Gordon Brown attacked over letter 'insult'

Most certainly, once we get into the actual general election campaign they will ramp it up, as will several others. I think Brown has caused himself a big problem here though, in that a lot of people feel they should have been entitled to an election long before now. I think the Sun's editorial team feel they are therefore justified in carrying on as if the election has been called.

[Charlie_Bubble]

I don't think he intentionally went out to upset someone who had lost a son in Afghanistan, but you'd be upset too if you had been told by the coroner that your son may have survived if there were enough evacuation helicopters to have picked him up sooner.

I also think that Brown is such a megalomaniac and can't let go of anything that he thinks it's unneccesary for anyone to check his work before sending to a relative/opening his mouth. Who on earth wants to receive a badly spelt and written letter from the leader of the country. You'd expect a polite letter, clearly written, with no spelling errors. It's not rocket science. Receiving a badly scrawled letter with your sons name wrong and dozens of spelling mistakes is going to annoy a lot of people. It's sloppy and makes it look like you couldn't give a toss if your letter comforts someone or not.

[Osem]

If the likes of the Sun now modify their behaviour as a result of this, so much the better. The same has also to be said for our glorious leaders, however, who haven't been averse to a bit of bullying, intimidation and smearing themselves from time to time. Perhaps the public reaction to this affair will demonstrate to them that large portions of the puiblic aren't going to be hoodwinked by their unpleasant tactics, even if the subject of those tactics is highly unpopular.

[Charlie_Bubble]

Originally Posted by Chris

Most certainly, once we get into the actual general election campaign they will ramp it up, as will several others. I think Brown has caused himself a big problem here though, in that a lot of people feel they should have been entitled to an election long before now. I think the Sun's editorial team feel they are therefore justified in carrying on as if the election has been called.

He only has a 7 months left now to name the date, so in effect we are in an election run up. The next election has to be before 3rd June 2010.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Damien

Was The Sun always this active in supporting (or opposing) a party?

Yes, as are most of Murdoch's companies (Sky doesn't seem to have so much of a bias), which is why I am opposed to so much of the media being owned by Murdoch. It can, and does, distort our political system.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

It can, and does, distort our political system.

Yes it does, but it's encouraging to see how so many people haven't been taken in by this latest attempt to inlfluence the electorate. Maybe the game's up....

Originally Posted by Charlie_Bubble

I don't think he intentionally went out to upset someone who had lost a son in Afghanistan, but you'd be upset too if you had been told by the coroner that your son may have survived if there were enough evacuation helicopters to have picked him up sooner.

Well apparently he wouldn't have survived and in this case at least, the helicopter was ready quite fast anyway (according to MOD who said the entire operation was completed within an hour), but his injuries were too bad. In the phone transcript she listed them and it seems like they were fatal.

[Charlie_Bubble]

Originally Posted by Damien

Well apparently he wouldn't have survived and in this case at least, the helicopter was ready quite fast anyway (according to MOD who said the entire operation was completed within an hour), but his injuries were too bad. In the phone transcript she listed them and it seems like they were fatal.

Speculation either way, but I wouldn't believe a word Brown says about our forces having enough kit of the right standard, whether it's a bullet of a tank. The guy had no credibility when he started, and is now into negative credibility.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Charlie_Bubble

Speculation either way, but I wouldn't believe a word Brown says about our forces having enough kit of the right standard, whether it's a bullet of a tank. The guy had no credibility when he started, and is now into negative credibility.

Yes, this is indeed the problem he faces. For many people, he's now just reaping the 'reward' for all the lies and spin he and Bliar have been a part of over the years.

Originally Posted by Charlie_Bubble

Speculation either way, but I wouldn't believe a word Brown says about our forces having enough kit of the right standard, whether it's a bullet of a tank. The guy had no credibility when he started, and is now into negative credibility.

I don't believe they are well equipped. It seems pretty certain they are not. I was saying in this case it wasn't a shortage of Helicopters that caused it (although it easily could have been).

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Damien

I don't believe they are well equipped. It seems pretty certain they are not. I was saying in this case it wasn't a shortage of Helicopters that caused it (although it easily could have been).

Cart and Horse.

AFAIK you could send other another 50 choppers to Afghanistan, we haven't got the pilots to fly them.

The problem we have is that running up to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts we had been changing the nature of the British armed forces. Everybody thought that the days of the British being involved in a lengthy land offensive were pretty much over once the wall came down.

Therefore the army was being formed into a strike force; go in, sort it out, leave.

We haven't budgeted, and we're not structured for a 20year plan. Therefore we just don't have the equipment or manpower for such a campaign.

[Flyboy]

Originally Posted by Chris

Most certainly, once we get into the actual general election campaign they will ramp it up, as will several others. I think Brown has caused himself a big problem here though, in that a lot of people feel they should have been entitled to an election long before now. I think the Sun's editorial team feel they are therefore justified in carrying on as if the election has been called.

You mean like John Major did?

[Pog66]

Originally Posted by Chris

I think Brown has caused himself a big problem here though, in that a lot of people feel they should have been entitled to an election long before now.

Originally Posted by Flyboy

You mean like John Major did?

Question is do we vote for a party and it's policies.. or do we vote for the leader and their personality??. Labour won the election in 2005 therefore have no obligation to call an election before next year - just like the Tories in 1987 went full term to 1992.....oh and won it as well!!

[Flyboy]

Or do we vote for who the Sun and Rupert Murdoch tell us to vote for?

Originally Posted by Flyboy

Or do we vote for who the Sun and Rupert Murdoch tell us to vote for?

I am tempted to vote for whoever The Sun tells me not to vote for