Gordon Brown and respect.

A few weeks ago Jeremy Clarkson insulted Gordon Brown by calling him a 'one-eyed Scottish idiot' during an interview. Despite the fact that two parts of the statement are factual, and the other debatable, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Some Labour MPs (in on orgy of publicity-seeking overreaction) even called for Clarkson to be sacked. In the end, Clarkson apologised.

In Prime Minister's Questions this week, Gordon Brown yet again referred to the Liberal Democrat party as the 'Liberals'. He has been doing this for many months, and it is apparently meant as a joking insult - calling the party by a name it last used 21 years ago, as though their policies were similarly aged.

The only problem is that the 'joke' is old. Friends of the PM demand respect from Clarkson, yet the PM himself is not willing to give his political opponents that same respect.

It is almost as though Brown and the Labour party are trying to define the term 'Liberal' as an abusive word, and to attach that term firmly to the Liberal Democrats. If true, then they are way off mark. Or is that he is mistaken, and thinks he is addressing not the Liberal Democrats, but the reformed and much smaller Liberal Party (1989)? Is our illustrious leader actually losing his mind, and is incapable of calling an opposition party by its proper name?

It is a small matter, but an important one. How would he like it if the other party leaders started referring to the Labour Party as being the Fabian Society?

He wouldn't like it, of course. It is silly and puerile. The PM should be above this. If he wants respect, then he should grant respect to his opponents. Unfortunately, it does not look like he is capable of respecting others. He certainly does not respect his political opponents, and it is starting to look as though he has little respect for the general public either.