FOR someone who is often written up as a control freak and a dreadful actor, Gordon Brown's role as the laissez-faire, host at his summer reception was worthy of an Oscar.
The Prime Minister had graciously invited his biggest critics (outside the Labour Party that is) to a summer reception on Tuesday night.
Not since John Major's "back me or sack me" ultimatum have journalists been allowed to prowl the lush lawn, fl
owerbeds and goldfish ponds of the Downing Street rose garden, sipping food-miles laden Chilean wine.
Despite weeks of bad headlines, the PM was not breaking out in a sweat. This is all the more remarkable as just an hour or so earlier an anti-airport protester had glued himself to Mr Brown.
Needless to say, while he was friendly to the hacks, Mr Brown was not shaking any hands after that encounter. But the PM was in fine form, considering Glasgow East.
It's the results at a general election that are really the test for a government. The PM is perhaps resigned to getting to something of a bloody nose.
He openly joked about his standing in the polls, revealing how the Israeli PM, Ehud Olmert, had tried to cheer him up by telling him his own approval rating was 8 per cent.
He was serious on one subject: the free-falling housing market.
But even on this topic Mr Brown is defiant (or is that in denial?). There is real demand for housing, he insists. The problem is getting the banks to loosen up the credit so people can move in and up.
It transpired late this week that there is work going on behind the scenes to see whether the Bank of England can take new home loans from commercial lenders onto their books, in a bid to ease liability fears by high-street banks.
Whether or not it is correct to tinker with the markets at a time when a soft landing is exactly what prices need in some parts of the UK will no doubt be debated by economists.
Regardless of the economic turbulence, the PM seems ready to go on holiday, even if it is only on a bucket-and-spade jaunt to Suffolk.
Even so, ministers have been summoned to present their ideas for summer initiatives to the PM. And for good measure, he has written to all back-benchers telling them his door is always open any issues raised by constituents.
Even when he is on holiday, he is on duty. The PM says he wants a very quiet August. I dare to suggest this would be bad news for both of us. After a proper holiday, colleagues want Mr Brown to set the agenda, rather than simply be seen responding to it.
The full article contains 472 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
