Gordon Brown denies make-up accusation

It has been said that when Gordon Brown appears on television he wears more make-up than a pantomime dame. Clearly this is the view of the Tory MP Mark Hoban, who in the interests of keeping ministerial spending down to a minimum in these recessionary times tabled the following parliamentary written question the other day: "To ask the Prime Minister whether his Office has incurred any expenditure on his behalf for (a) haircuts, (b) make-up, (c) hairdressers and (d) make-up artists."
 
The Prime Minister's office, no doubt wanting to distance themselves from Tony Blair, who  liked to pancake the stuff on, answered Hoban this week with a defiant "No."

The Evening Standard says this might explain why the PM, who in the early days of the banking crisis had taken on an altogether sunnier countenance, looking positively radiant amidst the gloom, has reverted to looking like an earthworm starved of daylight.

That said, Brown is not adverse to spending money to enhance his dour appearance. When he eventually muscled his way into Downing Street, he hired a (private) dentist to whiten his teeth, discarded his usual crumpled suits and even spent £3,000 on white tie and tails for use at Mansion House dinners - kit he had refused to don when Chancellor.

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