The Gordon Brown statue saga has intrigued psephologists and, er, wax-ologists for months now: would our embattled PM be given his own waxwork at Madame Tussauds, or have the curators bargained that, with the odds of his removal ever-shortening, the task of crafting those craggy features into a lifelike visage isn't worth the effort?
As we reported earlier this month, Tussauds turned the decision over to a public vote. The results are in: nearly 6.500 people voted, and Brownites, you may want to look away now - 84% voted against the move. The absence of a waxy Brown at Tussauds makes him the first leader of Britain's two biggest parties since Iain Duncan Smith not to be gawped at and pawed by the Canon-wielding crowds.
A spokesperson heaped further scorn on Brown's future prospects by stating that the museum would, naturally, create a figure of the sitting PM when an election is called - "whomever that person is".
Downing Street brushed the snub aside, declaring that Brown "had more important things to worry about" - like reinventing himself as a superhero, a fiscally-sound fighter who can save the economy from the vile villains of credit crunches and global recession. But we think this cuts deep: forget the local elections and the Mayoral loss, the tipping point for Brown may have just passed.
Image courtesy of bmente's Flickrstream