Family Law

With the publication of Tony Blair’s book we learn that Gordon Brown could be ‘maddening’ and that he had ‘zero emotional intelligence’.  How fascinating to find that all those rumours, so hotly denied by Downing Street, of a rift between Blair and Brown were true.

It seems that Brown was only kept in his job because he was less of a risk in the government, where Blair could exercise some sort of control, than out of it.

Yet back in the mid-nineties, they were Labour’s golden couple – destined for a long and happy life together in Downing Street.

Doesn’t this remind you of so many divorcing couples?  The marriage starts off in a haze of good intentions to the accompaniment of bell-ringing and joy; it settles into a few years of reasonable contentment and production of children (or ‘political policies’); the niggling arguments start; they both start complaining to friends and family about each other (known in politics as ‘briefing’); they struggle to stay together for the sake of the children (or Party); there’s a period of icy separation in the marital home (or Cabinet); finally one can stand it no longer and leaves (or ‘resigns’), leaving the other to pay the bills.

 The worrying thing is our government is now headed by a golden couple whose coalition has been likened to a civil partnership ………

 Perhaps someone should drop a few leaflets in Downing Street extolling the virtues of Collaborative Law and the advantages of splitting without fighting.  Just for future reference, you know, in case the coalition doesn’t last for life.