CAIRO: With a legacy of criticism over former British PM Tony Blair's Middle East policies to contend with, incoming Gordon Brown will be more careful, says Nabil Abdel Fatah, deputy head of the political studies department at Al Ahram Center for Political & Strategic Studies. Gordon Brown became Britain's new prime minister yesterday, succeeding Blair, who ended his ten year term after his last prime minister's question time at the House of Commons. "The change was an internal party matter and the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) stands ready to work with the prime minister to further/defend UK interests overseas, the British embassy in Egypt told The Daily Star Egypt. Brown has been the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the past ten years. Questions regarding Brown's foreign policy, particularly concerning the Middle East, have been the focus of the media. But specific issues, such as withdrawing British troops in Iraq, remain somewhat unanswered so far. "What occurred with the shift from Tony Blair to Gordon Brown shows the vitality of the British party, said Abdel Fatah. He added that it is most likely that Brown had taken on board the criticism of Tony Blair regarding the Middle East region, the over-played alliance with the United States administration and the Iraqi dilemma. Therefore, he will be more careful when dealing with these issues. "I believe he will attempt to develop the social system and improve the popularity of the party among UK citizens, said Abdel Fatah, "there is also a chance that he might decrease the number of British troops in Iraq and take a different approach with the Quartet towards Israel. Other political observers, however, remain pessimistic about the prospects of change in British foreign policy and believe that Brown's ten-year expertise in national finances is not enough to prepare him for this new role. They also believe that certain stances embedded within the UK administration will not change with the introduction of a new person.
