Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Following Gordon Brown's resignation as Labour leader, commentators discuss his legacy.

The that Mr Brown "with a brisk five-minute statement, changed the whole nature of the game":

"As Prime Minister, Mr Brown made many mistakes. He was elevated without a leadership contest; he ducked holding an election to legitimise his position, and he did not cede power when it could have improved Labour's election chances. But the manner of his departure suddenly opens up British politics. It is a timely and fitting bequest."

Gordon Brown's departure:

"The only welcome piece of news: Brown is out. But not yet, alas. It was a day, for the politicians, of scrabbling for alliances. For the rest of us it was a frustrating day of having gates and doors slammed in our faces, of being moved on by the cops, and effectively being told we were not adult enough to know of the discussions being held in the name of those votes we cast last week. If this is the new politics, Nick Clegg, it stinks like a prop forward's jock strap."

The director of the Centre for Economics Policy Studies at the Hudson Institute, that Labour was wrong to get rid of Brown:

"Remember: Brown kept Britain out of the euro, and granted independence to the Bank of England - perhaps the two things that have kept the rating agencies from treating Britain as it is treating Greece. So far."

that Gordon Brown's resignation will lead to soul-searching in the Labour party:

"Labour must also decide whether it is a party of pragmatism or ideology. Through its leadership election it will have the first chance in more than a decade to define what it stands for. It could return to its traditional supporters, as the Tories did in 1997, and become a left-wing rump, or try to retain a broader-based appeal. The unions will fuel the latent desire to swing to the left. The prospect of a coalition with the Lib Dems could focus minds on the need to stay on the centre ground."

about his colleague:

"The way many in the media and public talk of politicians, all they see are self-serving plotters and schemers interested only in status, power and advancement. I think Gordon has genuinely been driven in politics by a deep belief in social justice, and in recent days by a clear commitment to seeking to make sense of the result in a way that serves the national interest."

Mr Brown's "hairshirt tenacity" may be missed by more than many allow:

"If this deal succeeds, Gordon Brown, a colossal figure on the political stage, will have assured his place in history. He may also have called time on Sisyphus syndrome. In future, those pledged to social, global and electoral justice will not be cursed to push the rock of change uphill, only to watch it crash to earth again."