But in today's neo-liberal, globalist era, where policy parameters are set by international capital and sovereignty-impinging institutions such as the EU and the IMF, politicians have largely been reduced to mere managers. And because the difference between their policies is so small, so the emphasis has shifted on to personality.
That many regard Brown's premiership so negatively has little to do with the man's actual record in office, but owes a lot to the fact that 'Gloomy Gordon', the man famous for having the 'worst smile in the world', was ill-suited to the personality-based politics of today.
True, there were many things he did do wrong: signing the undemocratic Lisbon Treaty, which surrendered even more sovereignty to the EU without a referendum; his failure to renationalise the railways; and his continuation of Britain's military involvement in Afghanistan.
But given the fact that he was given a hospital pass by Tony Blair, who stepped down just when the economic storm clouds were gathering, the claim that Brown was Britain's worst ever Prime Minister is a huge exaggeration.
He was certainly a better PM than his warmongering predecessor, who took us into military conflicts which will make us a target for Islamic militants for many years to come, and John Major, who destroyed Britain's railways. And he also comes out favourably compared to Sir Anthony Eden, who led us into the Suez fiasco and Neville Chamberlain, whose appeasement of Adolf Hitler led to World War 2.
Brown's greatest mistake was to underestimate just how leftwards public opinion had shifted on economic matters during the financial crisis. In 2008-9, people didn't just want speeches denouncing bankers' bonuses, they wanted to see bankers hanging from lamp-posts.
Seeing as he was being savaged by the right-wing media anyway, Brown had nothing to lose by adopting a more openly populist, 'Old' Labour position on the economy. Towards the end of the election campaign he started to do just that, drawing voters' attention in the final televised debate to Tory plans to cut corporation tax on banks and also the inheritance tax of Britain's 3,000 richest families.
But by then, it was all far too late. 
Read more: http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/63214,news-comment,news-politics,gordon-brown-was-not-the-worst-prime-minister-ever-labour-leader,2#ixzz0ni9Cwbwq
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