History may judge Gordon Brown's record more kindly as he steps down from Parliament

He has announced his plan to step down as an MP after 32 years at Westminster. So is this another case of a political career ending in inevitable failure?

The Labour party's longest serving chancellor, Mr Brown became one of its shortest-lived prime ministers.

Certainly little mercy has been shown in outlining his faults. While not alone among western finance ministers in failing to see the economic crash coming, his failure to beef up financial regulation - which he knew was necessary - exacerbated the UK's problems.

An architect of New Labour, he shared responsibility for the transformation of his party rendering it electable again. But he also shared the blame for the disastrous Iraq War.

Meanwhile his 'economic miracle' was built not on sustainable growth but on cheap imports and consumer spending.

This led to the deficit much derided by the coalition government as "the mess we inherited". In truth, deficit-based policies preceded Mr Brown's period of office and have continued under George Osborne.

The growth that took place while Labour was in office was largely in the public sector. Achievements included better childcare and real progress in tackling poverty, but some of this was disguised by the complex system of tax credits which underpinned it.

Mr Brown might have been able to continue Labour's electoral success after he succeeded Mr Blair. But he blinked at the crucial moment, deciding against a snap election. This misjudgement left him handicapped by the lack of a personal mandate as Prime Minister.

Increasingly embattled, his excruciating error in dismissing a voter's concerns about immigration as bigotry, was perhaps unlucky in being recorded. But the gaffe was part of two agendas already unravelling for Labour - a sense that they had lost touch with the concerns of their core support and Mr Brown's personal discomfort with the public.

He seemed temperamentally unsuited to the top job which he wanted so much. With barely-hidden dissatisfaction over Blair's refusal to surrender the keys to number 10, he was seen by the public as dour, brooding and out of touch.

Yet Brown is an intelligent, conviction politician who has always appeared driven by a genuine passion for public service. Since he has left office there has been little sign of the personal enrichment achieved by his immediate predecessor.

Internationally, he took a leading role in the aftermath of the financial crisis, and his reluctance to see Britain join the Eurozone came to appear prescient. Most recently, his reputation has been enhanced by his role in helping to ensure a No vote in the referendum

His appearances at Westminster had become rare in recent years. Mr Brown was frustratingly out of place in an era when personality came to be as important as policy, but his contributions should not be overlooked.