Just watched a bit on the news about it and yes the sun have a transcipt of the taped call that happened on Sunday night. I personally think that is shocking. I don't like Gordon Brown as a pm but he knows only too well the grief and pain of losing a child and I doubt he meant anything other than sincere condolences to this poor woman.

His handwriting is shocking BUT I have to say its not the 1st time I have written a letter (as in of the alphabet) that looks like a diffrent letter I am not even sure he did actually make a mistake and feel that his disability contributes to perceived mistakes.

That said he had enough gumption to call and try to explain and I think that in itself speaks volumes. Mrs Janes gets very upset in the recording of the call and does seem to be highlighting the lack of equipment and care which is definitely something that needs addressed however I can't help but feel a sun journalist was right there beside her prompting her reactions and putting words in her mouth. A terrible exploitation of greif by the sun imo.

Yes its very very tragic her son lost his life and I can't begin to imagine how that must feel but and I know its a small consilation, if any, but he died doing a job he hopefully loved, after all dying in combat is a very real risk you run when joining an armed force (my apologies if that last statement offends anyone it is just my opinion) and I don't think any amount of slating gordon Browns hand writing will help with the greiving process at least he took the time to hand write the letter in the 1st place.

Whilst I feel so very sorry for the lady loosing her son.
I think she is channeling her grief for her lose in the wrong way.
I dont think slating gordon brown for his handwritting skills is the way to go. He is blind in one eye, he cant help his messy writing etc, and at least he did have the thought and compassion behind him to want to write the letter himself instead of getting some secretary to type out an inpersonal letter and him just sign it.

i agree with this entirely, if anyone can understand the loss of a child then its Gordon Brown and I think its ridiculous that this is the main news like shona said last night.

I cant stand Gordon Brown, however I feel he has been treated very unfairly in this instance. He wrote the letters by hand, and the recording was a disgrace. Yes he made a few mistakes, perhaps his staff should of pointed those out!

to be honest he's been set up on this one to look a fool, now i have more of an issue with him not bowing his head at the cenotaph on Sunday, and i saw that before it was reported anywhere

Not sure it takes much to make him look a fool.

On the subject of the letter. regardless the politics behind the outing of it.

I think its shameful that a PM can not pen a letter to a grieving mother correctly without checking, 1) he spells the name right, 2) he checks his spellings

Exactly!
He is the man in charge of our country for gods sake!! I think it is appalling. How can he make those mistakes??? He is the ambassador for our country....what a fine example!!!

And the politics behind it even worse.....this war will go on for a LONG time....too much money being made from it to pull out.
And these lives are just being thrown away for nothing, it really is tragic is so sad

I think he was given the wrong name, on tv about a week ago when he read out all the names, ranks and so on of the dead, the name he called out then was the same as the one on the letter he sent, poss who ever gave him the list made the mistake,

I think it was decent of him to take the time to hand write a letter...he's a very busy man which is probs why he didn't check his spelling. The business of him being recorded is ridiculous but as some have suggested this could be the Sun manipulating a woman who is at a very low point in her life. Shame on them. But if she drew attention to it to get the PM s ear to tell him how she feels about the lack of helicopters, equipment or whatever it is then that is understandable. We never get the real story from the media unfortunately.

Shona I'm with you on this one (I was begining to wonder if I was alone too!!)

I think the state of his handwriting has nothing to do with it, nor do the alledged incomplete sentences that no one was able to really point out! I also think it is very easy for a busy man to accidentallly misread the surname ''Janes'' as ''James''. If the guys surname was Koiwalski or something then fair enough.

Don't llike him but don't agree with the stick he is getting for this.

DO agree with Mum's point about the equiptment, or lack of. I have a friend flying off this week who has had to buy his own mosquito net among other things as is off training in an African country!! THAT is bad!!