Byline: QUENTIN LETTS makes an unexpected sighting
GORDON Brown sighting! The former Prime Minister stepped into the Commons at the very start of yesterday morning's proceedings. It was only the second time he had been seen here since the General Election (a good month ago he went through the brief formality of taking the oath).
Mr Brown (Lab, Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath) did not stay long but, given that Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman was speaking at the despatch box, that was perhaps forgivable. There is something of the reproving nun to Caroline. Far too posh and English for Gordon.
Anyway, there was our rare breed, our panda, our red wolf, our northern hairy-nosed wombat - the Bruin! He had pinned a boomerang-sized grin to his face. He positioned himself on the third bench back, pretty much in the middle of the Chamber. There were not many on the Labour side.
He was flanked on his right by big Tom Watson (West Bromwich East), who wore the sort of pinstripe once favoured by Chicago mobsters. On Mr Brown's left sat Toby Perkins, a mournful-looking six-footer who is the new Hon Member for Chesterfield.
Mr Perkins, like one or two other of Labour's new intake, has been putting in commendable hours in the Chamber. He seems a thoroughly solid citizen but I do worry that he doesn't smile much.
The Commons day starts on Thursdays at 10.30am but the first item of the agenda is prayers, intoned by the Speaker's chaplain.
FOR some longstanding, thoroughly unChristian reason we reporters are not allowed to attend prayers. Is the fourth estate not in just as much need of prayerful contemplation as the politicians? Is there not a proper public, civic dimension to these prayers? Perhaps the parliamentary clerks should consider the matter.
Anyway, by the time we were admitted to the gallery it was, by my watch, 10.34am. And there, dear readers, below us, like some pearl in an oyster, like a nugget in the prospector's bucket, gleamed Gordon.
He did not recline easily on the green leather bench. Instead he perched on the front of the seat, as though riding side-saddle. He looked healthy. Almost plumply so. The hair was brushed and clean. Cheeks a decent colour. The blueish pallor of the election campaign was gone.
And yet he seemed fidgety. He engaged in a few bites of smalltalk with Mr Watson and another friend just beyond him, George Mudie (Leeds East).
He did try turning to Mr Perkins but the man from Chesterfield with the doleful countenance chose not to take any notice. He just stared at the world with stoical regret. Mr Brown might have had more joy with Eeyore.
Fleetingly he glanced at the Government benches, staffed by Conservatives and the occasional Lib-Dem. He rubbed his hands and hunched his shoulders. The smile was stretched like bubble gum.
HUW Irranca-Davies, a genial ex minister who is now an agriculture spokesman for the Opposition, turned round on the front bench and said cooee. Mr Brown, who seldom took much notice of Mr Irranca-Davies when they were in Government together, waved back a couple of pudgy fingers.
We had been there, ooh, at least a minute when Mr Brown decided he might escape. But just as he was tiptoeing for the exit, in walked Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central), chairman of the parliamentary Labour Party. Mr Brown was obliged to sit down afresh and banter for a few seconds more. A quick nod to Telford's David Wright. And then Mr Brown was on his feet again.
On his way out he stopped at the Speaker's chair. 'Helloooo!' mouthed Bercow, eyebrows leaping in surprise. Handshake. And then Mr Brown was gone, the time 10.36am, just as Mother Spelman was spieling away about 'the roll-out of broadband in rural areas'.
Now that he has achieved re-entry, as Nasa used to put it, perhaps Mr Brown will grace the Chamber a little more and maybe even make a speech. Parliament would benefit from his presence. You never know, so might he.
CAPTION(S):
Lesser spotted: One of Gordon Brown's last Commons appearances before the election
There he was! Our rare breed, our northern hairy-nosed wombat ... the Bruin himself.(News)
Byline: QUENTIN LETTS makes an unexpected sighting
GORDON Brown sighting! The former Prime Minister stepped into the Commons at the very start of yesterday morning's proceedings. It was only the second time he had been seen here since the General Election (a good month ago he went through the brief formality of taking the oath).
Mr Brown (Lab, Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath) did not stay long but, given that Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman was speaking at the despatch box, that was perhaps forgivable. There is something of the reproving nun to Caroline. Far too posh and English for Gordon.
Anyway, there was our rare breed, our panda, our red wolf, our northern hairy-nosed wombat - the Bruin! He had pinned a boomerang-sized grin to his face. He positioned himself on the third bench back, pretty much in the middle of the Chamber. There were not many on the Labour side.
He was flanked on his right by big Tom Watson (West Bromwich East), who wore the sort of pinstripe once favoured by Chicago mobsters. On Mr Brown's left sat Toby Perkins, a mournful-looking six-footer who is the new Hon Member for Chesterfield.
Mr Perkins, like one or two other of Labour's new intake, has been putting in commendable hours in the Chamber. He seems a thoroughly solid citizen but I do worry that he doesn't smile much.
The Commons day starts on Thursdays at 10.30am but the first item of the agenda is prayers, intoned by the Speaker's chaplain.
FOR some longstanding, thoroughly unChristian reason we reporters are not allowed to attend prayers. Is the fourth estate not in just as much need of prayerful contemplation as the politicians? Is there not a proper public, civic dimension to these prayers? Perhaps the parliamentary clerks should consider the matter.
Anyway, by the time we were admitted to the gallery it was, by my watch, 10.34am. And there, dear readers, below us, like some pearl in an oyster, like a nugget in the prospector's bucket, gleamed Gordon.
He did not recline easily on the green leather bench. Instead he perched on the front of the seat, as though riding side-saddle. He looked healthy. Almost plumply so. The hair was brushed and clean. Cheeks a decent colour. The blueish pallor of the election campaign was gone.
And yet he seemed fidgety. He engaged in a few bites of smalltalk with Mr Watson and another friend just beyond him, George Mudie (Leeds East).
He did try turning to Mr Perkins but the man from Chesterfield with the doleful countenance chose not to take any notice. He just stared at the world with stoical regret. Mr Brown might have had more joy with Eeyore.
Fleetingly he glanced at the Government benches, staffed by Conservatives and the occasional Lib-Dem. He rubbed his hands and hunched his shoulders. The smile was stretched like bubble gum.
HUW Irranca-Davies, a genial ex minister who is now an agriculture spokesman for the Opposition, turned round on the front bench and said cooee. Mr Brown, who seldom took much notice of Mr Irranca-Davies when they were in Government together, waved back a couple of pudgy fingers.
We had been there, ooh, at least a minute when Mr Brown decided he might escape. But just as he was tiptoeing for the exit, in walked Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central), chairman of the parliamentary Labour Party. Mr Brown was obliged to sit down afresh and banter for a few seconds more. A quick nod to Telford's David Wright. And then Mr Brown was on his feet again.
On his way out he stopped at the Speaker's chair. 'Helloooo!' mouthed Bercow, eyebrows leaping in surprise. Handshake. And then Mr Brown was gone, the time 10.36am, just as Mother Spelman was spieling away about 'the roll-out of broadband in rural areas'.
Now that he has achieved re-entry, as Nasa used to put it, perhaps Mr Brown will grace the Chamber a little more and maybe even make a speech. Parliament would benefit from his presence. You never know, so might he.
CAPTION(S):
Lesser spotted: One of Gordon Brown's last Commons appearances before the election
There he was! Our rare breed, our northern hairy-nosed wombat ... the Bruin himself.(News)
Byline: QUENTIN LETTS makes an unexpected sighting
GORDON Brown sighting! The former Prime Minister stepped into the Commons at the very start of yesterday morning's proceedings. It was only the second time he had been seen here since the General Election (a good month ago he went through the brief formality of taking the oath).
Mr Brown (Lab, Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath) did not stay long but, given that Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman was speaking at the despatch box, that was perhaps forgivable. There is something of the reproving nun to Caroline. Far too posh and English for Gordon.
Anyway, there was our rare breed, our panda, our red wolf, our northern hairy-nosed wombat - the Bruin! He had pinned a boomerang-sized grin to his face. He positioned himself on the third bench back, pretty much in the middle of the Chamber. There were not many on the Labour side.
He was flanked on his right by big Tom Watson (West Bromwich East), who wore the sort of pinstripe once favoured by Chicago mobsters. On Mr Brown's left sat Toby Perkins, a mournful-looking six-footer who is the new Hon Member for Chesterfield.
Mr Perkins, like one or two other of Labour's new intake, has been putting in commendable hours in the Chamber. He seems a thoroughly solid citizen but I do worry that he doesn't smile much.
The Commons day starts on Thursdays at 10.30am but the first item of the agenda is prayers, intoned by the Speaker's chaplain.
FOR some longstanding, thoroughly unChristian reason we reporters are not allowed to attend prayers. Is the fourth estate not in just as much need of prayerful contemplation as the politicians? Is there not a proper public, civic dimension to these prayers? Perhaps the parliamentary clerks should consider the matter.
Anyway, by the time we were admitted to the gallery it was, by my watch, 10.34am. And there, dear readers, below us, like some pearl in an oyster, like a nugget in the prospector's bucket, gleamed Gordon.
He did not recline easily on the green leather bench. Instead he perched on the front of the seat, as though riding side-saddle. He looked healthy. Almost plumply so. The hair was brushed and clean. Cheeks a decent colour. The blueish pallor of the election campaign was gone.
And yet he seemed fidgety. He engaged in a few bites of smalltalk with Mr Watson and another friend just beyond him, George Mudie (Leeds East).
He did try turning to Mr Perkins but the man from Chesterfield with the doleful countenance chose not to take any notice. He just stared at the world with stoical regret. Mr Brown might have had more joy with Eeyore.
Fleetingly he glanced at the Government benches, staffed by Conservatives and the occasional Lib-Dem. He rubbed his hands and hunched his shoulders. The smile was stretched like bubble gum.
HUW Irranca-Davies, a genial ex minister who is now an agriculture spokesman for the Opposition, turned round on the front bench and said cooee. Mr Brown, who seldom took much notice of Mr Irranca-Davies when they were in Government together, waved back a couple of pudgy fingers.
We had been there, ooh, at least a minute when Mr Brown decided he might escape. But just as he was tiptoeing for the exit, in walked Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central), chairman of the parliamentary Labour Party. Mr Brown was obliged to sit down afresh and banter for a few seconds more. A quick nod to Telford's David Wright. And then Mr Brown was on his feet again.
On his way out he stopped at the Speaker's chair. 'Helloooo!' mouthed Bercow, eyebrows leaping in surprise. Handshake. And then Mr Brown was gone, the time 10.36am, just as Mother Spelman was spieling away about 'the roll-out of broadband in rural areas'.
Now that he has achieved re-entry, as Nasa used to put it, perhaps Mr Brown will grace the Chamber a little more and maybe even make a speech. Parliament would benefit from his presence. You never know, so might he.
CAPTION(S):
Lesser spotted: One of Gordon Brown's last Commons appearances before the election
