Gordon Brown is not a very skilful politician or has bad advisers or both. You knew it already? OK, so I'm catching up with you.
The fiasco of all but signalling an early election, then retreating from it while trying to maintain with a straight face that this had nothing to do with the worrying trend in the opinion polls, isn't enough for him in that particular line. Now we have, as an encore, his absenting himself from the Olympic opening ceremony, but which is not a protest because he had never planned to attend anyway. Here's a thought for him and those close to him to chew over: whatever he planned, if he's now staying away people will be interested to know if there's any element of protest over China's human rights record in there. Cleft stick, buddy! Either there is or there isn't. If there isn't, then why not, given what you know about that subject? If there is, then your Chinese hosts may be miffed. It's surely not an intention to send opposing messages to different people? No, he wouldn't do that.