Brown pushes printer off desk in anger
GORDON Brown’s capacity to blow his top was the subject of renewed speculation yesterday after new claims about temper tantrums.
The Prime Minister was said to have shoved a laser printer off a desk in a rage. Aides were allegedly warned to watch out for “flying Nokias” and pens. One was said to have developed a “news sandwich” technique designed to reduce the likelihood of volcanic explosions when having to give Mr Brown bad news.
It involves first telling the PM about a recent piece of good coverage before giving him the bad news and then quickly moving on to talk
about something good.
Mr Brown’s official spokesman insisted: “This is not an account I recognise. “It is the sort of unsubstantiated, unsourced nonsense you might expect to read in diary columns.”
There was laughter when a journalist pressed him: “Is it untrue though?”
The claims were the latest in a long-running series about Mr Brown. Ministers privately confirm they have been at the receiving end of verbal tirades.