There seems to be a growing fraternity of Gordon Brown watchers. Don’t understand why many are so obsessed with him and his attendance in the House of Commons. So invested in the number of times he voted, what he voted on, what speaking circuits he is engaged in and of course how much money he is making outside parliament. All of that really is the business of Mr Brown and those who elected him to represent them. The people of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath voted him in and can vote him out if they don’t like the way he is representing them – that is if he did not leave by 2015. So, why is everybody so occupied with what the former prime minister is up to when most of us just wanted him out of Number Ten?

I tell you why. We (Brits) have become a nation insatiably obsessed with other peoples’ money. Now, if Brown was miserably hibernating up in Scotland, with little or nothing to do besides coming down to London for the odd day here and there, we would have pitted him and moved on – and he would not have had any of the attention he is currently getting. But because, like most former prime ministers, he went on to do paid speaking and lecturing engagements (for good amounts of money). We made it our business to have an opinion on what he does and how he does it. Despite the fact that currently, he is not the only elected MP who has a job or two outside parliament – some MPs even do full time jobs outside parliament and no one seems to argue they are not value for money for their constituents and the taxpayer.

Don’t know about everyone else, but for me, when it comes to our former prime minster, I am just happy he and Labour did not win in 2010. And as I mentioned before, his attendance, presence and contributions in the House of Commons is and should be a matter between him and the good folks of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.

However today, I would like to take this opportunity and wish him a very happy 62th birthday. Happy Birthday Mr Brown and many happy returns of the day!