bob Piper goes somewhat the other way,bizarrely drawing comparisons with Jed Bartlett's MS in The West Wing.

Brown, who up to that stage had appeared to be answering Marr's economic questions with no real difficulty, suddenly appeared shaken, and the sweat on his brow increased dramatically, making it look distinctly worse.

It may well have just been the personal, and slightly intrusive nature of Andrew Marr's question. But Brown's answer seemed somewhat less than confident to me.

Not exactly 'full-throated support' as Leo McGarry would say...