Peter Jones: Brown's refusal to cut to the chase will cost him dear

SOMETIMES it seems Gordon Brown is just far too clever by three-quarters, to borrow a half-jibe from the theatrical world.

There we were yesterday, all poised to hear him admit that cuts in public spending would be needed, and did he say that? Almost, but not quite.

Yes, he said, there would be cuts, but they would be cuts in "costs, inefficiencies, unnecessary progra...