James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British politician who served asPrime Minister of the United Kingdom andLeader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Previously, he wasChancellor of the Exchequer from 1997 to 2007 underTony Blair. Brown wasMember of Parliament (MP) forDunfermline East from 1983 to 2005 and forKirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath from 2005 to 2015. He has served asUN Special Envoy for Global Education since 2012,^[3] and he was appointed asWHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing in 2021.^[4]

The Right Honourable Gordon Brown CHHonFRSE
Official portrait,c. 2008
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
In office 27 June 2007 – 11 May 2010
Monarch	Elizabeth II
First Secretary	The Lord Mandelson (2009–2010)
Preceded by	Tony Blair
Succeeded by	David Cameron
WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 September 2021[1]
Appointed by	Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Preceded by	Office established
UN Special Envoy for Global Education
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 July 2012[2]
Appointed by	Ban Ki-moon
Preceded by	Office established
Leader of the Labour Party
In office 24 June 2007 – 11 May 2010
Deputy	Harriet Harman
Preceded by	Tony Blair
Succeeded by	Ed Miliband
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 2 May 1997 – 27 June 2007
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Kenneth Clarke
Succeeded by	Alistair Darling
Shadow cabinet posts Shadow Secretary of State 1987–1989 Chief Secretary to the Treasury 1989–1992 Trade and Industry 1992–1997 Chancellor of the Exchequer
Member of Parliament forKirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Dunfermline East (1983–2005)
In office 9 June 1983 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Roger Mullin
Personal details
Born	James Gordon Brown (1951-02-20)20 February 1951 (age 74) Giffnock, Scotland
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Sarah Macaulay ​ (m. 2000)​
Children	3
Education	University of Edinburgh (MA,PhD)
Signature
Website	gordonandsarahbrown.com
Gordon Brown's voice Brown on education and infrastructure in the Middle East and North Africa Recorded 30 March 2015

Adoctoral graduate, Brown studied history at theUniversity of Edinburgh. He spent his early career as a lecturer at afurther education college and as a television journalist. Brown was elected to theHouse of Commons at the1983 general election as the MP for Dunfermline East. He was appointed toNeil Kinnock'sshadow cabinet in 1989 and was namedShadow Chancellor of the Exchequer byJohn Smith in 1992. Following Labour's victory in the1997 general election, Brown was appointed as Chancellor, becoming the longest-serving in modern history.Brown's time as chancellor was marked by major reform of Britain's monetary and fiscal policy architecture, transferring interest rate setting to theBank of England, extending the powers of theTreasury to cover much domestic policy, and transferring banking supervision to theFinancial Services Authority. Brown presided over the longest period of economic growth in British history.^[5][6] He outlinedfive economic tests, which resistedthe UK adopting the euro. Controversial moves included the abolition ofadvance corporation tax (ACT) relief in his first budget,^[7][8] thesale of UK gold reserves from 1999 to 2002, and the removal inhis final budget of the10% starting rate of income tax that he had introduced inthe 1999 budget.^[9]

Following Blair's resignation in 2007, Brown was elected unopposed to succeed him as prime minister and party leader. The party continued as New Labour, though Brown's style of government differed from Blair's. He remained committed toclose ties with the United States and to thewar in Iraq, although he established aninquiry into the reasons for Britain's participation in the conflict.Brown's government introduced rescue packages to keep banks afloat during the2007–2008 financial crisis, and sonational debt increased. The government took majority shareholdings inNorthern Rock andRoyal Bank of Scotland, which had experienced severe financial difficulties, and injected public money into other banks. In 2008, Brown's government passed the world's firstClimate Change Act, and he also introduced theEquality Act 2010. Despite poll rises just after Brown became prime minister, when he failed to call asnap election in 2007, his popularity fell and Labour's popularity declined with theGreat Recession.^[10][11][12] Labour lost 91 seats in the2010 general election, resulting in ahung parliament in which theConservative Party won the most seats.^[13] After the Conservatives formeda coalition government with theLiberal Democrats, Brown was succeeded as prime minister by Conservative leaderDavid Cameron, and as Labour leader byEd Miliband.

After leaving office, Brown returned to thebackbenches, continuing to serve as MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath until he gave up his seat in 2015. He has since made occasional political interventions and has published political-themed books.^[14] Brown played a prominent role in the campaign to maintain the union during the2014 Scottish independence referendum, and he wrote a report ondevolution in 2022 for Labour leaderKeir Starmer.^[15] Brown has served as the United NationsSpecial Envoy for Global Education, as well as theWorld Health Organization's Ambassador for Global Health Financing.^[16] He was awarded theOrder of the Companions of Honour byKing Charles III in the2024 Birthday Honours for public and charitable services in the UK and abroad. As chancellor, Brown had high approval ratings; a poll of political scientists rated him the most successful post-war chancellor in terms of economic stability, working independently from the prime minister and leaving a lasting legacy on theBritish economy.^[17][18] His premiership has been viewed less favourably; although public opinion of Brown has improved since he left office, his premiership has been viewed as average inhistorical rankings and public opinion of British prime ministers.^{[citation needed]}

James Gordon Brown was born at the Orchard Maternity Nursing Home inGiffnock,Renfrewshire, Scotland.^[19][20] His father was John Ebenezer Brown (1914–1998), aminister of the Church of Scotland and a strong influence on Brown.^[21] His mother was Jessie Elizabeth "Bunty" Brown (née Souter; 1918–2004);^[22] she was the daughter of John Souter, a timber merchant.^[23] The family moved toKirkcaldy – then the largest town inFife, across theFirth of Forth fromEdinburgh^[24] – when Gordon was three.^[25] Brown was brought up there with his elder brother John and younger brotherAndrew^[22] in amanse; he is therefore often referred to as a "son of the manse", an idiomatic Scottish phrase, similar to the American phrase "preacher's kid".^[26]

Brown was educated first at Kirkcaldy West Primary School, where he was selected for an experimentalfast stream education programme, which took him two years early toKirkcaldy High School for an academichothouse education taught in separate classes.^[27][28] Aged 16, he wrote that he loathed and resented this "ludicrous" experiment on young lives.^[29]

He was accepted by theUniversity of Edinburgh to study history at the same early age of 16. During an end-of-termrugby union match at his old school, he received a kick to the head and experienced aretinal detachment.^[30] This left himblind in his left eye, despite treatment including several operations and weeks spent lying in a darkened room. Later at Edinburgh, while playing tennis, he noticed the same symptoms in his right eye. Brown underwent experimental surgery at theEdinburgh Royal Infirmary and his right eye was saved by a young eye surgeon, Hector Chawla.^[31][32] Brown graduated from Edinburgh with anundergraduate MA degree withFirst-Class Honours in history in 1972. He stayed on to obtain hisPhD degree in history, which he gained ten years later in 1982, defending a thesis titledThe Labour Party and Political Change in Scotland 1918–1929.^[33][34][35]

In his youth at the University of Edinburgh, Brown was involved in a romantic relationship withMargarita, Crown Princess of Romania. Margarita said about it: "It was a very solid and romantic story. I never stopped loving him but one day it didn't seem right anymore, it was politics, politics, politics, and I needed nurturing." An unnamed friend of those years is quoted byPaul Routledge in his biography of Brown as recalling: "She was sweet and gentle and obviously cut out to make somebody a very good wife. She was bright, too, though not like him, but they seemed made for each other."^[36]

In 1972, while still a student, Brown was electedRector of the University of Edinburgh, the convener of theUniversity Court.^[37] He served as Rector until 1975, and also edited the documentThe Red Paper on Scotland.^[38]

From 1976 to 1980 Brown was employed as a lecturer in politics atGlasgow College of Technology.^[39] He also worked as a tutor for theOpen University.^[40] In the1979 general election, Brown stood for theEdinburgh South constituency, losing to theConservative candidate,Michael Ancram.^[34]

From 1980, he worked as a journalist atScottish Television, later serving as current affairs editor until his election to Parliament in 1983.^[41][42]

Brown was elected to Parliament as a Labour MP at his second attempt, forDunfermline East in the1983 general election. His first Westminster office mate was a newly elected MP from the Sedgefield constituency,Tony Blair. Brown became anopposition spokesman on Trade and Industry in 1985. In 1986, he published a biography of theIndependent Labour Party politicianJames Maxton, the subject of his doctoral thesis. Brown wasShadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 1987 to 1989 and thenShadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, before becoming Shadow Chancellor in 1992 following Labour's fourth consecutive defeat in thegeneral election that year.^[34][41] Having led theLabour Movement Yes campaign, refusing to join the cross-partyYes for Scotland campaign, during the1979 Scottish devolution referendum, while other senior Labour politicians – includingRobin Cook,Tam Dalyell andBrian Wilson – campaigned for aNo vote, Brown was subsequently a key participant in theScottish Constitutional Convention, signing theClaim of Right for Scotland in 1989.^[43]

Labour leaderJohn Smith died suddenly in May 1994. Brown did not contest the leadership afterTony Blair became the favourite to win the1994 leadership election, deciding to make way for Blair to avoid splitting the pro-modernising vote in the leadership ballot.^[44] It has long been rumoureda deal was struck between Blair and Brown at the former Granita restaurant inIslington, in which Blair promised to give Brown control of economic policy in return for Brown not standing against him in the leadership election.^[45][46][47] Whether this is true or not, the relationship between Blair and Brown was central to the fortunes ofNew Labour, and they mostly remained united in public, despite reported serious private rifts.^[48]

AsShadow Chancellor, Brown as Chancellor-in-waiting was seen as a good choice by business and the middle class. During his tenure as Chancellor, the rate of inflation sometimes exceeded the 2% target; theGovernor of the Bank of England, under the rules governing the Bank's role, wrote an explanatory letter to the Chancellor on each occasion inflation exceeded three per cent.^[49][50] Following a reorganisation ofWestminster constituencies in Scotland in 2005, Brown became MP forKirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath at thegeneral election.^[51][52]

In the1997 general election, Labour defeated the Conservatives by a landslide to end their 18-year exile from government, and whenTony Blair, the new Prime Minister, announced hisministerial team on 2 May 1997, he appointed Brown asChancellor of the Exchequer. Brown would remain in this role for 10 years and two months, making him the longest-serving Chancellor in modern history.^[32] Some achievements from Brown's decade as chancellor included making the Bank of England independent and delivering an agreement on poverty and climate change at theG8 summit in 2005.^[34]

On taking office as chancellor, Brown gave theBank of England operational independence inmonetary policy, and thus responsibility for setting interest rates through the Bank'sMonetary Policy Committee.^[53] At the same time, he also changed theinflation measure from theRetail Price Index to theConsumer Price Index and transferred responsibility for banking supervision to theFinancial Services Authority.^[54][55] Some commentators have argued that this division of responsibilities exacerbated the severity in Britain of the2007–2008 financial crisis.^[56]

During the 1997 election campaign and subsequently, Brown pledged not to increase the basic or higher rates ofincome tax. Over his Chancellorship he reduced the basic rate from 23% to 20%; however, in all budgets but his final one, he increased the tax thresholds in line with inflation rather than with earnings, resulting infiscal drag. Under Brown,corporation tax fell from a main rate of 33% to 28%, and from 24% to 19% forsmall businesses.^[57] In 1999, he introduced a lowerincome tax band of 10%. He abolished this 10% tax band inhis last budget in 2007 to reduce the basic rate from 22% to 20%, increasing tax for 5 million people^[58] and, according to the calculations of theInstitute for Fiscal Studies, leaving those earning between £5,000 and £18,000 as the biggest losers.^[59] To backbench cheers, Brown had described the measure in his last Budget thus: "Having put in place more focused ways of incentivising work and directly supporting children and pensioners at a cost of £3bn a year, I can now return income tax to just two rates by removing the 10p band on non-savings income".^[60] Brown also implemented theWindfall Tax in 1997 on the privatised utilities. The tax produced an estimated one-off income to the government of £5 billion, which was used to fund the New Deal for Young People, a welfare-to-work program that sought to tackle long-term unemployment.^[61]

According to theOECD, UK taxation increased from a 39.3% share of gross domestic product in 1997 to 42.4% in 2006, going to a higher level than that of Germany.^[62] This increase has mainly been attributed to active government policy, and not simply to the growing economy. Conservatives have accused Brown of imposing "stealth taxes". A commonly reported example resulted in 1997 from a technical change in the waycorporation tax is collected, the indirect effect of which was for thedividends onstock investments held within pensions to be taxed, thus lowering pension returns and contributing to the demise of most of the final salary pension funds in the UK.^[63]

Brown's 2000 Spending Review outlined a major expansion ofgovernment spending, particularly on health and education. In his April 2002 budget, Brown increasedNational Insurance to pay for health spending. He also introducedworking tax credits,^[64][65] and in his last budget as Chancellor, Brown gave an extra £3 billion in pension allowances, an increase in the child tax credit, and an increase in the working tax credit. These increases were followed by another £1 billion of support for increases in the child tax credit.^[66]

Under Brown, the tax code, the standard guide to tax, doubled in length to 17,000 pages.^[67][68]

In October 1997, Brown announced that the Treasury would setfive economic tests^[69] to determine whether the economic case had been made for the United Kingdom to adopt the European single currency. The Treasury indicated that the tests had not been passed in June 2003.^[70]

In 2000, Brown was accused of starting a political row about higher education (referred to as theLaura Spence affair) when he accused the University of Oxford of elitism in its admissions procedures, describing its decision not to offer a place to state school pupil Laura Spence as "absolutely outrageous".^[71]Lord Jenkins, then OxfordChancellor and himself a former Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer, said "nearly every fact he used was false."^[72]

Between 1999 and 2002 Brown sold 60% of the UK'sgold reserves shortly before gold entered a protracted bull market, since nicknamed by dealers as theBrown Bottom or Brown's Bottom.^[73][74][75] The official reason for selling the gold reserves was to reduce theportfolio risk of the UK's reserves by diversifying away from gold.^[76] The UK eventually sold about 395 tons of gold over 17 auctions from July 1999 to March 2002, at an average price of about US$275 per ounce, raising approximately US$3.5 billion.^[77] By 2011, that quantity of gold would be worth over $19 billion, leading to Brown's decision to sell the gold being widely criticised.^[78] As of August 2024 the gold prize is approximately £1,905 per ounce, which would value the reserves sold at £26.5 billion.

As Chancellor, Brown argued againstrenationalising the railways, saying at the Labour conference in 2004 that it would cost £22 billion.^[79]

During his time as Chancellor, Brown reportedly believed that it was appropriate to remove most, but not all, of the unpayableThird World debt.^[80] On 20 April 2006, in a speech to the United Nations Ambassadors, Brown outlined a "Green" view of global development.^[81]

In October 2004, Blair announced he would not lead the party into a fourth general election, but would serve a full third term.^[82] Political comment over the relationship between Brown and Blair continued up to and beyond the2005 election, which Labour won with a reducedmajority and reduced vote share. Blair announced on 7 September 2006 that he would step down within a year.^[83]

Brown was the clear favourite to succeed Blair; he was the onlycandidate spoken of seriously in Westminster. Appearances and news coverage leading up to the handover were interpreted as preparing the ground for Brown to become prime minister, in part by creating the impression of a statesman with a vision for leadership andglobal change. This enabled Brown to signal the most significant priorities for his agenda as prime minister; speaking at aFabian Society conference on 'The Next Decade' in January 2007, he stressed education, international development, narrowing inequalities (to pursue 'equality of opportunity and fairness of outcome'), renewing Britishness, restoring trust in politics, and winning hearts and minds in the war on terror as key priorities.^[84]

On 11 May 2007, after months of speculation, Brown formally announced his bid for the Labour leadership. He launched his campaign website the same day as formally announcing his bid for leadership, titled "Gordon Brown for Britain".^[85] On 16 May,Channel 4 News announced thatAndrew MacKinlay had nominated Brown, giving him 308 nominations—enough to avoid a leadership contest. A BBC report states that the decisive nomination was made byTony Wright with MacKinlay yet to nominate at that point.^[86] Brown replaced Blair asLeader of the Labour Party on 24 June 2007.

After Blair tendered his resignation toQueen Elizabeth II, Brown was invited by the queen to form a government and become Prime Minister on 27 June 2007. In his first speech as prime minister, Brown said "This will be a new government with new priorities and I have been privileged to have been granted the great opportunity to serve my country. And at all times I will be strong in purpose, steadfast in will, resolute in action, in the service of what matters to the British people, meeting the concerns and aspirations of our whole country."^[87][88]

Brown rescinded some of the policies which had been introduced or were planned by Blair's administration. He remained committed toclose ties with the United States and to the war in Iraq, although he establishedan inquiry into the reasons for Britain's participation in the conflict. He proposed a "government of all the talents" which would involve co-opting leading personalities from industry and professional occupations into government positions. Brown also appointedJacqui Smith as the UK's first femaleHome Secretary, while Brown'sformer position aschancellor of the exchequer was taken over byAlistair Darling. He proposed moving some traditionalprime ministerial powers conferred byroyal prerogative to the realm of Parliament, such as the power to declare war and approve appointments to senior positions. Brown wanted Parliament to gain the right to ratify treaties and have more oversight of the intelligence services. He also proposed moving some powers from Parliament to citizens, including the right to form "citizens' juries", easily petition Parliament for new laws, and rally outside Westminster. He asserted that the attorney general should not have the right to decide whether to prosecute in individual cases, such as in theloans for peerages scandal.^[89]

There was speculation during September and early October 2007 about whether Brown would call asnap general election. Indeed, the party launched theNot flash, just Gordon advertising campaign, which was seen largely as pre-election promotion of Brown as Prime Minister; however, Brown announced on 6 October that there would be no election any time soon – despite opinion polls showing that he was capable of winning an election should he call one.^[90] This proved to be a costly mistake, as during 2008 his party slid behind the Conservatives (led byDavid Cameron) in the polls. Disputes over political donations, a string of losses in local elections, and by-election losses inCrewe andGlasgow did himself and the government no favours either.^[91] Brown has since claimed that Labour would have won the 2007 election but he did not believe an early election was in the national interest.^[92][93]

His political opponents accused him of being indecisive, which Brown denied.^[94] In July 2008, he supported anew bill extending the pre-charge detention period to 42 days. The bill was met with opposition on both sides of the House and backbench rebellion. In the end, the bill passed by just nine votes.^[95][96] The House of Lords defeated the bill, with Lords characterising it as "fatally flawed, ill thought through and unnecessary", stating that "it seeks to further erode fundamental legal and civil rights".^[97]

Brown was mentioned by the press in the expenses crisis for claiming for the payment of his cleaner; however, no wrongdoing was found and the Commons Authority did not pursue Brown over the claim. Meanwhile, the Commons Fees Office stated that a double payment for a £153 plumbing repair bill was a mistake on their part and that Brown had repaid it in full.^[98][99]

During his Labour leadership campaign Brown proposed some policy initiatives, which he called themanifesto for change.^[100][101]

The manifesto included a clampdown on corruption and a newMinisterial Code, which set out clear standards of behaviour for ministers.^[102] He also stated in a speech when announcing his bid that he wanted a "better constitution" that is "clear about the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen in Britain today". He planned to set up an all-party convention to look at new powers for Parliament and to look at rebalancing powers betweenWhitehall and local government. Brown said he would give Parliament the final say on whether British troops were sent into action in future.^[103]

He said he wanted to release more land and ease access to ownership with shared equity schemes. He backed a proposal to build neweco-towns, each housing between 10,000 and 20,000 homeowners – up to 100,000 new homes in total.^[104]Brown also said he wanted to have doctors' surgeries open at the weekends, and GPs on call in the evenings. Doctors were given the right of opting out of out-of-hours care in 2007, under a controversial pay deal, signed by then-Health SecretaryJohn Reid, which awarded them a 22 per cent pay rise in 2006.^[105]

On 5 June 2007, just three weeks before he was due to take the post of Prime Minister, Brown made a speech promising "British Jobs for British workers".^[106] Brown reiterated that promise at the Labour Party's annual conference in September, which caused controversy as he coupled this with a commitment to crack down on migrant workers.^[107][108] The Conservative Party, led byDavid Cameron, promptly pointed out that such a commitment was illegal under EU law.^[108] Other controversial statements made by Brown about migration included him stating that English lessons and taking mandatory community service should be prerequisites for being granted UK citizenship.^[109]

During the Queen's Speech to Parliament on 3 December 2008, the Brown government unveiled plans to introduce lie detector tests, based on voice recognition technology, in order to determine whether to accept benefit claims.^[110] Despite having spent £2.4 million on these tests, trials performed by theDepartment for Work and Pensions showed that they were inaccurate approximately four of every seven times they were used.^[111]

Brown had been committed to theIraq War, but said in a speech in June 2007 that he would "learn the lessons" from the mistakes made in Iraq.^[112] Brown said in a letter published on 17 March 2008 that the United Kingdom would holdan inquiry into the war.^[113]

Brown went to great lengths to empathise with those who lost family members in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. He has often said "War is tragic", echoing Blair's quote, "War is horrible".^[114] Nonetheless, in November 2007 Brown was accused by some senior military figures of not adhering to theMilitary Covenant, a convention within British politics ensuring adequate safeguards, rewards and compensation for military personnel who risk their lives in obedience to orders derived from the policy of the elected government.^[115]

Brown did not attend the opening ceremony of the2008 Summer Olympics on 8 August 2008 inBeijing; instead, he attended the closing ceremony on 24 August 2008. Brown had been under intense pressure from human rights campaigners to send a message toChina, concerning the2008 Tibetan unrest. His decision not to attend the opening ceremony was not an act of protest, but rather was made several weeks in advance and not intended as a stand on principle.^[116]

In a speech in July 2007, Brown clarified his position regarding Britain's relationship with theUnited States:^[117] "We will not allow people to separate us from the United States of America in dealing with the common challenges that we face around the world. I think people have got to remember that the special relationship between a British prime minister and an American president is built on the things that we share, the same enduring values about the importance of liberty, opportunity, the dignity of the individual. I will continue to work, asTony Blair did, very closely with the American administration."

Brown and the Labour party had pledged to allow a referendum on theEU Reform Treaty. On 13 December 2007,Foreign SecretaryDavid Miliband attended for the Prime Minister at the official signing ceremony inLisbon. Brown's opponents on both sides of the House, and in the press, suggested that ratification by Parliament was not enough and that a referendum should also be held. Labour's 2005 manifesto had pledged to give the British public a referendum on the originalEU Constitution.^[118][119] Brown argued that the Treaty significantly differed from the Constitution, and as such did not require a referendum. He also responded with plans for a lengthy debate on the topic, and stated that he believed the document to be too complex to be decided by referendum.^[120]

During Brown's premiership, in October 2008, theAdvisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) recommended to the thenHome SecretaryJacqui Smith thatcannabis remain classified as aClass C drug.^[121] Acting against the advice of the council, she chose to reclassify it asClass B.^[121] After ProfessorDavid Nutt, the chair of the ACMD, criticised this move in a lecture in 2009, he was asked to step down by then Home SecretaryAlan Johnson.^[122] Following his resignation, Professor Nutt said Brown had "made up his mind" to reclassify cannabis despite evidence to the contrary.^[123] Brown had argued, "I don't think that the previous studies took into account that so much of the cannabis on the streets is now of a lethal quality and we really have got to send out a message to young people—this is not acceptable".^[124][125] Professor Nutt's predecessor at the ACMD,Sir Michael Rawlins, later said, "Governments may well have good reasons for taking an alternative view ... When that happens, then the government should explain why it's ignoring the particular advice".^[126]

Brown's premiership coincided with theglobal recession, during which Brown called for fiscal action in an attempt to stimulate aggregate demand. Domestically, Brown's administration introduced measures including abank rescue package worth around £500 billion (approximately $850 billion), a temporary 2.5 percentage point cut invalue-added tax^[127] and a "car scrappage" scheme.^[128]

In mid-2008, Brown's leadership was presented with a challenge as some MPs openly called for him to resign. This event was dubbed the 'Lancashire Plot', as two backbenchers from(pre-1974) Lancashire urged him to step down and a third questioned his chances of holding on to theLabour Party leadership. Several MPs argued that if Brown did not recover in the polls by early 2009, he should call for a leadership contest; however, certain prominent MPs, such asJacqui Smith andBill Rammell, suggested that Brown was the right person to lead Britain through its economic crisis.^[129] In the autumn,Siobhain McDonagh, an MP and junior government whip, who during her time in office had never voted against the government,^[130] spoke of the need for discussion over Brown's position. While she did not state that she wanted Brown deposed, she implored the Labour Party to hold a leadership election. McDonagh was sacked from her role shortly afterward, on 12 September.^[131] She was supported in making clear her desire for a contest byJoan Ryan (who applied, as McDonagh had, for leadership nomination papers, and became the second rebel to be fired from her job),Jim Dowd,Greg Pope, and a string of others who had previously held positions in government.^[132]

In the face of this speculation over Brown's future, his ministers backed him to lead the party, andHarriet Harman andDavid Miliband denied that they were preparing leadership bids. After Labour lost theGlasgow East by-election in July, Harman, the deputy leader of the party, said that Brown was the "solution", not the "problem"; Home Secretary Smith, Justice SecretaryJack Straw, Schools SecretaryEd Balls and Cabinet Office MinisterEd Miliband all re-affirmed their support for Brown.^[133] TheDeputy Prime Minister under Blair,John Prescott, also pledged his support.^[134] Foreign Secretary David Miliband then denied that he was plotting a leadership bid, when on 30 July, an article written by him inThe Guardian was interpreted by a large number in the media as an attempt to undermine Brown. In the article, Miliband outlined the party's future, but neglected to mention the Prime Minister. Miliband, responded to this by saying that he was confident Brown could lead Labour to victory in the next general election, and that his article was an attack against thefatalism in the party since the loss ofGlasgow East.^[135] Miliband continued to show his support for Brown in the face of the challenge that emerged in September, as didBusiness SecretaryJohn Hutton,Environment SecretaryHilary Benn, andChief WhipGeoff Hoon.^[136]

On 4 June 2009James Purnell resigned from theCabinet, and called for Brown's resignation as prime minister.^[137]

On 6 January 2010,Patricia Hewitt andGeoff Hoon jointly called for a secret ballot on the future of Brown's leadership.^[138] The call received little support, and the following day Hoon said that it appeared to have failed and was "over". Brown later referred to the call for a secret ballot as a "form of silliness".^[139]

In the local elections on 1 May 2008, Labour suffered its worst results in 40 years, finishing in third place with a projected 24% share of the national vote.^[140] Subsequently, the party saw the loss of by-elections inCrewe and Nantwich andHenley as well as slumps in the polls. Aby-election in Glasgow East triggered by the resignation ofDavid Marshall saw Labour struggle to appoint a candidate, eventually settling forMargaret Curran, a sitting MSP in theScottish Parliament. The SNP, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats all derided Labour for their disorganised nature, withAlex Salmond commenting "This is their 'lost weekend'—they don't have a leader in Scotland, they don't have a candidate in Glasgow East, and they have a prime minister who refuses to come to the constituency".^[141] Labour lost the constituency to theScottish National Party'sJohn Mason who took 11,277 votes, with Labour just 365 behind. The seat experienced a swing of 22.54%.^[142]

In theEuropean elections, Labour polled 16% of the vote, finishing in third place behind the Conservatives andUK Independence Party (UKIP).^[12] Voter apathy was reflected in the historically low turnout of around thirty-three per cent. In Scotland, voter turnout was only twenty-eight per cent. In thelocal elections, Labour polled 23% of the vote, finishing in third place behindConservatives andLiberal Democrats, with Labour losing control of the four councils it had held prior to the election.^[143] In a vote widely considered to be a reaction to the expenses scandal, the share of the votes was down for all the major parties; Labour was down one per cent, the Conservative share was down five per cent. The beneficiary of the public backlash was generally seen to be the minor parties, including theGreen Party and UKIP. These results were Labour's worst since World War II. Brown was quoted in the press as having said that the results were "a painful defeat for Labour", and that "too many good people doing so much good for their communities and their constituencies have lost through no fault of their own."^[11][144]

In April 2010, Brown asked the Queen to dissolve Parliament. The general election campaign included the first televised leadership debates in Britain. The result of the election on 6 May was ahung parliament.^[145] Brown was re-elected as MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath with 29,559 votes.^[145][146]

Brown announced on 10 May 2010 that he would stand down as Labour Leader, with a view to a successor being chosen before the nextLabour Party Conference in September 2010.^[147] The following day, negotiations between the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats to form a coalition government failed, and aConservative–Liberal Democrat coalition agreement was reached. During the evening, Brown visitedBuckingham Palace to tender his resignation as Prime Minister toQueen Elizabeth II and to recommend that she invite the Leader of the Opposition,David Cameron, to form a government.^[148] He resigned as leader of the Labour Party with immediate effect.^[148]

On 13 May 2010, in his first public appearance since leaving 10 Downing Street, two days after resigning as prime minister and Leader of the Labour Party, Brown confirmed he intended to stay on in Parliament, serving as a Labourbackbencher, to serve the people of hisKirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency. He continued to serve as the MP of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath until 2015.^[149]

Towards the end of May 2010, Brown began writingBeyond the Crash, completing it after 14 weeks. The book discusses the2007–2008 financial crisis and Brown's recommendations for future co-ordinated global action.^[150][151]

He played a prominent role in the lead-up to, and the aftermath of, the2014 Scottish independence referendum, campaigning for Scotland to stay in the United Kingdom.^[152] "Our vision for the future of Scotland – yes a Scottish parliament for fairness, battling for equality across the UK", he told voters in an impassioned speech on the eve of polling. "But our vision is bigger than that – at every point, particularly through our membership of the UK, to fight for what is our dream, what is our demand. A world not of a separate state, but a world of social justice people can believe in. What kind of message does Scotland send to the world if, tomorrow, we said we are going to give up on sharing, we are going to smash our partnership, we are going to abandon co-operation and we are going to throw the idea of solidarity into the dust. This is not the Scotland I know and recognise."^[153][154]

On 1 December 2014, Brown announced that he would not be seeking re-election to parliament. He stood down atthe general election in May 2015.^[155]

In April 2011, media reports linked Brown with the role of managing director of the International Monetary Fund following the scheduled retirement ofDominique Strauss-Kahn. Brown's successor and Leader of the Opposition,Ed Miliband, supported Brown for the role, while the Prime Minister, David Cameron, voiced opposition to this.^[156] Following the arrest of Strauss-Kahn for alleged sexual assault in May 2011, and his subsequent resignation, these reports re-surfaced.^[157] Support for Brown among economists was mixed but British Government backing for his candidature was not forthcoming and instead supportedChristine Lagarde – the eventual successful candidate – for the post.^[158][159]

SirTim Berners-Lee, who had worked with the government during Brown's premiership to publish government data on the internet in thedata.gov.uk project, invited Brown to become a board director of theWorld Wide Web Foundation to "advise the Web Foundation on ways to involve disadvantaged communities and global leaders in the development of sustainable programs that connect humanity and affect positive change", and he was elected to the board of directors in September 2010.^[160]

On 22 April 2011, it was announced that Brown would be taking on an unpaid advisory role at theWorld Economic Forum.^[161] Brown was also appointed as the inaugural 'Distinguished Leader in Residence' byNew York University and took part in discussions and lectures relating to the2007–2008 financial crisis^[162] and globalisation.^[163]

In July 2012, Brown was named by Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon asUN Special Envoy for Global Education.^[2][3] He chaired theInternational Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity. The position is unpaid.^[164]

In December 2015, Brown took his first large-scale role in the private sector since standing down as prime minister in 2010, becoming an advisor toPIMCO. Any money earned from the role is to go to the Gordon and Sarah Brown Foundation to support charitable work.^[165]

On 7 November 2017, Brown released his memoirMy Life, Our Times.^[166]

In September 2020, Brown was a co-author of a letter to the journalNature highlighting the importance of EU funding in the fight againstCOVID-19.^[167] The letter was organised byScientists for Labour, an organisation of which he is a patron.

On 10 June 2021, Brown released the bookSeven Ways to Change the World: How To Fix The Most Pressing Problems We Face. The book features Brown's forensic examination of seven areas where global reform and action are essential.^[168]

In September 2021, Brown was appointed by theWorld Health Organization asWHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing.^[1][4]

On 5 December 2022, having led development of a Labour party blueprint onconstitutional reform, Brown announced the publication of these proposals alongside future Labour Prime MinisterKeir Starmer.^[15] These proposals included plans for the replacement of theHouse of Lords with a "Assembly of the Nations and Regions", electing around 200 members on a different electoral cycle to that of theHouse of Commons.^[169] Other measures include the "strengthening of theSewel Convention" such that the ability of devolved administrations to veto UK Parliament legislation affecting devolved issues is "constitutionally protected", plans to grant the Scottish Parliament greater powers over foreign affairs "so that Scotland could sign up to international groups or agreements within devolved areas" such asErasmus, and plans to transfer powers to English regions and local mayors.^[170][171] The proposals were criticised by theSNP who described them as "underwhelming",^[171] and theSpeaker of the House of CommonsLindsay Hoyle who described plans to replace the Lords with an elected chamber as weakening the supremacy of the Commons.^[172] Following Labour's landslide victory in the2024 general election, Brown congratulated Starmer on his victory, saying: "My best wishes to all the new Labour MPs and, above all, I congratulate the British people who have chosen not just change, but hope."^[173]

On 28 September 2023, Brown released the bookPermacrisis: A Plan to Fix a Fractured World, which he co-wrote withMichael Spence andMohamed A. El-Erian.^[174] In 2024 Brown co-authored a pamphlet onchild poverty demanding a multibillion-pound package to solve what he dubbed 'a social crisis'.^{[175][176][177]}

In November 2024, Brown wrote an article in opposition to theTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill arguing that the UK needed to improve its palliative care provision instead of legalising assisted dying.^[178]

Brown's early girlfriends included journalistSheena McDonald andPrincess Margarita, the eldest daughter of exiledKing Michael of Romania.^[41] At the age of 49, Brown marriedSarah Macaulay in a private ceremony at his home inNorth Queensferry, Fife, on 3 August 2000.^[179] A daughter, Jennifer Jane, was born prematurely on 28 December 2001; she died on 7 January 2002, one day after experiencing abrain haemorrhage.^[180] The couple have two sons, John Macaulay (born 17 October 2003)^[181] and (James) Fraser (born on 18 July 2006). In November 2006, Fraser was diagnosed withcystic fibrosis.^[182]The Sun had learned of the situation in 2006 and published the story. In 2011, Brown stated he had wanted the details of his son's condition kept private and that the publication had left him "in tears".^[183] TheSun said they approached Brown and that discussion occurred with his colleagues who provided quotes to use in the article.^[184]

Sarah Brown rarely made official appearances, whether with or without her husband.^[185] She is patron of several charities and has written articles for national newspapers related to this.^[186] At the 2008 Labour Party Conference, Sarah caused surprise by taking to the stage to introduce her husband for his keynote address.^[187] After that, her public profile increased.^{[188][needs update]}

Brown has two brothers, John Brown andAndrew Brown. Andrew has been Head of Media Relations in the UK for the French-owned utility companyEDF Energy since 2004.^[189] Brown is also the brother-in-law of environmental journalistClare Rewcastle Brown; he wrote a piece forThe Independent supporting Clare's current environmental efforts on behalf ofSarawak.^[190]

While Prime Minister, Brown spent some of his spare time atChequers, the house often being filled with friends. The Browns have entertained local dignitaries like SirLeonard Figg.^[191] Brown is also a friend ofHarry Potter authorJ. K. Rowling, who says of Brown: "I know him as affable, funny and gregarious, a great listener, a kind and loyal friend."^[192]

Brown is a strong supporter of the NHS, owing partly to both the experimental surgery that saved the sight in his right eye after his retina became detached, and the care he and Sarah Brown received when their premature firstborn baby died. It has been suggested that visual difficulties have contributed to Brown's supposed antisocial nature and awkward public manner. For example, both on a podium and before a camera, while reading "he needs to look slightly to one side of the paper to focus; when speaking to an audience or into a camera lens, he must remember to correct what would normally be an automatic tendency to look slightly askew to see clearly with his good eye". Brown's papers were prepared in capital letters and in extremely large type, resulting in his stack of papers at the dispatch box being noticeably bulky. Former staffers often attributed Brown's outbursts of temper in Downing Street to his frustration with his visual limitations. Nevertheless, it is noted that he has never allowed these limitations to hold him back and in fact attributed the shaping of his political character to them.^[193]

Brown is a supporter of Kirkcaldy-based football clubRaith Rovers and has written articles about his relationship with the club.^{[194][195][196][197]}

A son of aChurch of Scotlandminister, Brown has talked about what he calls his "moral compass"^[198] and of his parents being his "inspiration".^[199] He has, at least ostensibly, been keen to keep his religion a private matter.^[200] According toThe Guardian, he is a member of the Church of Scotland.^[201]

The Deal, a 2003 television film, followedTony Blair's rise to power, and his friendship and rivalry with Brown, played byDavid Morrissey. InThe Trial of Tony Blair (2007), Brown was played byPeter Mullan, and in theChannel 4 television filmCoalition (2015), he was portrayed byIan Grieve.

• Doctor of the University (DUniv) fromBrunel University (1996)^[202]
• Doctor Honoris Causa (HonDr) fromUniversity of Edinburgh (2003)^[203]
• HonoraryDoctor of Laws (LLD) fromRobert Gordon University (2003)^[204]
• HonoraryDoctor of Humane Letters (DHL) fromNew York University (2005)^[205]
• HonoraryDoctor of Civil Law (DCL) fromNewcastle University (2007)^[206]
• HonoraryDoctor of Letters (DLitt) fromUniversity of Delhi (2008)^[207]
• Doctor of the University (DUniv) fromUniversity of Glasgow (2015)^[208]
• Elected anHonorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (HonFRSE; 2018)^[209]

In March 2009, Brown was namedWorld Statesman of the Year by theAppeal of Conscience Foundation, an American organisation 'dedicated to promoting peace, human rights and understanding betweenreligious faiths'. The award was presented byRabbiArthur Schneier who praised Brown's "compassionate leadership in dealing with the challenging issues facing humanity, his commitment to freedom, human dignity and the environment, and for the major role he has played in helping to stabilise the world's financial system".^{[210][211][212]}

Brown has, on six occasions, been honoured in theScottish Politician of the Year awards organised byThe Herald newspaper. In 1999, 2000, 2007 and 2014, he won the award in the Best Scot at Westminster category. He won the Lifetime Achievement Award/Outstanding Political Achievement category in 2011. And in 2020, he was designated "best of the best" in the Best Scot at Westminster category.^[213]

In the2024 Birthday Honours, Brown was appointedMember of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) for public and charitable services in the UK and abroad.^[214][215]

• Brown, Gordon, ed. (1975).The Red Paper on Scotland. Edinburgh: EUSPB.ISBN 0-9501890-73.
• Drucker, H. M.; Brown, Gordon (1980).The Politics of Nationalism and Devolution. London: Longman.ISBN 9780582295209.
• The Labour Party and Political Change in Scotland 1918–1929: The Politics of Five Elections (PhD). Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh. 1982.hdl:1842/7136.
• Maxton: A Biography.Mainstream. 1986.ISBN 978-1-85158-042-2.
• Brown, Gordon;Cook, Robin, eds. (1987).Scotland: The Real Divide. Mainstream Publishing.ISBN 978-0-906391-18-1.
• Where There's Greed: Margaret Thatcher and the Betrayal of Britain's Future. Mainstream. 1989.ISBN 978-1-85158-228-0.
• Brown, Gordon;Naughtie, James (1994).John Smith: Life and Soul of the Party. Edinburgh: Mainstream.ISBN 1-85158-692-X.
• Brown, Gordon;Wright, Tony, eds. (1995).Values, Visions and Voices: An Anthology of Socialism. Mainstream.ISBN 978-1-85158-731-5.
• Moving Britain Forward: selected speeches, 1997-2006. London:Bloomsbury. 2006.ISBN 9780747588382.
• Courage: Eight Portraits. Bloomsbury. 2007.ISBN 978-0-7475-6532-1.
• Britain's Everyday Heroes. Mainstream. 2007.ISBN 978-1-84596-307-1.
• Wartime Courage: stories of extraordinary courage by exceptional men and women in World War Two. London: Bloomsbury. 2009.ISBN 9780747597414.
• The Change We Choose: Speeches 2007–2009. Mainstream. 2010.ISBN 978-1-84596-632-4.
• Beyond the Crash: Overcoming the First Crisis of Globalisation.Simon & Schuster. 2010.
• Brown, Gordon;Harvie, Chris (May 2015) [1979].A Voter's Guide to the Scottish Assembly. David Watt & Sons.
• Keir Hardie: Labour's first leader.BBC Radio Scotland programme. September 2015.^[216]
• Britain: Leading, Not Leaving: the patriotic case for remaining in Europe. Selkirk, UK: Deerpark Press. 2016.ISBN 9780954197964.
• My Life, Our Times. Bodley Head. 2017.ISBN 978-1-84792-497-1.
• Seven Ways to Change the World: How To Fix The Most Pressing Problems We Face. [S.l.]: Simon & Schuster. 2021.ISBN 978-1-3985-0361-8.OCLC 1223012333.
• Brown, Gordon;El-Erian, Mohamed;Spence, Michael (2023).Permacrisis: A Plan to Fix a Fractured World. Simon & Schuster UK.ISBN 978-1398525610.

• Brownism

• Jenkins, Simon (2006).Thatcher and Sons: A Revolution in Three Acts. London: Penguin Books.ISBN 978-0-14-100624-6.
• Pym, Hugh; Kochan, Nick (1998).Gordon Brown the First Year in Power.Bloomsbury.ISBN 978-0-7475-3701-4.
• Radice, Giles (2010).Trio: Inside the Blair, Brown, Mandelson Project. London: IB Tauris.ISBN 978-1-84885-445-1.
• Rawnsley, Andrew (2001).Servants of the people:The inside story of New Labour.Penguin Books.ISBN 978-0-14-027850-7.
• Rosen, Greg (2005).Old Labour to New:The Dreams that Inspired, the Battles that Divided. Politicos Publishing.ISBN 978-1-84275-045-2.
• Routledge, Paul (2003).Bumper Book of British Lefties. Politicos Publishing.ISBN 978-1-84275-064-3.
• Lee, Simon (2009).Boom and Bust: The Politics and Legacy of Gordon Brown. Oneworld Publications.ISBN 978-1851686643.
• Richards, Steve (2010).Whatever it Takes: The Real Story of Gordon Brown and New Labour. Fourth Estate.ISBN 978-0007320325.
• Hughes, Colin (2010).What Went Wrong, Gordon Brown?: How the dream job turned sour. The Guardian Books.ISBN 978-0852652190.
• Seldon, Anthony (2010).Brown at 10. Biteback.ISBN 978-1849540698.
• McBride, Damian (2013).Power Trip: a Decade of Policy, Plots and Spin. Biteback.

• Bower, Tom (2003).Gordon Brown. London:HarperCollins.ISBN 978-0-00-717540-6.
• Jefferys, Kevin (2002).Labour forces from Ernie Bevin to Gordon Brown. IB Taurus Publishing.ISBN 978-1-4175-1633-9.
• Keegan, William (2003).The Prudence of Mr. Gordon Brown.Wiley.ISBN 978-0-470-84697-1.
• Naughtie, James (2001).The Rivals: The Intimate Story of a Political Marriage. Fourth Estate.ISBN 978-1-84115-473-2.
• Peston, Robert (2005).Brown's Britain: How Gordon Runs the Show. Short Books.ISBN 978-1-904095-67-5.
• Rosen, Greg, ed. (2002).Dictionary of Labour Biography. Methuen.ISBN 978-1-902301-18-1.
• Routledge, Paul (1998).Gordon Brown: The Biography.Simon & Schuster.ISBN 978-0-684-81954-9.

• Gordon BrownOfficial government profile
• Official website of the Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown
• Gordon Brown onTwitter 
• Profile atParliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament atHansard
• Contributions in Parliament atHansard 1803–2005
• Voting record atPublic Whip
• Record in Parliament atTheyWorkForYou
• Gordon Brown atEncyclopædia Britannica
• Tour diary: Gordon Brown in Africa BBC News, January 2005 trip about his 'Marshall plan for Africa'
• Gordon Brown collected news and commentary atThe Guardian 
• Gordon Brown collected news and commentary atThe New York Times
• Gordon Brown atTED 
• Appearances onC-SPAN
• Gordon Brown onCharlie Rose
• Portraits of Gordon Brown at theNational Portrait Gallery, London 
• "Archival material relating to Gordon Brown".UK National Archives. 

Speeches

• Transcript of Gordon Brown's acceptance speech ePolitix, 17 May 2007
• Transcript of first speech as Labour Party Leader ePolitix, 24 June 2007
• Address to the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly September 2008
• Manifesto speech transcript ePolitix, 12 April 2010