The topic everyone’s been discussing this week is whether or not our Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, is a bully. There have been reports of him shouting, swearing and throwing things in a fit of temper in front of colleagues in Number 10 Downing Street.

Gordon Brown has admitted that he gets “angry and passionate” about issues close to his heart; those defending him have dismissed the claims, saying that he is just “demanding and driven”, a man who likes to get things done. But how far is it acceptable to go in order to get things done? Is this the kind of man we want running our country? The real question has yet to be unanswered: is Gordon Brown proactive or a bully?

Today the Prime Minister was asked the question of whether or not he is a bully on daytime television, and it’s no surprise that his answer was a firm “no”. Lord Mandelson has tried to jump to the PM’s defence, telling the country that we need a passionate man in charge, rather than a “shrinking violet”. However, when asked if he had ever been hit by Brown, he was unable to give a straight answer, stating only that the two had had their moments in the past. Not a very convincing argument after all. Ed Balls is also supporting Brown and has spoken out against the accusations, as has Lord Alan Sugar.

The biggest stir was last week when the news emerged that several employees from Number 10 had called the National Bullying Helpline to file complaints. No names were given, and apparently none of the calls were directly complaining about Brown. This information was leaked by Christine Pratt from the helpline based in Swindon, and was seen as a breach of confidentiality. Now it has backfired, as four out of the five patrons of the charity have resigned as a result and the Pratt is receiving unwelcome media attention.

In the run up to elections, London escorts have a serious decision to make along with other UK citizens. The recent allegations could seriously damage Gordon Brown and his reputation, costing him vital votes that would secure the Labour party’s position of power.

On another note, Gordon Brown has scored some points today by formally apologising to the orphaned children who were shipped to Australia back in the 1950s. Many suffered unnecessary hardship and Brown delivered a sincere apology on the behalf of his predecessors.