The era of spin is over? You've got to be joking!

Remember that speech Mr Brown gave at the (appropriately named) Imagination Gallery when he was pitching to be PM after the local elections? Or afterwards when he visited Southampton? Or indeed his first big speech as PM to parliament on constitutional issues?

Sometimes he said it explicitly. Sometimes it was implied. But always the message was clear; over big issues and especially big foreign policy issues the Commons was to be told first. As PM he wanted to be more accountable to parliament. Sobriety rather than spin was to be the order of the day.

Well it hasn't taken long for the wheels to come off the truck. Today on his first visit to Iraq as PM, Brown has committed to cut the number of UK troops in Basra by 1000 'by Christmas'. Naturally he didn't announce this in the commons or indeed ask a press officer from the MoD to release it. No, it was another sparkling photo opportunity in Iraq, timed to coincide with the Tory defence debate at Blackpool and further stoking election speculation.

The era of spin is over they said.

Not on current form it isn't!

UPDATE
Nick Robinson has a scoop on Brown HERE.
Hope Robinson isn't right on the last bit; I've got a £10 bet with Conor Burns he won't call an election before the Spring!