As polling stations closed on Thursday night, and the fifth minister resigned from Gordon Brown's government within three days, it was suggested that British politics were coming to resemble a Shakespearean tragedy, with the Prime Minister cast as a tragically flawed hero. By yesterday morning, as a sixth minister stepped down for "family reasons", the political drama being played out in Downing Street had lapsed into a bad, door-slamming, Whitehall farce.
There has never been anything quite like this in British political history - a government falling to pieces before the voters' eyes. The spectacle is all the more bizarre because there is no discernible ideological fault-line running through the Labour party, as there was in the Conservative party in the run-up to Margaret Thatcher's overthrow in 1990.
Nor is Brown personally reviled by a large section of the British electorate, as was Mrs Thatcher. His unpopularity is neither personal nor ideological - it is just that growing numbers of his own MPs, and the public, believe he is hopelessly inadequate to the job. The Prime Minister can only achieve at the moment a vague sense of sympathy, but the office he holds demands respect, otherwise humiliation follows.
Brown was supposed to be re-shuffling his cabinet team early next week after an expected kicking from voters in this week's local government and European elections, but many of the cards have already voluntarily slipped out of his pack.
So a patched-up new administration had to be rushed out yesterday morning in a desperate effort to restore his authority. This was not so much a reshuffle as an operation to plug the holes in his government caused by a series of resignations.
Having allowed his political cronies to let it be known that Alistair Darling, the chancellor of the exchequer, was to be moved, he had to abandon the change when his supposed subordinate simply refused to budge to a different job.
Brown is now so weak he could not afford to let Darling resign in a sulk. Thus, as Brown clings on to power in the teeth of the biggest economic crisis in a generation, the British economy remains in the hands of a man who no longer enjoys the confidence of the prime minister.
Jacqui Smith and Hazel Blears, two ministers deeply implicated in the expenses scandal that has tarnished the reputation of British politics in the past four weeks, jumped this week before they could be pushed.
On Thursday night James Purnell, an arch loyalist of the former prime minister Tony Blair, timed his resignation to cause as much damage as possible to Brown. He urged the prime minister to resign for the good of the Labour party and give it what he woundingly called a "fighting chance" of winning the next election, which must be held within a year.
No one can remember a British government losing authority so completely. One comparison is with the summer of 1962, when the Conservative prime minister Harold Macmillan sacked one third of his cabinet on what was dubbed the Night of the Long Knives. But Macmillan had the courage to fire those he regarded as disloyal or incompetent, and to wield the knife before they could embarrass him by resigning. Brown, by comparison, dithers until he becomes the victim of political circumstances, not the man who directs events.
Some years ago in the heyday of Blair's rule, it became known that the prime minister's circle regarded Brown, then the chancellor, to be so "psychologically flawed" that he could never be trusted to step up to the premiership. More recently it has been suggested that was specifically Blair's own view, not just that of a member of his staff.
It was a vicious thing to say of anyone, even of a political rival, but the more that is seen of Brown trying to be prime minister, the more people think it is accurate. He resembles a chimpanzee trying to operate a highly complicated piece of machinery. He pulls levers and presses buttons, but nothing happens; he tugs on strings to assert his authority, but the string goes limp in his hands.
During his 10-year premiership, Blair glided around the country and the world, spreading easy bonhomie and charming those he met. By contrast, Brown looks sullen and his body language is simply wrong. He smiles at the wrong moment when he talks, and he speaks in political slogans rather than in phrases normal people understand.
Brown looks grey and haunted, and he has aged a decade in the two years he has been in 10 Downing Street. There are bags under his eyes, and his fingernails are bitten to the quick. This is not a man upon whom authority rests easily. He looks miserable, and increasingly he makes the British people feel miserable.
The key to the disasters that have befallen his premiership may well be partly psychological, but they are also perhaps a consequence of a Scottish upbringing that makes him an outsider in the incestuous world of London where politics and journalism intersect.
Born in 1951, the second of three sons of a minister of the Presbyterian Church, he was brought up in the drab Scottish industrial town of Kircaldy. He was a keen rugby player and an academically precocious child who was accelerated through the school system to win a place at Edinburgh University at the age of only 15.
But his world was to darken, literally, just before he went up to university when he was kicked so violently on the rugby pitch that both his retinas became detached. He remains blind in one eye, and regained only limited vision in the other after a series of operations, and weeks spent recuperating lying rock-still in a darkened room. Though his staff are cagey about providing details, it appears his eyesight is currently deteriorating further, which might account for his awkward public manner and his lack of social confidence.
Indeed, he has had more than his share of personal trauma in his life. An obsessive political wonk, Brown married late, to Sarah, an elegant and charming woman who has done her best to make up for her husband's manifest presentational shortcomings. They suffered a tragedy when their first child, Jennifer, was born prematurely and died in early 2002. They went on to have two sons, one of whom has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
So life has not been easy for Gordon Brown, especially compared to the man in whose shadow he was forced to live for a decade, Tony Blair. Blair had it easy: a comfortable middle-class background, an exclusive private school followed by Oxford University, the ideal background to shin up the greasy pole of British politics. (David Cameron, the Conservative party leader, had a similarly easy start in life, only more so.)
Perhaps this accounts for Brown's awkward manner, his bullying of rivals, his refusal to admit mistakes, or to say sorry when he fails. When one of his close aides was caught out sending vicious e-mails besmirching Conservative opponents, Brown reluctantly fired him, yet could not bring himself to apologise to the targets of the smears. It's that strange psychological flaw that Blair so unhelpfully highlighted.
Brown's reaction to the current scandal over the mass abuse of the expenses system by scores of MPs has been equally flat-footed and inept. He has not adequately disciplined those in his own party caught out by the publication of their receipts; nor has he understood the public's rage about the abuse of public money.
Gordon Brown appeared yesterday lunchtime to have seen off the move to overthrow him by pleading with his supporters to fill the gaps in his cabinet. But his medium-term prospects still look dire. Dozens of Labour MPs know they face losing their seats and their careers at a general election within a year, and that the longer this political farce plays out in London, the worse the defeat will be.
Even if Brown clings on for the next few weeks, his government is becalmed and will not be able to achieve anything. His allies and enemies alike know - as Tennyson wrote of King Arthur - that "authority forgets a dying king".
Perhaps it is a genuine tragedy, after all, that the political death of an essentially humane and decent man will be regarded with relief on all sides of the political spectrum.
* The National
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Honeymoonish
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Oppenheimer
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The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
Director: Romany Saad
Starring: Mirfat Amin, Boumi Fouad and Tariq Al Ibyari
The five pillars of Islam
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
Sweet%20Tooth
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%E2%80%98White%20Elephant%E2%80%99
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Company%20profile
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Sugary teas and iced coffees
The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.
For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
