Gordon Brown: control freak or misunderstood heavyweight?

LONDON: His critics call him "Stalinist," while his supporters say he is a misunderstood political heavyweight. Now the real Gordon Brown is about to step forward, after a decade waiting in the wings.   

Brown, who has been Prime Minister Tony Blair's chancellor since the pair swept New Labour to power in 1997, is finally expected to succeed him in 10 Downing Street following Blair's resignation announcement on Thursday.   

It is a goal that has been a long time coming for Brown, 56, who has been a lawmaker for nearly a quarter-century and Britain's longest serving finance minister without interruption.   

During his 10 years in office, he has gained a reputation as a workaholic, and though seen as dour and uncharismatic in public, he is reputed to be personable in private.   

The son of a Presbyterian minister, Brown was always bright, started university in Edinburgh at just 16, and after gaining a first-class degree in history, he went on to receive a doctorate.   

He forged links with the Labour Party early in life, offering to canvas for them in a by-election when he was 12, and joined the party officially at 18.   

He was elected to represent Dunfermline East in 1983 -- the same year Blair became an MP -- and was named Labour's finance spokesman in 1992, after joining the shadow cabinet in 1987.   

Following the death of then Labour leader John Smith in 1994, a popular legend relates that Brown and Blair made a deal in a north London restaurant whereby Brown would back Blair's candidacy, and Blair would let his colleague step into the top job as little as four years into a Labour government.   

According to a biography by Robert Peston, Blair repeatedly promised Brown in 2004 that he would step down so that Brown could lead Labour, only to change his mind.   

Brown reportedly then told Blair: "There is nothing you could ever say to me now that I could ever believe."   

Since entering government, the relationship between the pair -- who were good friends and shared an office when they entered parliament -- has often appeared tenuous and while each has praised the other, tensions are often not far from the surface.   

Brown was alleged to be the mastermind of an attempted political "coup" last September when eight junior members of government resigned in a matter of days, calling for Blair to step down -- he denies the charge.   

He is struggling in polls that often show him trailing the main opposition Conservative Party leader David Cameron by double digits, and his credibility on managing the economy has been drawn into question by recent scandals.   

His detractors lament what they say is his controlling nature, with former cabinet minister Charles Clarke describing him as a "control freak" last year, while his former head of staff recently called him "Stalinist".   

So-called Brownites hit back, however, pointing to his decision to give the Bank of England independent control over monetary police in 1997, and his campaign to get rich countries to forgive developing country debt as evidence of both his willingness to cede control, and his ethics.   

The chancellor is reportedly more of an Atlanticist than a Europhile -- while Blair wanted to lead Britain into the euro, Brown effectively vetoed the decision.   

On the personal front, Brown has suffered more than his share of pain: in January 2002, his first child Jennifer was born prematurely and died 10 days after her birth.   

He has since had two boys, though the second was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in November, aged just four months.   

Through it all, he has steered Britain to an unprecedented era of sustained growth, high employment and low interest rates, and after a decade playing second fiddle, Brown remains the overwhelming favourite to succeed Blair.   

It has been a long time coming, but he may soon be able to step out of the shadows, and into the limelight.