Goodbye, alas, and Merry Christmas to Gordon Brown!

Former PM Gordon Brown has been a regular star of this blog - ever since my first ever blogpost, which included some tips for one of his party conference speeches that was originally commissioned by The Times.

Since then, I've posted low and high opinions of him (neutral, of course!) and will be very sorry indeed to see him go (to the House of Lords, we assume). 

Anyone who hasn't the energy to scroll through loads of individual blogposts about him are recommended to have a look at my latest book, which has all the political blog posts in it - and is readily available from Amazon .*

Further comments on his competence (or otherwise) as a PM, a speaker, a communicator, rugby player - or anything else - will, of course, be very welcome here and for my next book.

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* This, and other posts shamelessly publicising my latest book, has/have appeared because my agent tells me that the receipt of 5* reviews on Amazon is the most effective way of selling books these days. So thanks in advance to any of you who can be bothered!

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Theresa May follows T

PM PROGRAMME PAUSES PUZZLE

Tonight's Radio 4 PM news programme had a feature on pauses (a few minutes ago). but no one there had asked me to go on the show.

Nor had anyone bothered to ask me about how pauses work in conversation, speaking, presenting - whether on radio, television or everyday life.

Maybe the trouble is that there's no one at the BBC - including PM presenter, Eddie Mair (above), who has read any of my books. 

If he, they (or you) had done so, they'd/you'd have a fair idea about how pauses work in a wide variety of different settings. If the feature continues tomorrow, there's plenty of time to phone me or perhaps even read one of them.

I'm not very optimistic, but watch this space.

(P.S. note the quadruple alliteration in the title).

Watching highlights from the third 2010 election debate makes me wonder (again) whether they're a good idea

I've just been watching David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Gordon Brown (above) slugging it out in the prime ministerial general election debates (HERE ) and wondering whether we'll get to see and hear Messrs Cameron, Clegg and Miliband in 2015?

One thing I'd forgotten was that the BBC website magazine had asked me what I thought about the debate (notes under the above video clip).

But they haven't yet asked me what I think should happen in 2015 - even though I've blogged extensively about why I think it's not a very good idea.

I hope that, given my former associations with Paddy Ashdown, the Liberal Democrats, critical comments elsewhere on this blog about Messrs Cameron and Miliband, etc. the BBC doesn't think I have any political bias.

One of the things I take considerable pride in is the fact that none of my books, including the latest one published last month (Seen & Heard) is anything other than politically neutral.

One of my agents tells me that the best way to sell my new book is to put a picture of it on my blog.