So, fresh back after an extended Bank Holiday weekend… There are just a couple of days remaining before we go to the polls and I think that following the leaders debates and all the other calamity to have occurred during Gordon Browns reign as Prime Minister, he stuck the final nail in his own coffin last week with what some people deem dishonesty, I deem lacking the courage of your convictions…

So Gordon Brown was campaigning in Glasgow up in Scotland, and he was introduced to Gillian Duffy, 66, who asked him a few questions and made some comments. Among those things, she also asked about why more was not being done keep Eastern European immigrants out of Britain. In the way he seems so adept at doing, he avoided answering the actual question, offered up some pre-prepared spiel and carried on… Though he forgot to switch off his microphone and everyone heard him, staright afterwards call Gillian Duffy “a bigot”.

When she was told this news, her surprised and startled expression was a picture and made the national news headlines.

Let’s be honest here, shall we? Brown meant what he said, I don’t think anyone doubts that, do they? However, when this error was pointed out to him, rather than sticking to his guns and explaining how he had summised that, or congruently talking us through his comment, he lamely called the entire thing a ‘misundestanding’ and snuck behind closed doors at Mrs Duffy’s home to talk to her about it for three quarters of an hour or so.

Why not publicly say what you feel? I am guessing many people may have wanted to tell Mrs Duffy what he said. Why not wear your heart on your sleeve from time to time? Why this incessant need for bland political correctness and subversive behaviour in an attempt to please everyone all at once… This is the biggest error Gordon Brown could have made and made him look dishonest and lack congruence altogether.
What is wrong with holding your ground?

There was of course much to learn from such an experience, but being congruent is something that surely can influence voters and public perception far more.

I teach my students about the value of congruence in training… Saying, being, and behaving the same as you are thinking… It is all communicated one way or another and it all makes it’s way through to what we see.

Why do politicians think we want to see bland, biege-wearing points of view?

It is the same with lots of famous sports stars… Have you ever seen a Michael Owen interview? “Yeah well, my own performance is not as important as the teams, I am happy we got the three points…” Blah, blah… Yawn-a-rama… What about Ryan Giggs? “Yeah, I am pleased I got this award, but without the team it would not have been possible….”

These are admirable things to say, but what about one of these people saying, “I bloody love whopping United!” or “I am well chuffed I scored a hat-trick because it shows I am doing my job well” ?? Many people thought he was nuts when this happened, but I totally respected Kevin Keegan when this happened:

So what if Gordon Brown says someone is a bigot, what got on my nerves is that he did not stand by his comment and support and discuss that in a congruent fashion… Pah!