Poor Gordon
Poor Gordon Brown, he can’t seem to get anything right. Anyone who has read this blog for longer than a few weeks will know that I don’t have much respect for senior police officers or politicians. On this occasion I do genuinely feel quite sorry for him.
His letter to Jacqui Janes offering condolenses for the loss of her son, soldier Jamie Janes who was killed in Afghanistan, has been used for political gain by a press eager to sieze on every opportunity to turn on a government it once supported, shame on the Sun. I don’t know if this is callous or not but poor Mrs Janes has taken the letter completely out of context & sees insult & outrage where there is none. He represents the cause of her son’s death & her take on the letter is clearly one that the person who was repsonsible for his death can do no right. OK, maybe he should have redrafted the letter when he made the spelling error of her son’s name rather than simply overwriting it, as we all do on those rare occasions when we actually use a pen & paper. But the fact that there may be one or two words misspelled is hardly proof of the man’s callousness.
I have no real idea what a prime minister does for 18 hours a day but I guess there isn’t that much time to sit down & write a personal letter. I would imagine that most other people in that situation would utilise a civil servant & merely sign the letter as one of a whole pile on his in tray.
There are many things you can criticise Mr Brown for, writing a letter to a greiving parent for a son lost in service to the country isn’t one of them.
Simes says:
I quite agree with you on this one. I don’t like the man or many of things he does, but on this occasion he has taken the time to write a letter – by hand. OK he made a mistake in the letter, but I’d bet a good few bob that he doesn’t get a lot of time in peace and quiet to himself – you just know that he will have been interupted a hundred times during the writing of the letter.
I think this time, the public sympathy should be with Gordon for being castigated while doing the right thing.
Having said that, his handwriting leaves a lot to be desired.
November 11th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Fraser says:
I completely agree, Mr Brown, has indeed screwed a lot of things up, he’s far from perfect and in his position should be used to getting a lot of negative publicity, I feel however in this situation, taking the time to write that letter, badly written as it was, shows the man really does take the deaths of any of the soldiers personally. so i say “oi, give the guy a break, he meant well”
November 11th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Tom Gane says:
Likewise I dislike the man, as Simes above, but I have to acknowledge that he tried to do the decent thing.
Given the fact that he is blind in one eye, and having difficulty with his residual sight, I am not overly surprised that his effort was not up to par.
By all means hold the man up to ridicule, but only when it is deserved. On this occasion I fear it is wrong.
November 11th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Fee says:
Agreed – he was trying to do something for the right reason. He’s lost a child himself.
I feel hugely sad for Mrs Janes, she’s grieving and angry, but I feel nothing but comtempt for the journalists who are exploiting her grief in this manner.
November 11th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Tony F says:
It is almost imposable to write that sort of letter. Even to someone you know. Much as I do not like Mr Brown, in this case, he acted with honour. I feel that the giving the story to a worthless rag, and that self same rag then publishing does neither them or Ms Janes credit.
November 11th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Cogidubnus says:
I agree…On this one rare occasion Gordon Brown has acted totally with honour…alas the bereaved mother and the Daily Mirror haven’t…
November 11th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Ian says:
Jacqui Janes This woman lost any moral high ground when she accepted money from the Sun no mater what the money is used for
November 12th, 2009 at 11:43 pm