A "working" suit is just fine

These Suits Weren't Made For Working

Mr Brown made it clear he did not want to don a penguin suit and bow tie to deliver a speech to the annual dinner of the Confederation of British Industry.

His gesture was welcomed by many business leaders who followed suit by wearing a tie instead of a dickey bow at the prestigious event in London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

But despite the Chancellor's historic decision to wear a business suit and red tie, around 80% of the 1,500 business men present stuck to tradition by wearing a dinner jacket and bow tie.

Mr Brown said he regarded the event as work, so wanted to wear a work suit, especially as he referred in his speech to the need for people to work hard.

Business chiefs joining Mr Brown on the top table, among them the CBI director general Adair Turner, the British Airways chairman Sir Colin Marshall and the Acas chairman John Hougham, followed the Chancellor's mood and wore lounge suits.

Officials from Japanese car giant Nissan all wore suits, but other executives, including managers from the Post Office, insisted on wearing dinner jackets.

Fidel Castro also prefers informal style

In another break from tradition, Mr Brown delivered his speech at the beginning of the evening and left after the starter to return to the Commons to take part in a debate on the Queen's Speech.~

Harold Brooks-Baker, the publishing-director of the aristocrat's bible Burke's peerage, scoffed at Mr Brown's decision. He compared the Chancellor to both the former leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khruschev, who refused to wear a dinner suit on an official visit to the United States, and the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, who is rarely seen out of olive green fatigues.

"Khruschev and Castro's protests didn't achieve anything, so why try it now?" said Mr Brooks-Baker. "It's silly. This is a new low in modern statesmanlike protest - if Mr Brown wants to protest, he must be able to find a better way than imitating these two. Perhaps he could wear jeans or a swimming costume to the event."