Gimme your tuck money!

It seems strange to be coming to the defence of Gordon Brown again, but is he really a bully, as the media would have it? As far as I see it, bullying - and it's rather more spiteful cousin, harassment - requires three essential components. The first is that it is an exercise of power for its own sake - in other words it must amount to "I am doing this because I can, and there is nothing you can do about it". Secondly, it must be personal - it must be directed against you because you are you, and not just because you happen to be around, or happen to have a particular job title or some such. And thirdly, it must contain an element of coercion - it must be seeking to make you do something you don't want to, or behave in a manner you don't want to. So losing your rag when things don't go the way you wished them to, and shouting and screaming at those you hold responsible, or just happen to be in the firing line, and chucking things around, may make you a difficult boss to work for (and we've all had 'em) - maybe even a lousy boss to work for - and certainly calls into question your man-management skills, and maybe even your suitability to be Prime Minister, but in my book at least doesn't make you a bully.