Pienaar's view: Brown's new game plan

By John Pienaar
BBC Radio 5 live chief political correspondent

There have been fewer smiles from Mr Brown

Gordon Brown is not smiling as much as he used to - which is probably a relief for everyone, especially the Labour Party.

He simply cannot - or will not - do the emotion thing in public. Sometimes he will flash a self-conscious little smile, which is rather endearing.

Or - when he is in complete control - it is more of a cold grin; about as comforting as a ray of moonlight on a prison wall.

Now, though, he looks a bit more like the old Gordon. More grim than grin.

It is not just easier on the eye, it reflects a strategy for recovery from the disasters of the general-election that wasn't: a way to challenge David Cameron's resurgent Conservatives.

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So what is this grim game-plan? It is a dogged, patient effort to improve things in general and public services in particular.

Detailed policy: all the i's dotted and t's crossed. So unlike - Mr Brown suggested during their big confrontation after the Queen's Speech - David Cameron's superficial headline-grabbing.

It won't be easy for Mr Brown to claw back the credibility he lost when he ducked an autumn election, and then appeared to pinch Tory ideas for tax cuts

Looking back, Mr Brown was not offering the new "vision" some on his side say they need, he was offering a mission instead.

It might do the trick, given time.

But that is the problem. Time.

Not just to improve things, but to persuade people you have done it.

And all the while, there's David Cameron - and to Mr Brown he is every bit as much an enemy as an opponent - striking a chord with the public and exploiting mistakes, on immigration for example: telling everyone they have already heard everything the prime minister has to say.

Shaking hand

It will not be easy for Mr Brown to claw back the credibility he lost when he ducked an autumn election, and then appeared to pinch Tory ideas for tax cuts.

Mr Cameron is getting under the prime minister's skin

Add to that Mr Cameron's knack - it is more of a gift - for getting deep beneath Mr Brown's skin, and his hair, and his fingernails.

At one point during his ill-tempered Commons clash with the Tory leader, you could actually see Gordon Brown's left hand shaking.

I suggested a moment ago, that the prime minister does not do emotion in public. I forgot about anger.

Especially when Mr Cameron is up and in his face.

Immigration

Now the Treasury is saying documents show the government did look at plans to cut inheritance tax before the Tories got there first. Proving, the government claim, that they did not steal the idea.

That does not mean - or at least it does not prove - that the decision to cut the tax had been made before the Tory party conference.

It is becoming a stale argument now, but it is not over yet.

Tax and spending is, and always will be at the heart of the political fight.

Immigration has worked its way back there.

Enoch Powell

And David Cameron's playing his cards skilfully: separating race from wider questions of immigration control, forcing the pace, arguably, to the extent that Mr Brown finds himself talking about such things as "British jobs for British workers".

Once it would have looked as if the Conservatives were simply pressing a populist button. Now it looks more serious than that.

The danger for the Conservatives is they encourage the idea that old attitudes to immigration are back on the agenda.

Take the Conservative election candidate, Nigel Hastilow.

Now he is an ex-candidate after telling a public meeting Enoch Powell was right.

I could not help feeling Mr Hastilow must have had at least one or two regrets.

The Conservative Party has changed since Enoch Powell's Rivers of Blood speech nearly 40 years ago.

David Cameron would have sacked Enoch every bit as quickly as Ted Heath.

But these days people like Nigel Hastilow tend to choose their words more carefully.

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We asked for your comments. The following selection reflects the balance of the views received.

I have just read the entire text of Enoch Powell's speech. Even if one does not necessarily agree with his opinions, it is clear that he was a communicator of immense ability. The jaw-flexing Gordon Brown could learn a few things from him.
Francis Hunt, Falmouth, UK

There is more to a smile than turning up the sides of your mouth and flashing a pair of gnashers. Also I notice Gordon Brown doesn't say English jobs for English workers.
Adam Huntley, St Albans

Is no one else but me heartily sick of the public school bravado, point scoring and snipping Mr Cameron and co.
J Roberts, London

What is this strange obsession with 'public school bravado'? For the last 10 years, Labour gave us the first public school Prime Minister since the 1960s and he was very good at bravado, point-scoring and sniping! The Labour cabinet is full of people who sent to private or selective schools. So what?
M Wickham, London, UK

Without Blair's Midas touch, the Labour Party is heading for the wilderness, which the Conservatives have inhabited for many a year. David Cameron's strength and conviction is unravelling Gordon Brown's spin, lies and delusions of grandeur. The next general election will be interesting to watch.
C I Smith, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England.

"Is no one else but me heartily sick of the public school bravado, point scoring and snipping Mr Cameron and co." No, but I am sick of people trying to play the school class card to score cheap points and snipe. I went to a state comprehensive - regrettably.
Eddie, Cheshunt

The adversarial atmosphere is good for political debate. It's a great leveller. We need our political leaders to be so sure of their ground that they are prepared to face the heat at PM's questions. The public make up their own minds as to who has won or lost an argument.
Martin Mullen, Wilmslow