Gordon Brown - depression or disability?

Poor old Gordon Brown. The one thing you can usually rely on with politicians is that they are aware of the power of words. But Gordon Brown seems to be rapidly developing his own form of political speech disability - a form of politicians' Tourettes Syndrome. If there is a no-no-naughty-word then Gordon will say it. If there is a phrase that could come back to haunt the unwary politician then Gordon will utter it.

His latest gaffe was to say at Prime Ministers question time ""We should agree as a world on a monetary and fiscal stimulus that will take the world out of ... depression."

Depression Gordon? DEPRESSION? It is the word that shall not be spoke. Utter ye not the D word ! This is the same Gordon who only a little while ago was urging that people in the UK should stay positive as a way of fighting the depression recession. He was criticised for that one also although , to be fair, there was some truth in that plea, echoing as it does the statement by a US president that "The only thing to fear is fear itself".

So Gordon with one slip of the tongue risks undermining his own stance. He risks people assuming that these slips of the tongue more closely represent his real thinking than his carefully crafted political statements.

His previous Tourettes outburst also took place during a Prime Ministers question time when he appeared to claim that he had saved the world. He had meant to say that he had saved the banks of course. But listeners couldn't help concluding that his slip represented Gordon Browns own view of himself.

Brown must wake up each morning repeating over and over to himself the words and phrases that he really really must not say in public. Unfortunately the little Tourettes imp on his shoulder whispers them in his ear as he is speaking and out they come.

Gordon Brown gained some credibility during the banking crisis last Autumn but if he doesn't get his Tourettes syndrome under control he risks completely losing any political capital that he gained at that time. He needs the services of a good psychologist I think.