Gordon Brown attacked over letter 'insult'

[punky]

Originally Posted by Pierre

It's not like he called him smith or clarke, Janes/James.

In future why not just not send any letters out at all?

Do you send out letters without checking them?

If you were sending a condolence to a grieving woman that you were partially responsible for, would you have checked it? Still sent it out misnamed, misspelt and with scribbled-out words?

I can understand his writing is poor, he makes mistakes as we all do. However it shows a stunning lack of nonchalence that he couldn't bother to check something so serious. Its not like he hasn't had the support to do it. The guy has speech writers on his permanant staff.

Originally Posted by punky

I can understand his writing is poor, he makes mistakes as we all do. However it shows a stunning lack of nonchalence that he couldn't bother to check something so serious. Its not like he hasn't had the support to do it. The guy has speech writers on his permanant staff.

I think it shows a lack of nonchalance* that he didn't use all the resources available to him to make it as professional and sterile as possible and did it himself. He recognises he has a duty and doesn't pawn off this unpleasant part to lackies.

*I take it you meant to showed a stunning amount of nonchalance?

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by punky

Do you send out letters without checking them?

If you were sending a condolence to a grieving woman that you were partially responsible for, would you have checked it? Still sent it out misnamed, misspelt and with scribbled-out words?

I can understand his writing is poor, he makes mistakes as we all do. However it shows a stunning lack of nonchalence that he couldn't bother to check something so serious. Its not like he hasn't had the support to do it.

I've checked letters, sent them out and afterwards noticed the odd mistake..Yes.

The guy has speech writers on his permanant staff.

I'd rather have a letter, heartfelt, written by the man who is charge of this country, who has taken time out to write it, without the influence of spin doctors, speech writers or other govermental aids.

I suppose you would rather a non-descript typed letter (with perfect grammer and spelling) signed by the PM (or rather the PMs secretary?)

This whole episode saya more about the mother and and other people around this, than it does Brown

[punky]

Originally Posted by Pierre

I suppose you would rather a non-descript typed letter (with perfect grammer and spelling) signed by the PM (or rather the PMs secretary?)

No, I would have at least got someone to double-check my letter before sending it out if I was incapable of doing it myself. But then again, I would have cared.

Thr "you and you family" is understandble to a point, i'm still waiting for a good excuse for misnaming a letter and then sent it out with scribbled-out mistakes.

The latter is inexcusable. Absolutely inexcusable. He scribbled a letter, probably between doing two other routine things, dispatched it without giving any care and probably though the widow through herself at his feet in gratitude.

I appreciate there's a difference between a letter of condolence and a forum posting, but I do wish those who are so keen to criticise Gordon Brown over this would at least have the good grace to spell- and grammar-check their contributions to this discussion before hitting the 'reply' button.

[punky]

Originally Posted by Chris

I appreciate there's a difference between a letter of condolence and a forum posting, but I do wish those who are so keen to criticise Gordon Brown over this would at least have the good grace to spell- and grammar-check their contributions to this discussion before hitting the 'reply' button.

Which highlights my point nicely.

Originally Posted by punky

The latter is inexcusable. Absolutely inexcusable. He scribbled a letter, probably between doing two other routine things, dispatched it without giving any care and probably though the widow through herself at his feet in gratitude.

You have to keep making assertions into his state of mind in order to make it seem more outrageous than it is. First of all we know from other leaked notes than spelling mistakes and awful handwriting is common from Gordon Brown. So those are not evidence of him rushing the letter.

Originally Posted by punky

Which highlights my point nicely.

Which point does it highlight, and how?

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

I'm sorry but I'm with Punky on this. Yes he wrote a letter, but in all honesty, if I received that from the PM, I'd have stopped reading it at the point of seeing he got my son's name wrong.

[punky]

Originally Posted by Chris

Which point does it highlight, and how?

That everyone makes mistakes, especially when rushed. That's excusable. Particularly when its on a forum posting. What isn't excusable Paul is when the same attitude is applied a grieving woman's condolence message.

Like Brown I have access to a dictionary but chose not to use it. Unlike Brown I don't have access to speechwriters presumably with a higher english qualification than myself.

Personally i don't care about the spelling so much although it isn't good when such a basic word as comfort is spelt cumfort by the man leading the country i am angry that this guy misspelled this soldiers name realised his mistake and scribbled it out and sent the letter. Seriously how many of you would be happy with that given that soldiers file was completely accessable to him and letting someone check the letter would have taken a whole minute or two.

When you send a personal letter and spell the name wrong that is an insult and that's it simple and it was a completely unneeded mistake that whether some on here believe it or not can cause great distress. But i still havn't seen a credible answer to how it is we're meant to take his eyesight into account on this now when only a few weeks ago GB himself was telling everyone his eyesight wasn't an issue that also makes me angry.

As an ex serviceman i can completely understand the anger of this mother and can imagine feeling the same anger were that to happen to me and i would bet most of the other ex service's people on here can too. People talk about GB respecting this family and hence personally writing to them, well how much respect can you have when you not only spell his name wrong on a letter but in parliament you also pronounce it wrong.

I am no fan of the sun at all and never buy it or read it but sometimes even the worst can show the truth and show something to be as bad as it is and that's the case here. Do they have an agenda on GB of course they do but a smart man would limit the ammunition he handed to the likes of the sun something again GB seem's unable to do. In fact this incident is pretty representative of his whole time as PM one own goal after own goal and always an excuse and always another cock up around the corner maybe the next one will affect more people in a way they can understand better then some are understanding this.

[Flyboy]

What some are ignoring is that it is highly probable that it was not he who got the name wrong. It is more likely that it was the person who provided him with the name in the first place.

[Osem]

I must say I chuckled listening to former spin doctor Charlie Wheelan this morning complaining about all the Brown 'bullying' and misrepresentation going on in the press. Rumour has it that Brown didn't get where he is today playing softball with those in his way to the top you know Charlie.... Then of course there was the Derek Draper/Damian McBride smeargate affair which I'm sure Brown knew nothing whatsoever about....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/p...ordfather.html

[punky]

FWIW i've tried to avoid commenting on the woman an focusing on Brown's actions.

However, she's come out with a "statement" (an interview on BBC News 24 now). I'll try and be as kind as I can, she's really not doing herself, her cause or her son any favours here.

What did the statement say?