Part II of Brown’s transformation may not work

After Piers Morgan, the rebranding of Gordon Brown continues apace. Next up, we have the fanciful idea that Our Dear Leader will adopt the so-called “masochism strategy” used by Blair in 2005:

Some ministers and aides want Mr Brown to build on last night’s event, believing that his best hope of connecting with voters is to show that he is willing to be confronted by complaints about Afghanistan, the health service, levels of tax and other grumbles.

Hmmm.  There are a couple of small matters to consider here.

One, we don't know if Brown’s game of softball with Piers Morgan has worked; the polls will decide that.  Two, there is the little matter of how Brown deals with hostile questions under pressure.  Blair, of course, would use his effortless charm to to sweep away any awkward deliveries, but with Brown the odd googlie could pose a few problems.

The complete transformation of Brown into a Blair look-a-like could well be a bridge too far.