Brown shows off his baby

Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah beamed with delight today as they showed off their new baby.

The Chancellor cradled son John in his arms as he left Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where the baby was born on Friday.

While the proud 52-year-old father did not answer questions from the throng of waiting journalists, he hugged and kissed his new son and let his expression do the talking.

PR executive Mrs Brown, 38, held a bouquet of multi-coloured roses and looked happy, healthy and relaxed as the as the couple took their new baby home.

John was dressed in a red baby suit with brightly coloured pockets, cuffs and turnups. The baby's safe arrival comes after the couple's devastation at losing daughter Jennifer - who died just 10 days after her premature birth in January last year.

Fears of a second tragedy dogged Mrs Brown's latest pregnancy and she was placed under close supervision, given specialist injections, and visited hospital every week for scans to track her baby's progress.

The couple's emotions overflowed after baby John's birth when they were inundated with flowers, cards and phone and text message congratulations.

At the birth was the midwife who delivered Jennifer.

After Jennifer's death, her parents set up a memorial fund for research into premature births. It raised more than £500,000 in four months.

After the baby John's birth Mr Brown said: "I am a father and that's what matters most. Nothing else matters more than that, nothing. Our baby is wonderful, he's beautiful, he's really full of energy and I think he's going to keep me awake for quite a number of days, weeks and months.

"If I am woken up in the middle of the night by John, it's better than being woken up by something happening to the economy.

"I don't know if he is hoping to be a football player or a rugby player at 8lb, but he is certainly a strong boy and he is full of fun."

Mr Brown will be back in the office next month after taking two weeks of paternity leave.