Heavy Lies the Crown

Heavy lies the crown, heavy lies the crown. I have always been very fond of this expression. It is one I always was acutely aware off even as a child and I remember watching a film with Sean Connery about a humble soldier who rose to become king of a small native tribe. The name eludes me, but at the end he realises the heavy price he has to pay for becoming the ultimate ruler of this small nation and suffice to say it wasn't pretty. I again heard this saying in another film and this time it was uttered by Jack Nicholson "Heavy lies the crown" "Heavy lies the crown" Again Jack was king of a criminal gang with a youngling having aspirations to wear his crown. Again he paid the ultimate price

This same phrase came to mind when I getting ready for work front of the television watching sky news and a picture of Gordon Brown came across the screen. He look as bad as Tony Blair did in his final days in office. The eyes looked empty, faced looked tired and his whole body language looked like a man mentally telling himself that he still had a chance at staying on as PM. But deep down in his heart he must know he is only delaying the hang mans noose.

He had coverted the job of PM for many many years, even apparently hatching a plan with ex-PM Tony Blair to become PM after he eventually stood down. Gordon Brown came into office when the country was still in pretty good shape, house prices were on the up, un-employment was low, inflation was also fairy stable. But then came the bombshell that is the US sub-prime market which totally added to the destruction of the US economy and had a snowball effect on the rest of the worlds economies. Added to that the MP expenses scandal all meant the beginning of the end for Mr Brown. The job he wanted for so many years turned out to be his undoing. How he must have sat on the right hand side of Mr Blair for so many years, patiently waiting for the chance to get his hands on the Tony Blair's crown.

Tony must have a "I told you So" look on his face now at the thought of how the Labour party has disintegrated since his departure and must quietly say to himself as I did when I saw that picture of Gordon Brown "Heavy lies the Crown"