The fact is, he was pretty good at his job, steering the UK through its longest and most sustained period of growth in history.

Then there was the situation which saw him deal with those two most important numbers in his life. Those being the numbers 11, and 10.

After the unexpected death of John Smith

But after polls showed Tony Blair was in fact the favourite, the rumour mill has it a deal was struck between Blair and Brown, in which Mr Blair promised Mr Brown economic control of the nation if he didn't stand in competition against Blair.

The rest as they say is history.

Blair came, Blair conquered and Blair left again.

Prime Minister Brown
And as the new Prime Minister we could say exactly the same thing today regarding Mr Brown. As a Chancellor of the Exchequor he was pretty bloody good at his job.

Gordon Brown has once again nailed his colours firmly to the mast.

Choosing to make a name for himself not by introducing gutsy policies like a new liberalised national drug policy, designed to take illicit drugs out of the hands of criminals, but by saving the nation money and regardless of who's toes he stands on in doing so.

Strike Action Unprecedented
Back in December 2007 the nations Police Officers threatened mutiny over a 2.5% pay deal they had been promised.

According to The Police Federation, a back-dated pay deal starting in December and not September equated to a 1.9% award, and not the 2.5% demanded by police chiefs, and agreed by the Home Office.

The federation demanded crunch talks with the Home Secretary under the threat of national strike action, and it took the timely intervention of Justice Minister Jack Straw to defuse that particular situation.

Around the same period Welsh Hospitals were quite literally begging for more money in the wake of a growing number of outbreaks of MRSA and Clostridium difficile, which is a nasty infection within the colon, exacerbated by the use of antibiotics and requiring specialised drugs to treat the infection.

The outbreaks were thought to have been caused by falling hygiene standards after a number of unannounced spot checks on Welsh hospitals showed "a lack of hygiene in ward kitchens and toilets, concerns over inadequate cleaning equipment, clutter, used bedpans being left in ward bathrooms long after the patient had returned to his or her bed", and according to the icWales website, "insufficient time provided for cleaning, allied to the fact some cleaners were expected to serve patients’ food during their shifts."

"The prevalence of this dual housekeeping role will no doubt add to public worries about the general state of cleanliness in Welsh hospitals and the NHS’s ability to prevent and control infections."

How very forseeable that proved to be!

It's now 2008. A new year which brings with it an old problem.

In South Wales again and our local health care trusts are asking sick patients "not to go to hospital" as another bug, the seasonal "norovirus" does the rounds and hospitals claim once again, they are unable to deal with it.

According to Delyth Davies, Swansea NHS Trust Lead Infection Control Nurse, “While we cannot prevent any emergency admissions of patients suffering with norovirus, we would ask for the public’s co-operation to help us keep the virus away from our hospitals, as there are obviously incidences of the infection in the community."

Which doesn't breed confidence lets be honest.

Elsewhere in Wales, a spokeswoman for Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust said, "So far, three wards are closed to new admissions because of the norovirus."

Three wards were also closed to new admissions at Ysbyty Bronglais (Bronglais Hospital) in Aberystwyth, West Wales and a spokesman for Gwent Healthcare Trust said there was an outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting, the physical manifestation of the norovirus infection, affecting two wards at the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, and one ward at Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny, and at a time which see's hospital places at a premium due to long waiting lists for treatment, frankly we can't afford these ward closures, and why should we have to?

Clearly the National Health Service is buckling under the strain here in Wales, and is no longer able to afford the "nation" a "health service" any longer.

So what do we have to look forward to in reply from the government?

Labour Health Minister Alan Johnson tells the Financial Times he plans to generate "substantial" savings in the NHS drugs budget as the government pushes for a cut of 10% in the prices the NHS pays for prescription medicines as part of a deal with the pharmaceutical industry.

The United Kingdom currently has one of the largest drug budgets in Europe, worth around £11bn per annum and whilst a 10% reduction in this figure would give the health service a welcome windfall, the current state of play in the NHS, especially so here in the Principality, gives cause for concern at any talk of cuts or savings as traditionally, its the patients who will ultimately bear the burden of these cuts, as has been proven by asking ward cleaners to serve patients meals.

New Money
Yet by implementing a policy which allows responsible adults over the age of 21 to grow and possess a small amount of cannabis the government could generate literally millions of pounds in "new revenue", which could then be diverted into the health service without any other public sector services suffering cut backs as a result.

That is, literally millions of pounds, by way of a growers licence, and not just a one off payment but an annual contribution to the Exchequor.

On the flip side, enforcement costs would be reduced drastically as the Police would be relieved of their current duties in shutting down cannabis factory after cannabis factory....after cannabis factory.

The fact is if people were allowed to grow their own cannabis, (as they are doing currently and regardless of how the law stands), there would be no large scale cannabis factories as the bottom would drop out of the illicit cannabis market almost overnight, meaning the Vietnamese drug syndicates would need to up-sticks and relocate to a country which still prohibits cannabis.

Before you run screaming from the room think on this little nugget of inspiration if you will.

Holland, has no problem with Vietnamese organised cannabis growers as there's no market for them to sell to, so they all came to the UK. Fact!

European Dis-union
My suggestions are nothing new in Europe. Many countries already allow a small amount or marijuana for personal possession with absolutely no adverse effects on society. Quite the contrary in fact, as Holland sits firmly at the bottom of the league of European nations when it comes to the percentage of drug addicts per capita.

For over 30 years the Dutch government has "tolerated" cannabis, and controlled the market, without actually legalising it and in doing so, jeopardising its membership of the United Nations.

Contrary to popular belief, If you are caught growing cannabis in Holland, using high powered lights and hydroponic life-support systems you are going to be arrested and face a trip to the court house as this method of cannabis horticulture is strictly against the laws as they stand.

But you are however, allowed to grow between 3 and 5 plants for personal consumption, as nature intended them to be grown, using only plant pots, compost and sunshine, which in itself is a terrific way of controlling the growing of cannabis as the sun only shines enough to grow cannabis for around four or five months of the year, requiring careful management and organisation on the part of the grower.

The Dutch government long ago recognised that attempting to prohibit the growing and consumption of cannabis was actually going against the wants of its citizens and lets not forget its the citizens by way of the ballot box, who actually decide which party will govern the country.

Red or Blue?
Speaking of which, back in December 07 a YouGov poll for the Sunday Times showed the Conservative party under David Cameron had pulled out quite a considerable lead, up four points to 45%, whilst the Labour party quite literally "laboured" along in second place, down three points to 32%.

Even the Liberal-Democrats managed a gain of a point, up one to 14%.

What that means in the big picture?

They can really win this
The Conservative party now leads the Labour party by 13 clear points so its little wonder Gordon Brown refused to call an autumn general election, because he would have lost it, giving him the unenviable title of the UK's shortest serving Prime Minister as well as being the longest serving Chancellor.

The poll also found the "dour" Mr Brown's personal popularity had also slumped as his personal approval rating, which measures those who think he's doing a good job against those who think otherwise, had fallen to an unbelievable -26%. And that, from the heady heights of +48% at the height of his honeymoon period in August 07, with David Camerons rating for the same period a "conservative" +20%.

Clearly Cameron, who lets not forget, had his own run-ins concerning cannabis as a public schoolboy, has something of a head of steam up at the moment, and the current shortfalls experienced by the health service, which funnily enough just happens to be Mr Camerons personal hobby-horse, could prove to be the undoing of the Labour stranglehold on the keys to Number 10 Downing Street.

But with quite literally millions of UK citizens who use cannabis on a daily basis, asking Prime Minister Brown to stop alienating and criminalising otherwise law abiding citizens, just because they choose to use cannabis instead of alcohol, this could be the key to closing the lead which the tories have opened up, seemingly with consumate ease.

They're underway in the US of A
In the United States Democratic golden boy Barack Obama recently won the first stage of the Presidential elections by taking the Iowa Caucuses, and this, on the back of admitting to having using cannabis as a college student, a ticket he used as part of his campaign to take over the White House and become the most powerful man on the planet.

When asked did he inhale, a reference to Bill Clinton's historical drug dalliances, he said quite clearly "yes I inhaled. Thats the point of smoking marijuana right?"

Republican candidates Ron Paul (Texas) and Mike Gravel (Alaska) have both categorically stated they will decriminalise small amounts of "marijuana" and both men will write medical cannabis into statute, should either win the race and make it to the White House.

Ron Paul currently graces the cover of this months copy of Canadian marijuana publication "Cannabis Culture Magazine", so clearly there's a change in attitudes even in the draconian United States of America so I fail to see why we can't make the same changes in our fair nation and make them soon.

Simply saving money isn't enough to keep a government in power, especially when our hospitals are unable to serve the purpose they exist to serve and eventually, a general election has to come round and when it does, millions of voters are waiting to show their support.

Or not, as the case may be.

by Ian Malley

Set up in February 2007, the Canna Zine is the first-in-the-world news agency dedicated to the global issues surrounding cannabis and hemp. To post your cannabis or hemp press release, sign up for a free account on http://pr.cannazine.co.uk , post your news release, and the Canna Zine will do the rest. Canna Zine - more 'evolution' than revolution! A new era in postitive response communications.