GORDON BROWN “deliberately” ran down Britain’s manufacturing base when he was Labour chancellor in a bid to mimic the US economy, a former trade union leader has claimed in a new book. 

John Edmonds had an unmatched insight into the then-chancellor’s project as GMB general secretary until he stepped down in 2003. 

And he claims Mr Brown created “a bastard” race to the bottom by abandoning industry for retail and financial services.