Gordon Brown attacked over letter 'insult'

[Welshchris]

Originally Posted by Damien

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8349757.stm

I think it's decent to send a hand-written letter. Bush did not contact the fallen at all (I believe Blair phoned rather than wrote). I don't think poor hand-writing and a spelling mistake is meant as an insult

Wasnt just the spelling mistake or poor handwriting, it was the scribble on there when he got his name wrong, he could have atleast started again with no mistakes.

[punky]

Originally Posted by zing

If he has a visual impairment to can excuse him reading the name out incorrectly. He should have had help I do feel he has been misjudged

I think as the PM he should have known the name before hand and not reading his name out for the first time. Even if he had to, then surely the could have been printed clearly enough for him to read.

Rizzy's post comes to mind. We are keep being told that Brown's eyesight doesn't affect his job but when it apparently does then they say we all must excuse him for it.

And now we're told he is too busy to re-write a letter because he scribbled out a mistake on it? Noone is that busy. Besides 5 mins spent back then could have saved a hell of a lot of time now.

Also, Mrs Janes received letters from a lot of busy people like the Queen and DOD but only Brown's letter was inexcusable.

If Brown can't even write a letter, what exactly qualifies him for running a country?

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

Originally Posted by punky

I think as the PM he should have known the name before hand and not reading his name out for the first time. Even if he had to, then surely the could have been printed clearly enough for him to read.

Rizzy's post comes to mind. We are keep being told that Brown's eyesight doesn't affect his job but when it apparently does then they say we all must excuse him for it.

And now we're told he is too busy to re-write a letter because he scribbled out a mistake on it? Noone is that busy. Besides 5 mins spent back then could have saved a hell of a lot of time now.

Also, Mrs Janes received letters from a lot of busy people like the Queen and DOD but only Brown's letter was inexcusable.

If Brown can't even write a letter, what exactly qualifies him for running a country?

That old saying, "if you want a job done properly, do it yourself" obviously doesn't apply to Mr Brown.

Originally Posted by punky

I think as the PM he should have known the name before hand and not reading his name out for the first time. Even if he had to, then surely the could have been printed clearly enough for him to read.

Rizzy's post comes to mind. We are keep being told that Brown's eyesight doesn't affect his job but when it apparently does then they say we all must excuse him for it.

And now we're told he is too busy to re-write a letter because he scribbled out a mistake on it? Noone is that busy. Besides 5 mins spent back then could have saved a hell of a lot of time now.

Also, Mrs Janes received letters from a lot of busy people like the Queen and DOD but only Brown's letter was inexcusable.

If Brown can't even write a letter, what exactly qualifies him for running a country?

now I do not like Brown and I do not think he can run the country. However having a learning difficulty and not being able to write and spell often does not measure my intellect. If it did do you think I would have the rep here I do? does the fact I can not write make me dumb? you yourself as a dyslexic should already know the answer to that

The paper also is plain, i.e no lines, my handwriting is awful and it's not because I don't take 'care'. It's much worse if I don't have lines to guide me because I end up writing an angles, taking over what would be many lines. Sometimes this means the text below a 'line' has allow extra space and so on.

It would be even worse if I had to use a big marker pen.

I mean we should be clear that he sent a letter to express his condolences in which he made spelling mistakes and we have a running news story for 2 days because The Sun is actively campaigning against him and using whatever means possible.

[punky]

Originally Posted by zing

now I do not like Brown and I do not think he can run the country. However having a learning difficulty and not being able to write and spell often does not measure my intellect. If it did do you think I would have the rep here I do? does the fact I can not write make me dumb? you yourself as a dyslexic should already know the answer to that

You don't have to tell me what being dyslexic means.

For a start during exams at school I wasn't allowed to write illegibly or incorrectly and still get a score. I was given extra time to re-read questions and my answers but that's it. I'm not excused for poor english, content or presentation. For more serious cases of dyslexia students are allowed tools to help them but they still have to provide presentable, correct work.

He has word processors, dictionaries and staff - some of whom I imagine have a rudimentry grasp of english - on hand. He could have typed out his letter as a draft, spell-checked it and then hand-wrote it out. He could have had someone proof-read his letter after he wrote it. Even the most junior of admin staff would have said his letter is a shambles.

Being dyslexic for so many years I know my mistakes and can correct them after the fact. If he was dyslexic (and its not been confirmed he has AFAIK) then he would be similarly be aware.

I am doing a presentation at the moment for a job interview. If I have a load of spelling mistakes and spell one of my interviewers incorrectly on the hand-outs, I doubt claiming dyslexia would get me the job.

[Pierre]

He's getting a hard time fro trying to do the decent thing.

I'm not a Brown fan, but this is being taken too far.

Why did she tape the conversation between her and Brown??? How many world leaders would actually picvk up the phone and speak to people in this way?? he should be thanked for it, not lambasted.

I think this is more about the Daily **** putting the boot into Brown, utilising a mothers grief to their ends.

Originally Posted by Pierre

He's getting a hard time fro trying to do the decent thing.

I'm not a Brown fan, but this is being taken too far.

Why did she tape the conversation between her and Brown??? How many world leaders would actually picvk up the phone and speak to people in this way?? he should be thanked for it, not lambasted.

I think this is more about the Daily **** putting the boot into Brown, utilising a mothers grief to their ends.

I think The Sun must have known he would phone regarding the letter and so had her record it.

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

Originally Posted by Pierre

He's getting a hard time fro trying to do the decent thing.

I'm not a Brown fan, but this is being taken too far.

Why did she tape the conversation between her and Brown??? How many world leaders would actually picvk up the phone and speak to people in this way?? he should be thanked for it, not lambasted.

I think this is more about the Daily **** putting the boot into Brown, utilising a mothers grief to their ends.

But if he had not got the name wrong the Sun would only have had his spelling to talk about, and that would have been a non story. He has given the paper the ammunition. I don't think in all honesty anyone cares about whether he can spell or not. I think there are no excuses for getting the name wrong.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Damien

I think The Sun must have known he would phone regarding the letter and so had her record it.

I think once her grief subsides she will look back on this and feel embarrassed, she has done nothing for the memory of her son by her actions

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

Originally Posted by Damien

The paper also is plain, i.e no lines, my handwriting is awful and it's not because I don't take 'care'. It's much worse if I don't have lines to guide me because I end up writing an angles, taking over what would be many lines. Sometimes this means the text below a 'line' has allow extra space and so on.

It would be even worse if I had to use a big marker pen.

I mean we should be clear that he sent a letter to express his condolences in which he made spelling mistakes and we have a running news story for 2 days because The Sun is actively campaigning against him and using whatever means possible.

I think its fair to say that people don't expect him to have good hand writing just because he is PM. What people do expect is that if you are sending a letter to a dead solidier's mother, you should at least get the name right.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Saaf_laandon_mo

I think there are no excuses for getting the name wrong.

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

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

Originally Posted by Saaf_laandon_mo

I think its fair to say that people don't expect him to have good hand writing just because he is PM. What people do expect is that if you are sending a letter to a dead solidier's mother, you should at least get the name right.

You should but we all make mistakes and it's not as if his put Mrs Smith instead of Janes. He put James. I could easily see myself making the exact same mistake. It's a mistake he left himself open too but doing the letters himself, by hand, which is commendable. If it was automatic and done by computer then it could have been a worse outrage: Dear [NAME_OF_NEXT_OF_KIN]

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

Originally Posted by Damien

You should but we all make mistakes and it's not as if his put Mrs Smith instead of Janes. He put James. I could easily see myself making the exact same mistake. It's a mistake he left himself open too but doing the letters himself, by hand, which is commendable. If it was automatic and done by computer then it could have been a worse outrage: Dear [NAME_OF_NEXT_OF_KIN]

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying its not good that he wrote the letter. I am saying that in my opinion there is no excuse for getting the name wrong.

Originally Posted by Saaf_laandon_mo

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying its not good that he wrote the letter. I am saying that in my opinion there is no excuse for getting the name wrong.

The fact is he human seems enough for me.

What is ironic is that this was a very personal, obviously imperfect, approach from Gordon Brown. It was not a letter drafted by spin doctors, checked by assistants, and cleared by a press office. He is getting blasted for making a mistake which would have been avoided if he took the new Labour spin machine approach so detested by most of us.

It seems he took time out, wrote what would have been a difficult letter to write, and then sent it. All very private and personal. Then he gets attacked because obviously that approach leaves him open to gaffes.