Gordon Brown's letter

[jimmy two times]

Why is he getting so much stick for this? The letter was heartfelt and he took the time to write it personally. He only has one eye and that appears to be giving him problems at the moment so is it any wonder his handwriting his poor? Is the quality of his handwriting really that important? As for the mistake with the name, it's unfortunate but an honest one. How do we know the advisor who provided him with the details of this soldier's tragic death didn't spell the name wrong?

[skidmarks]

It is The Sun News paper trying to oust him, its pretty pathetic if you ask me.

[????]

I agree - if someone had written me a consolation letter when my dad died and misspelt his name would I have thought that a disgrace, I don't think so. I'm not a fan of GBs but this looks like kicking a man when he's down.

[Keef]

The way the news report it, as if his handwriting and bad right make him a poor PM, it's pathetic. Frankly I think the grieving mother should had a word with herself. Oh, and I'm not a bit GB fan either, but this story is not worthy of a place on prime time news.

[woofmarkthedog]

Right wing press agenda.

B*ll*x it is too.

[skidmarks]

I wonder if the mother has received any money from The Sun for the story?I hope not.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I think it's absurd. He's arguably the busiest chap in the kingdom yet he still makes time to handwrite letters of condolence - a rather touching measure of the man (albeit we politically poles apart).

[Jeremy]

Typical tabloid nonsense - fuss over nothing. Mis-spelling Janes as James is not even remotely news-worthy!

[mockney piers]

He was set up by the sun and walked right into it.

Private eye showed cameron did some pretty dodgy deals with murdoch that brown wouldn't submit to, this is his commeuppance.

Murdoch is a horribly poisonous influence upon the politics if this country. I'm not a big fan of Brown either (though anythings better than Blair) but these seems a harsh and underhand and utterly tasteless ruse by the Sun.

[jaybee82]

He's blind in one eye and the other ones not too clever...if anyone else had written that letter it would be seen as a touching gesture. Can't say I'm a big fan myself but he didn't have to bother. Also a typed letter would be seen as too impersonal, so he can't win!

[Cassius]

Also not a big GB fan but can't help thinking that this mother had done far more to insult her son's name by this than an unfortunate spelling mistake. I also wonder if she has made any money from it. Tabloids have their agenda and they will stoop to almost anything to achieve its aims.

[legalbeagle]

I am absolutely not a fan of Gordon Brown, but if anyone understands the pain of losing a child, then he does. I just can't believe he wrote that letter with anything other than sadness and sympathy and in a effort to console.

[ratty]

The Sun are scum. Also is not recording a phone call illegal without the permission of both parties?

[*Bob*]

Surely it wouldn't make more sense for The Queen to write a nice handwritten letter instead of the PM?

It's not like she's got anything better to do.

[PeckhamRose]

Having said that, he's the one sending the boys and girls out there (to their deaths).

Let's not forget that.

[ratty]

PeckhamRose Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Having said that, he's the one sending the boys

> and girls out there (to their deaths).

> Let's not forget that.

Mates of mine over there love it! Just thought it was important to balance this argument out. Not every soldier is desparate to come home, only the ones in the press!

[PeckhamRose]

Fair point, and indeed I am aware all the good work they are doing is going UNreported.

But still, seems a bit sick that the man writing sorry letters is the one who sent them out there.

But at least he's writing them hinself. I mean himself, sorry.

[Mick Mac]

Is it true the Mother had a call from GB to discuss this and that she recorded the call on her Blackberry? (and he said sorry about 10 times during the call but she said this was not an apology)

She was obviously intending to / hoping to get him into further bother.

But then again she has lost her son and who are we to judge what she thinks fit and proper to do.

[dbboy]

Gordon's hand writing is poor, I have seen other examples and confirm this, but it does not negate him mis spelling words and getting Jamies name wrong. Another gaff along with a very long line of others.

[Keef]

Bollocks. She lost her son, very sad, but GB never forced him to sign up, and was doing a nice thing. The more I hear, the more I feel that she is disrespecting his memory!

[Asset]

I agrre Keef, I'm of the same mind. Everyone gets up in arms (pun intended) when soldiers get killed but isn't that a risk of the job? You don't join the army and not think you may get sent to a war zone and subsequently killed, goes with the territory surely.

[Alabama]

what the OP said.

The Sun should sort themselves out; it is not a story and that poor woman should be left to grieve without the machiavellian political machinations of the tabloid press. GB is only ok but I don't think he's done anything wrong other than not spell check effectively. end of.

edited for spelling - oh the irony!

[mockney piers]

Mind you, people do sign up it's true, but GB as chancellor is very much responsible for making them do it on a shoestring withou the equipment they need to do it right and with the highest margins of safety you can expect.

In a very real way he is personally responsible for many deaths, but balancing a nations books is a very different crime to sending our soldiers on pointless military adventures in the first place. TBs concsciemce should weigh much heavier than GBs.

[????]

TB hasn't one to weigh

[vinceayre]

I actually feel genuinely sorry for him, what he has tried to do without making a public fuss about it is a thoughtful and decent thing and it seems the media and most of the country are taking the piss out of him when he simply did not have to do it. The man is verging on blind for Gods sake and he knows the utter pain and devastation that comes from losing a child, so writing a letter to another parent for the loss of their child through his decisions must be very hard.

He has certainly gone up in my estimations and as for the mother recording the conversation and giving it to the Sun, i find that a bit low really.