Other powers besides God

A strange usage from Gordon Brown during his pathetic performance today in the Commons --

[Cameron] asked Mr Brown: “Do you agree with me that the Haringey inquiry is completely unacceptable? It is being led by Mrs Shoesmith, who is the council’s own director of children’s services. Do you agree with me she cannot possibly investigate the failure of her own department?”

Mr Brown replied that people were “not only shocked and saddened but horrified and angered” by the case.

“Every child is precious and every child is unique. Every child should have the benefit of support and protection both from their parents and the authorities that be," the Prime Minister said.

Maybe the Presbyterian Gordon heard some different version of the famous phrase from St Paul's letter to the Romans --

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Of course over the years, the "powers that be" has become a cynical phrase. Did Gordon catch himself as he was about to say it and realize the relevant authority (the useless council) and himself wouldn't sound good under either usage of the phrase, and switch to the less resonant "authorities"? As Guido Fawkes says, it's a long way from how Tony Blair would have handled it.

UPDATE: The council report includes the detail that Child A/Baby P was a "White child of Irish ethnic origin".


FINAL UPDATE: One person has been named and convicted in the case. "Jason Owen". That wasn't his name when he was arrested. Does the legal order that prohibits naming the others extend to being able to lie about names? If it's necessary to lie, why not just keep all 3 names secret until whatever forthcoming proceeding is resolved?