KIRKCALDY, Scotland (AP) — Dour. Grim. Downright uninspiring. When Gordon Brown ended a disappointing three years as British prime minister in 2010, few would have credited him as the man most likely to swing a popular vote ever again.

Yet, the former Labour Party leader and 63-year-old Scot has emerged as the oratorical star of Scotland’s Better Together campaign, the man most responsible for persuading wavering voters to stick with Great Britain by emphasizing why they should be proud to be British.