New book reveals feuding, bullying and foul-mouthed Gordon Brown

A new book by Dr Anthony Seldon, serialised in the Mail on Sunday, reveals more details of the terrible relationship that existed between Brown and Blair:

• "The book claims that Mr Blair protested: "I feel like an abused and bullied wife," after Mr Balls was "astonishingly rude" to him during talks between the camps last year over when he should leave No 10.  According to Dr Seldon, out-spoken Mr Balls also turned his fury on Mr Brown when he refused to step up the pressure on Mr Blair to resign.  The book claims that when Mr Brown returned to his office after failing to trigger a full scale revolt against Mr Blair in a radio interview, Mr Balls reportedly told him: "You bottled it.""
• "Dr Seldon's book says 40-year-old Mr Balls regarded Mr Blair as a "moron" and egged on Mr Brown to drive him from office."
• "In his book, Dr Seldon shows Mr Blair struggling to govern the country against a backdrop of constant tension and foul-mouthed flashpoints with Mr Brown.  Dr Seldon says the main reason Mr Blair was frustrated at not securing a bigger Commons majority in the 2005 election was because it meant he could not sack Mr Brown."
• "Seldon says that when Mr Blair put Alan Milburn in charge of Labour's 2005 election team, Mr Brown shouted: "You've appointed that f****** Milburn! Is it about cooking the manifesto against me?"  After another showdown, Mr Blair complained: "All he would say is, 'When are you going to F-off out of here?'""
• "The book also tells how Mr Blair rejected a demand by Mr Brown to ensure no one stood against him in the leadership contest. And when Mr Blair refused to stop Mr Milburn and Mr Byers speaking out, Mr Brown threatened: "If you don't do what I ask, then there'll be big trouble.""

More in the Mail on Sunday here and here.