British PM rejects claims he ‘terrified’ staff with volcanic temper

BRITISH Prime Minister Gordon Brown fought back against claims he terrified staff with his volcanic temper in book extracts which posed a new threat to his general election prospects.

A book by political journalist Andrew Rawnsley claims Brown grabbed one staff member by the jacket lapels and shouted at him, punched the back of a car seat after receiving bad news and repeatedly swore at advisors.

The atmosphere became so bad the head of the civil service, Gus O’Donnell, gave Brown a “pep talk”, telling him: “This is no way to get things done,” according to extracts published by the Observer newspaper.