James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British politician. He was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. Before that, he was the Chancellor of the Exchequer (the UK's finance minister) under Tony Blair from 1997 to 2007. He also served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for different areas in Scotland from 1983 to 2015.

Gordon Brown studied history at the University of Edinburgh, where he earned a PhD. Early in his career, he worked as a college lecturer and a television journalist. He was first elected to the UK Parliament in 1983. He became a key member of the Labour Party's opposition team, known as the shadow cabinet, in 1989. He became the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1992.

When the Labour Party won the 1997 election, Brown became Chancellor of the Exchequer. He held this role for ten years, making him the longest-serving Chancellor in modern history. During his time, he made big changes to how Britain's money and economy were managed. This included giving the Bank of England control over setting interest rates. He also oversaw a long period of economic growth in Britain.

In 2007, Tony Blair stepped down, and Gordon Brown became Prime Minister. His government faced the global financial crisis. They introduced plans to help banks and the economy. His government also passed the world's first Climate Change Act in 2008. In the 2010 general election, Labour lost many seats, leading to a hung parliament. Brown then resigned, and David Cameron became Prime Minister.

After leaving office, Brown continued as an MP until 2015. He has since worked on global issues like education and health. In 2024, he was given the Order of the Companions of Honour for his public and charity work.

Early Life and Education
- School and University Years
- Before Entering Parliament
Becoming an MP and Opposition Work
Chancellor of the Exchequer (1997–2007)
- Economic Changes and Spending
- The Euro and Other Issues
Prime Minister (2007–2010)
After Being Prime Minister (2010–Present)
- New Roles and Activities
Personal Life
- Religion
Honours and Awards
Images for kids

Early Life and Education

Gordon Brown was born on 20 February 1951, in Giffnock, Scotland. His father was a Church of Scotland minister, which had a strong influence on him. His family moved to Kirkcaldy when he was three years old. He grew up there with his two brothers.

School and University Years

Brown attended Kirkcaldy West Primary School. He then went to Kirkcaldy High School at a young age as part of a special program. He later said he disliked this "ludicrous" experiment.

At 16, he was accepted into the University of Edinburgh to study history. During a rugby game, he was kicked in the head, which caused him to lose sight in his left eye. Later, he had similar problems with his right eye, but doctors were able to save his sight. He earned his first degree in history in 1972. He continued his studies and received his PhD in history in 1982.

While at university, Brown was elected Rector of the University of Edinburgh in 1972. This role involved representing students on the university's governing body.

Before Entering Parliament

From 1976 to 1980, Brown taught politics at Glasgow College of Technology. He also worked as a tutor for the Open University. In 1979, he ran for Parliament but did not win.

From 1980 until 1983, he worked as a journalist at Scottish Television. He became the current affairs editor there.

Becoming an MP and Opposition Work

Tony Blair (pictured) was a close colleague of Brown. Together, they made a pact that Brown would succeed Blair as prime minister.

Gordon Brown was elected as a Labour MP for Dunfermline East in the 1983 general election. His office mate in Parliament was Tony Blair, who would later become Prime Minister.

Brown quickly rose through the Labour Party. He became a spokesperson for Trade and Industry in 1985. He then held important roles in the "shadow cabinet," which is the group of opposition MPs who would take on government roles if their party won. He became Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1992.

After the Labour leader, John Smith, died in 1994, Tony Blair became the new leader. There were rumors that Brown and Blair made a deal. This deal supposedly involved Brown not running for leader, allowing Blair to win, in exchange for Brown having control over economic policy if Labour won the next election. Their relationship was very important to the Labour Party, and they usually worked together publicly.

As Shadow Chancellor, Brown was seen as a good choice by businesses and the public. He was preparing to take on the role of Chancellor if Labour won.

Chancellor of the Exchequer (1997–2007)

Brown's official portrait during his chancellorship

In the 1997 general election, Labour won by a large amount, ending 18 years of Conservative rule. On 2 May 1997, Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed Gordon Brown as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Brown held this job for over 10 years, making him the longest-serving Chancellor in modern British history.

Some of his key achievements as Chancellor included:

Making the Bank of England independent. This meant the Bank, not the government, would set interest rates.
Reaching agreements on reducing poverty and tackling climate change at the G8 summit in 2005.

Economic Changes and Spending

When he became Chancellor, Brown gave the Bank of England the power to set interest rates. He also moved responsibility for supervising banks to the Financial Services Authority.

During his time as Chancellor, Brown promised not to raise the main rates of income tax. He actually lowered the basic rate from 23% to 20%. He also reduced corporation tax for businesses. In 1999, he introduced a lower 10% tax band. However, he removed this 10% tax band in his last budget in 2007. This meant some people earning less money ended up paying more tax.

Brown also introduced a "Windfall Tax" in 1997. This was a one-time tax on privatized utility companies. The money raised, about £5 billion, was used to fund a program called the "New Deal." This program helped people who had been unemployed for a long time find jobs.

In 2000, Brown announced a big increase in government spending, especially for health and education. In 2002, he increased National Insurance payments to help pay for health services. He also introduced working tax credits to support families.

The Euro and Other Issues

In 1997, Brown set out "five economic tests" to decide if the UK should join the European single currency (the euro). In 2003, the Treasury decided that the UK had not passed these tests, so Britain did not adopt the euro.

Between 1999 and 2002, Brown's government sold off a large part of the UK's gold reserves. This happened just before the price of gold started to rise a lot. Many people later criticized this decision because the gold would have been worth much more if it had been kept.

Prime Minister (2007–2010)

Brown and George W. Bush, President of the United States, meet at Downing Street, 2008

Gordon Brown became Prime Minister on 27 June 2007. He also became the First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. He was the leader of the Labour Party until May 2010. Brown was the first Prime Minister from a Scottish area since 1964.

Brown wanted to give more power to Parliament and citizens. He suggested that Parliament should have the final say on declaring war and approving important appointments. He also wanted citizens to have more ways to influence laws.

In late 2007, there was talk that Brown might call a "snap general election" (an early election). Polls showed he could win, but he decided not to. This decision was later seen as a mistake, as his popularity and Labour's support fell in 2008.

Key Policies and Challenges

During his time as Prime Minister, Brown proposed several new policies. He wanted to crack down on corruption and create a new code of conduct for ministers. He also aimed for a "better constitution" that clearly defined citizens' rights and responsibilities.

He promised to make it easier for people to own homes. He also said he wanted doctors' offices to be open on weekends and evenings. Brown stated that the National Health Service (NHS) was his top priority.

In 2007, Brown promised "British Jobs for British workers." This caused some debate, as critics pointed out that some parts of this idea might be against EU law. He also suggested that people applying for UK citizenship should have to take English lessons and do community service.

Foreign Policy and the Global Recession

Brown meets British troops during a visit to Basra, 2007

Brown supported the Iraq War, but he said his government would "learn the lessons" from mistakes made there. In 2008, he announced an inquiry into Britain's involvement in the war.

Brown emphasized the strong relationship between Britain and the United States. He said this partnership was based on shared values like liberty and opportunity.

US President Barack Obama, Prince Charles, Brown, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrive at the Colleville-sur-Mer cemetery to attend a ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, 6 June 2009.

Brown's time as Prime Minister happened during the global recession. His government introduced a large "bank rescue package" to help banks and the economy. They also temporarily cut value-added tax to encourage spending.

Political Challenges and Elections

In 2008, some MPs openly asked Brown to resign. However, many prominent Labour MPs supported him. In 2009, Labour had very poor results in local and European elections. These were Labour's worst results since World War II.

Gordon and Sarah Brown at the University of Bradford on the day before the 2010 general election

In April 2010, Brown called a general election. This election included the first televised debates between party leaders in Britain. The election result was a "hung parliament," meaning no single party won enough seats to form a government on its own.

After negotiations to form a coalition government failed, Brown resigned as Prime Minister on 11 May 2010. He also stepped down as leader of the Labour Party.

After Being Prime Minister (2010–Present)

Brown with fellow former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Sir John Major, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Prime Minister David Cameron during U.S. President Barack Obama's address to Parliament

After leaving 10 Downing Street, Gordon Brown continued to serve as an MP for his local area, Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, until 2015. He also wrote a book called Beyond the Crash, which discussed the 2007–08 financial crisis and his ideas for global cooperation.

Brown played a big part in the campaign for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. He gave passionate speeches, arguing for continued partnership and social justice across the UK.

Brown, as UN Special Envoy for Global Education, addresses the World Economic Forum, January 2013.

In 2014, Brown announced he would not seek re-election to Parliament and stepped down in May 2015.

New Roles and Activities

After leaving Parliament, Brown took on several important roles.

He became a board director for the World Wide Web Foundation, helping to connect disadvantaged communities.
He became an unpaid advisor at the World Economic Forum.
In 2012, he was named a United Nations Special Envoy on Global Education. This unpaid role focuses on improving education worldwide.
He also became an advisor to a private investment company, donating his earnings from this role to charity.

Brown with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, May 2018

Brown has continued to write books, including his memoir My Life, Our Times (2017) and Seven Ways to Change the World (2021). In 2022, he helped develop new ideas for constitutional reform for the Labour Party. He also co-authored a pamphlet on child poverty in 2024.

Personal Life

Sarah Brown attending one of her husband's speeches, September 2009

Gordon Brown married Sarah Macaulay on 3 August 2000. They had a daughter, Jennifer Jane, who was born prematurely in 2001 and sadly died shortly after. They have two sons, John Macaulay (born 2003) and James Fraser (born 2006). In 2006, Fraser was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Brown has spoken about how important it was to him to keep his son's health private.

Sarah Brown became more publicly active after her husband became Prime Minister. She is involved with several charities and has written articles about her charity work.

Brown is a strong supporter of the National Health Service (NHS). This is partly because of the excellent care he received for his eye problems and the support he and Sarah got when their daughter was ill. It has been suggested that his visual difficulties might have affected his public manner, but he has never let them hold him back.

Brown is a fan of the Scottish football club Raith Rovers.

Religion

As the son of a Church of Scotland minister, Brown has spoken about his "moral compass" and how his parents inspired him. He is a member of the Church of Scotland.

Honours and Awards

Brown delivers the Harold Wilson memorial lecture at the University of Huddersfield in 2018

Gordon Brown has received many honorary degrees from universities, including:

Brunel University (1996)
University of Edinburgh (2003)
Robert Gordon University (2003)
New York University (2005)
Newcastle University (2007)
University of Delhi (2008)
University of Glasgow (2015)

In 2018, he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

In 2009, he was named "World Statesman of the Year" by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation. This award recognized his "compassionate leadership" and his efforts to stabilize the world's financial system.

Brown has also won several awards from The Herald newspaper's Scottish Politician of the Year awards. In 2024, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour by King Charles III for his public and charity work in the UK and abroad.

Images for kids

Gordon Brown's signature
In Spanish: Gordon Brown para niños

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