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Gordon Brown was 'misunderstood', says wife Sarah | Gordon Brown was 'misunderstood', says wife Sarah |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Sarah Brown, wife of the ex prime minister Gordon, has spoken of her frustrations that her husband was "misunderstood". | Sarah Brown, wife of the ex prime minister Gordon, has spoken of her frustrations that her husband was "misunderstood". |
Ahead of the publication of her memoirs on life at 10 Downing Street, she said Mr Brown's public image was misrepresented. | |
Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said it did not match the "hard-working, fun, smart, decent man" she married. | Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said it did not match the "hard-working, fun, smart, decent man" she married. |
She also said that at times her life in Number 10 had been "surreal". | She also said that at times her life in Number 10 had been "surreal". |
The mother-of-two described one moment when President Karzai of Afghanistan pointed out to her son Fraser that his Lego men looked like Afghans. | The mother-of-two described one moment when President Karzai of Afghanistan pointed out to her son Fraser that his Lego men looked like Afghans. |
She said Fraser's response was to bash them together and shout: "Kill, kill, kill… dead." | She said Fraser's response was to bash them together and shout: "Kill, kill, kill… dead." |
There was also the time when she saw Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi ask Naomi Campbell for her phone number, and when pop singer Lily Allen curtseyed to her. | There was also the time when she saw Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi ask Naomi Campbell for her phone number, and when pop singer Lily Allen curtseyed to her. |
She also tells of her frustration at being unable to buy groceries online, as it was assumed because of the address she gave that her order was a hoax. | She also tells of her frustration at being unable to buy groceries online, as it was assumed because of the address she gave that her order was a hoax. |
'Episodes of exhaustion' | 'Episodes of exhaustion' |
Mrs Brown admits there were times when being the wife of the prime minister took its toll. | Mrs Brown admits there were times when being the wife of the prime minister took its toll. |
She describes three fainting fits in the book, which she dubs "little episodes of exhaustion", and even needed to be treated with oxygen after one. | She describes three fainting fits in the book, which she dubs "little episodes of exhaustion", and even needed to be treated with oxygen after one. |
"I was as guilty as anyone of taking on too much. There were days, especially when there had been a lot of foreign travel, when I had to say to the people around me 'Look, I need to take a few days to see the kids'." | "I was as guilty as anyone of taking on too much. There were days, especially when there had been a lot of foreign travel, when I had to say to the people around me 'Look, I need to take a few days to see the kids'." |
Mrs Brown said that her husband would never have dreamed of walking away from politics, even when their daughter Jennifer died in 2002, at just 10 days old. | Mrs Brown said that her husband would never have dreamed of walking away from politics, even when their daughter Jennifer died in 2002, at just 10 days old. |
Despite the "long, never-ending tunnel of grief" she entered, she could not have asked her husband to give up his job. | Despite the "long, never-ending tunnel of grief" she entered, she could not have asked her husband to give up his job. |
"I met him as a politician. He is immersed in politics and in public service. | "I met him as a politician. He is immersed in politics and in public service. |
"He's still working as an MP - he's still engaged with the international world, making a real difference. Gordon would never walk away." | "He's still working as an MP - he's still engaged with the international world, making a real difference. Gordon would never walk away." |
'Frustrating position' | 'Frustrating position' |
Mrs Brown said she was inspired to call her husband a "hero" at the Labour Party Conference in 2009 after watching Hillary Clinton praise Barack Obama in a speech. | Mrs Brown said she was inspired to call her husband a "hero" at the Labour Party Conference in 2009 after watching Hillary Clinton praise Barack Obama in a speech. |
"I liked the idea of someone speaking up for someone else - and realised that I'd been carving out a role for myself that involved speaking up for charities and causes, so why not my own husband?" | "I liked the idea of someone speaking up for someone else - and realised that I'd been carving out a role for myself that involved speaking up for charities and causes, so why not my own husband?" |
"When things were going wrong, and I was reading stories about him that simply were not true, I wonder whether I should have got more involved - to say: 'This is just not the case'," she said. | "When things were going wrong, and I was reading stories about him that simply were not true, I wonder whether I should have got more involved - to say: 'This is just not the case'," she said. |
"When I look back on it, maybe the one thing I would have changed about my role is that I would have spoken up more. | "When I look back on it, maybe the one thing I would have changed about my role is that I would have spoken up more. |
"It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Yet when you are in that moment, you think you have no alternative but to take it. It is the most frustrating position to be in." | "It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Yet when you are in that moment, you think you have no alternative but to take it. It is the most frustrating position to be in." |
Life after Downing Street is a happy one for her husband however, Mrs Brown said. | Life after Downing Street is a happy one for her husband however, Mrs Brown said. |
"He's happy, he's engaged with his work, he's hands-on with the kids - as he always was, despite everything. | "He's happy, he's engaged with his work, he's hands-on with the kids - as he always was, despite everything. |
"A lot has happened, but I don't think Gordon has changed as a person." | "A lot has happened, but I don't think Gordon has changed as a person." |
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