Gordon Brown PhD

This was sent to me by one of my loyal readers who wishes to remain anonymous. It's a snippet about Brown in his student days - an interesting one though and his PhD was in history, concentrating on the Labour socialist movement. This too will give you a little more insight to our PM's thought processes back then.

I first came across Gordon Brown in my first year at Edinburgh University. I did not have much interest in student politics and this was one of the few political meetings I attended in seven years at University!

It would be late 1972. Brown was standing as Rector of the University against a fellow called Sir Fred Catherwood who had been director general of the CBI I think. At the time Brown was already a heid bummer in student politics and his views were fiercely left wing. His flatmate Jonathan Wills had already been the first student rector but was giving up as he was leaving the University.

It was a crowded meeting in the Union at Teviot Row, with both candidates and their seconders due to speak. When the candidates were announced Brown got a great applause. Sir Fred’s seconder was introduced as a Ph. D. student. Brown supporters rubbished him by shouting ‘intellectual’ which struck me at the time as a strange insult to throw within a University!

It only struck me recently that Brown was ALSO a Ph.D. student at this point but he kept quiet about when preparing his candidature. So even then he was spinning for all he was worth. This is the Ph.D. that he has airbrushed out of his CV. No mention in his biography at 10 Downing Street website.

Brown won easily and spent three years as Rector, chairing the University Court and upsetting the principal Sir Michael Swann.

Anon

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