Brown’s new era of global cooperation is essential - leader comment

Former prime minister Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown, not for the first time, is absolutely right. The former prime minister calls today for a new coalition of countries to reshape global cooperation. We must act now to avoid China and a currently unpredictable US calling the shots.

Referring to the UN Charter of 1945, he says it “did lots of great things” and should still should be central to rules-based order.

But he adds: “It didn’t deal with climate change. It didn’t deal with global public goods. It didn’t deal with international terrorism. It didn’t deal with the relationship between the South and the North, which has changed fundamentally. It didn’t deal with women’s equality, for that matter, as well. So we need a new set of principles of cooperation.”

It is an exciting prospect. The Scotsman has written several times about the need for a global ‘Democratic League’ where nations form a united front based on shared values rather than geographical boundaries. It is not just desirable, with the current global turmoil, you could argue it is essential in confronting the issue of China, the US, and indeed Russia.

Says Brown: “If all the other countries, and let’s say 120, 130 countries, they’ve agreed to most of the things that I would want to talk about, where there’s international cooperation. If they agreed, here are the principles of cooperation, then it’s not China calling the shots as they would like to do or America calling the shots as they would like to do.”

He said that the UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Japan all want “the same things”, and said it cannot be “another European initiative only”.

So could it actually happen? Ahead of the UN General Assembly, Brown revealed he was speaking to leaders in Africa and said a meeting was taking place at the United Nations on new “principles of cooperation”.

We wish him, and others, well in those endeavour. We live in dangerous times, cool heads and leadership from the likes of Gordon Brown are so badly needed.

Age is just a number – in this case 214

Ian Winship has just completed a 10k race in one hour, four minutes and 37 seconds. What’s special about that you may say? It’s a reasonable, not embarrassing time. Ian Winship is 90 years old.

Scottish Athletics say Mr Winship’s achievement in Cumbernauld a “world best” rather than a “world record” for over-90s, as, for obvious reasons, there is not a huge sample size.

But his “remarkable” time has been hailed as an inspiration to other masters runners in Scotland.

Asked for his secret to such a strong performance, he says the only trick is “exercise” and enjoying the companionship it can bring.

The 90-year-old has a regime of long walks each day.

He said: “I’ve got a purpose, I want to stay alive.

"If I sit in the house I’ll vegetate.”

Many congratulations to Mr Winship and best of luck for all future events. He really does prove that age is just a number. And in the case of the Cumbernauld 10k, he was number 214.