Gordon Brown has two problems

Brown has two fundamental problems. First, he's Scottish. That in itself is no bad thing, but when you have a queazy English plebiscite to muster, being otherly does not go in your favour. When people are unsure of your credentials, being different doesn't swing them in your favour. His other problem is his lack of charisma. Thatcher and Blair had it. Major didn't. Brown is a private looking man with a serious agenda, and schmoozing, smiling, grinning and fawning to the crowd just aint his bag. Aside from his penchant for parternalistic statism, he's a competent politician but, like Major, is facing a charismatic, well spoken, well dressed Englishman with facsimile economic policies. And also like Major, the crowd, like schoolkids with a sensitive student teacher, can smell fear and are keen to make use of it. Teflon Tony was worn down out of office. Mr Brown will be hounded out.