London: A row over claims British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown bullied members of his staff refused to
die down today, as he denied telling aides to unleash "the
forces of hell" on his finance minister.
Brown, battling to win a general election likely on May
6, had already rejected claims in a new book that he swore at
advisors, turfed a secretary out of her chair for typing too
slowly and furiously grabbed a staff member by the jacket
lapels.
But finance minister Alistair Darling told Sky News TV
yesterday that "the forces of hell were unleashed" on him by
Downing Street and the opposition Conservatives for predicting
in 2008 the worst recession for 60 years.
That unusually frank comment raised fresh questions about
the workplace culture at Brown`s Downing Street office.
Brown today told the GMTV breakfast television programme:
"I was never part of anything to do with this."
He added that he and Darling had been friends for 20
years and had "huge mutual respect for each other." He also
admitted again: "I get angry sometimes."
"We are a sort of family in Downing Street and like every
family there are issues that come from time to time, but we
have a got a great working environment and we get things
done," Brown added.
PTI
