Gordon been around too long?
The re-branding of Gordon Brown begins in earnest today, and what a deeply unconvincing exercise it is. The problem for his marketing men is that this is no shiny new product. Gordon Brown has been Chancellor for nine years and the British public has had plenty of time to judge him.
We admire his steady, unswerving approach to economics and his decision to hand interest-rate decisions over to the Bank of England. We appreciate his scepticism over the euro. At a time when Tony Blair was enthusing over the single European currency, Gordon Brown could see - rightly, as it turned out - that the euro would damage Britain's economy.
But there is a darker side to Gordon Brown.
He is said, even by his Labour Party friends, to be glum and secretive with a tendency to brood.
Some have even questioned whether he is psychologically fit to be trusted with power.
Even under extreme pressure, Tony Blair has the ability to rise above the storm and put the best possible spin on things.
Imagine a prime minister who, when things go wrong, flies into a rage or locks himself away for days. Is this the real Gordon Brown that senior Labour figures are desperate to keep out of No 10?
One thing is certain. The Gordon now being hawked around the television studios is a very strange beast.
In all his years in politics, no-one has ever accused Gordon Brown of excessive mirth. Suddenly we see him grinning and laughing like an American presidential candidate.
But a few days of jollity cannot overturn nine dour years. In a survey today, voters comment on Gordon Brown's "morose and introverted nature" and believe the Tory leader, David Cameron, would make a better prime minister.
Gordon Brown's bid for No 10 seems to be handicapped, not helped, by his nine years in No 11. He has become a very familiar figure and there is always the danger of familiarity breeding contempt.
Ageism does the lawyers no harm
A think-tank today reports that ageism in the workplace is rife.
New anti-ageist laws should condemn such prejudices to the same historical dustbin as sexism and racism.
But drafting the law is only the beginning. In the years ahead, courts and tribunals will have to thrash out the fine details.
Is a fixed retirement age for airline pilots legal? Will night clubs be forced to employ lap dancers old enough to have a bus pass? Will teenagers win the right to become Father Christmas in store grottos?
One thing is certain. As the ageism bandwagon starts rolling, lawyers (of all ages) will make a fortune.
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