Seven of us gathered Wednesday 16 Sept to watch a recording of the Guardian event –
“The future starts with us: Gordon Brown in conversation”.
This had taken place the previous Thursday and was ably hosted by the Guardian’s Opinion executive editor Hugh Muir.
We listened to it, questions and all ,and discussed it over drinks.
Gordon Brown was very eloquent, relaxed and free-flowing.
He was humorous, interesting and thought-provoking. He spoke very enthusiastically.
He had plenty of stories to tell.
He went through the difficulties we are facing and then how we have got to come together to make a difference.
Here are some of the points I picked up from it:-
He thinks it is important to know what the problem is and to be ahead of the game.
He focused on “hope” and how it gets you doing something about it..
(He contrasted that with optimism which can be just wishful thinking.)
He told us of the painting in the Tate of “Hope” – a depressed but lit figure with a broken instrument frame, still plucking fair music from its ruined strings – and how Nelson Mandela hung it in his prison cell,
He followed it by how Mandela told him he turned a corner in coping there when allowed a small prison garden – sowing, growing, reaping.
“Keep Calm and Carry on” posters were not as effective as hopeful calls to action e.g. “Dig for Victory”.
People and nations are now getting together to co-operate and collaborate in different ways.
UN has a huge issue with the power of veto which causes logjams. Maybe more restrictive vetoes would be preferable.
G20 which we host next year is a good opportunity.
We have to rebuild from grass roots.
Community organisations have seen steep decreases in membership. Political parties show the same trend and they need to be representative to have influence.
He said there are two kinds of Chancellors – those who fail and those who get out in time!
On AI he sees three areas of concern – jobs, consumer protection and “will it get out of control?”.
A little anecdote – the last pope died through antibiotic resistance.
Gordon Brown was asked whether he and Tony Blair see much of one another and he was able to tell a couple of pithy stories!