Does Gordon Brown Understand Economics?

This is a question posed by Dominic Lawson in the TimesonLine and are the first words of his article. He makes a number of interesting points and his article is, in my opinion, well worth a read.

He queries whether there is anything in Brown's academic or professional background that counts as relevant expertise or experience; that the decision to give 'independence' to the Bank of England was because markets had a lack of confidence in Labour's economic soundness (yet again Labour have managed to prove that) and that Brown had not exercised 'due diligence' when providing funds for the bank's 'bail-out'.

Maybe the original question should have read 'Does Gordon Brown understand anything'? First he blamed America for the recession (false), then he blamed the banks (ultimately, whose fault was that? When he had 'Fred the Shred round to Downing Street, he never asked how Goodwin was 'doing' what he was?).

One basic lesson seems to have been forgotten by Gordon Brown; the more he 'wriggles' in not accepting responsibility; and adopting the excuse of 'not me guv', not my fault, nothing to do with me; the more untrustworthy, unreliable and ridiculous he looks.

Is it any wonder that people question Gordon Brown's competence? For someone who trumpeted his 'success' at handling the economy, who on the resignation of his predecessor basically told all and sundry that he was the only person capable of doing the job of Prime Minister, he then takes a decision to 'insure' bank losses but having to later admit he had no idea of the scale of those losses. 

It is obvious that Gordon Brown cannot spell, or knows the meaning of words. When writing his speeches, using the word competence, he omitted two letters at the start of that word - i and n!