Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2009/04/24/brown_nokia/
Number 10 doubles as 'House of Flying Nokias'
PM also handy with pens and printers, aides claim
Posted in Bootnotes, 24th April 2009 12:46 GMT
Gordon Brown earned a place alongside the likes of Naomi Campbell today, when a financial newswire claimed that the PM likes to vent his frustration on pieces of personal technology.
The report on Bloomberg claims that the PM's current travails - worst recession since the war, smeary email scandal, sinking poll numbers - have inflamed a "temper that has always been the subject of gallows humor among those who work with him".
Apparently, Brown hurled "pens and even a stapler at aides", though it's not clear whether the recipients of this stationery barrage have included the likes of Damian McBride.
Mr Primus inter pares apparently shoved a laser printer off a desk in a rage. Which of course if just what you'd expect from a man who sees himself as the Labour Party's very own Heathcliff.
Most shockingly, another aide was warned to watch out for "flying Nokias" when he joined the former chancellor's team.
A Number 10 flunky reportedly condemned the revelations as idle gossip and "not an account I recognise".
Naomi Campbell's predilection for chucking phones and PDAs at staff was down to a now-resolved anger management issue. Whether this is the case with Brown, or he's single-handedly trying to revive the UK's hi-tech sector by smashing every bit of technology he can lay his hands on is not immediately clear.
Either way, the G20 protestors can count themselves lucky they never made it within striking distance of the PM. ®