I'm sure he'll be far more careful next time and probably get everything typed out to avoid any confusion. Shame really as a handwritten letter seems far more personal.
On the contrary, he’s stubbornly stated (or Downing Street has) that he’ll continue to send out his childishly scrawled felt-pen missives, poor grammar et al.
I just wrote some notes (with a proper pen, not a marker pen :rolleyes: ) with one eye closed and managed to maintain neat handwriting and, miracle of miracles, I avoided outrageous typos as well so the defence he’s now falling back on of his vision being responsible for these errors is pathetic in the extreme.
This poor woman is being totally exploited by the Sun, just for the sake of a bit of tittle-tattle. However, looking at the comments on the Sun website, even the majority of their readers are backing Gordon Brown in this episode. If these are the depths that the right-wing media machine are going to sink to in the run up to the general election, then I dread to think how low they'll go next.
If these are the depths that the right-wing media machine are going to sink to in the run up to the general election, then I dread to think how low they'll go next.
Would that be the same 'right-wing' media that's been backing Labour for the past God knows how many years and who were essentially responsible for getting the clowns in office in the first place?
just listened to it. seems she was the only one "arguing". obviously taped and prompted by the sun.
it is so sad that she has lost her son, but sadder that it has turned into this circus.
I wonder if she recorded that herself, or whether she used equipment supplied by the Sun... Either way, it kind of leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.
When Broon phoned her she "just happened" to put it on speakerphone and she "just happened" to have a "friend" who had a Blackberry with them to record the conversation.
If the Sun is involved it does however suggest that someone in Number 10 is leaking information to them as otherwise they'd have had to have someone hanging around on the off-chance that Broon would ring.
The problem with Broon is that he isn't touchy-feely and doesn't show his emotions openly
BTW does anyone know if Tony or any of his predecessors personally wrote letters to the families of those who died?
The Prime Minister rang Jacqui to blame poor handwriting for any "misunderstanding" on the spelling exposed in The Sun yesterday.
Outraged Jacqui, 47, hit the phone's loudspeaker button to record the call - as she seized the chance to nail him over equipment shortages that put Our Boys in peril.
She handed her tape to The Sun - and you can listen to it by clicking the video link above.
She really lays into Brown - not just over the letter (in which he denies making any mistakes), but also over his lack of commitment to the armed forces, and the lack of helicopters for transport & medivac.
Listening to the recording (particularly from 9m 55s), it's quite clear that her motivation in this is her anger at the lack of equipment - she blames the death of her son on the fact that he bled to death because the resources weren't there to save him.
Whatever the Sun's motivation in using this to bash Brown, I say good on the mother for standing up and confronting him over the only thing that's important to her - the death of her 20 year old son.
If these are the depths that the right-wing media machine are going to sink to in the run up to the general election, then I dread to think how low they'll go next.
LOL - this 'right-wing media machine' was fine up till about 3 months ago when they stopped supporting Labour
Listened to the tape. Not sure if The Sun provided her with the means to record it or if she did so herself. There was another person either with her or Brown, a male voice, I presume with her.
In a way Brown can't win this one. She is a very angry and upset mother who has lost her 20 yr old son and blames the lack of resources for his death. It sounds like he was caught in an IED explosion but she believes they couldn't evacuate him in time and he bled to death. And I don't think anything Brown could have said would have helped, other than saying she is right, which he can't say. He clearly doesn't want to get caught up in a debate with her and kept trying to bring the subject of the call back to the letter.
However, I don't think Brown helped himself really with the way he handled the call. It was very much a "Oh hello I'm calling to straighten a few things out about that letter, I did spell his name right btw" type call rather than a "I'm very sorry to have caused you upset, that letter should have been checked first, I understand your anger" apology.
He may struggle to express himself but I wonder how many times he can use that excuse before people start to wonder "Actually, is he just an arse who refuses to admit he is ever wrong?".
What a nothing story - and what an ungrateful mother.
He spelt her sons name wrong, big deal, it was a mistake. Someone with some gratitude might take some consolation from the fact that he tried to do the right thing by sending a personal letter, but she runs to the press to condemn him.
Shame on her.
I agree with you, the fact that she ran to the press with it gets me. Ok if she is angry at the letter leave it at that and don't go to the press. Getting your 15 minute of fame though someones death is not right.
Listened to the tape. Not sure if The Sun provided her with the means to record it or if she did so herself. There was another person either with her or Brown, a male voice, I presume with her.
In a way Brown can't win this one. She is a very angry and upset mother who has lost her 20 yr old son and blames the lack of resources for his death. It sounds like he was caught in an IED explosion but she believes they couldn't evacuate him in time and he bled to death. And I don't think anything Brown could have said would have helped, other than saying she is right, which he can't say. He clearly doesn't want to get caught up in a debate with her and kept trying to bring the subject of the call back to the letter.
However, I don't think Brown helped himself really with the way he handled the call. It was very much a "Oh hello I'm calling to straighten a few things out about that letter, I did spell his name right btw" type call rather than a "I'm very sorry to have caused you upset, that letter should have been checked first, I understand your anger" apology.
He may struggle to express himself but I wonder how many times he can use that excuse before people start to wonder "Actually, is he just an arse who refuses to admit he is ever wrong?".
Completely agree. It's a little bizarre that Brown didn't just apologise, and tried to argue about the mistakes made in the letter... but, I guess, that's just his nature.
The recording starts halfway into the argument - had this been a set up from the Sun, I'm sure we'd have heard the whole thing... and how would they have know that Brown was going to call? I'm much more inclined to believe that she recorded the call herself - the other voice in the background being either a family member or a friend.
Completely agree. It's a little bizarre that Brown didn't just apologise, and tried to argue about the mistakes made in the letter... but, I guess, that's just his nature.
Yup, the man just can't admit that he is wrong. What is the matter with him?
Completely agree. It's a little bizarre that Brown didn't just apologise, and tried to argue about the mistakes made in the letter... but, I guess, that's just his nature.
The recording starts halfway into the argument - had this been a set up from the Sun, I'm sure we'd have heard the whole thing... and how would they have know that Brown was going to call? I'm much more inclined to believe that she recorded the call herself - the other voice in the background being either a family member or a friend.
According to the BBC the call was made late Sunday night. The Sun had already made downing street aware of the story it would be running (Monday).
I agree with you, the fact that she ran to the press with it gets me. Ok if she is angry at the letter leave it at that and don't go to the press. Getting your 15 minute of fame though someones death is not right.
Her 20 year old son has just been killed. She partly blames Brown's under-funding of the army for that.
She can do what she likes as far as I'm concerned.
To attack and belittle her just because she's humiliated a failed and discredited prime minister is mean spirited beyond words.
So what would people prefer something done on the computer and he just signed his name.
Noone would beleive he'd written it himself and then they'd be another up roar about other people writting the letters for him. People with pour handwritting and bad eye site these days tend to use computers, he's taken the effort to hand write it to proove that its come from him.
Guess some people will never be happy.
Lets just have one standard letter thats printed off and he fills in the name and signs it by hand, would that suit people.
Its the fact as well that it isn't a common surname. Its the first time I've heard it so very easy to make the mistake.
it's quite clear that her motivation in this is her anger at the lack of equipment .
No her motivation is the death of her son which she blames on the claimed lack of equipment. We don't know if her son could have survived even if the equipment was available
So what would people prefer something done on the computer and he just signed his name.
Well I accept the messy nature of the writing is just his writing style and he admits to that. Fair enough. But at least check the thing before sending it or start again if you make a mistake on a word.
Noone would beleive he'd written it himself and then they'd be another up roar about other people writting the letters for him. People with pour handwritting and bad eye site these days tend to use computers, he's taken the effort to hand write it to proove that its come from him.
Considering the topic under discussion I have to ask - Are all those typos intentional?
......
Breakfast covered this (somewhat cursorily if you ask me, not that their pro-Labour stance is interfering with their oft-stated impartiality you understand :rolleyes:) and Broon was apparently receiving more support than condemnation. If you ask me it’s because most people in the country can’t spell either so are all thinking, "there but for the grace of God....."!
Why did Mrs Janes feel the need to contact the Sun newspaper ?
$$$$
Thats the reason
and now shes recorded a private and personal conversation with the Prime Minister to exploit her son's death even further. This woman is truely disgusting. Its absolutely despicable behaviour, grossly out of order.
Mrs Janes should be well and truely ashamed of herself.
If you ask me it’s because most people in the country can’t spell either so are all thinking, "there but for the grace of God....."!
But with all due respect to those people, they aren't the PM of the country and they aren't writing to the families of soldiers who have just died in war.
Such a letter is very very important to the family of the man or woman who gave their life for this country. At the VERY LEAST it should be checked for errors before it's sent. Agreed?
No one is accusing Brown of doing it intentionally, that is just rediculous. What people are unhappy about is how this letter was sent in the first place. It should have been checked, simple as that.
It's not asking for much to expect such an important letter to be checked before sending.
Why did Mrs Janes feel the need to contact the Sun newspaper ?
Good question. Yes, that despicable rag is exploiting her for its own ends, but then she went to them in the first place. Six of one, half of dozen of the other.
No her motivation is the death of her son which she blames on the claimed lack of equipment. We don't know if her son could have survived even if the equipment was available
Her son could of survived if he didn't sign up for the Army, which was the choice he made. He was 20. He didn't have to sign up for the Army. He wasn't in the Army with nothing to do when he signed up, he was aware we were fighting two wars.
I feel every sympathy for the loss of a loved one, but if I am opening up a computer I expect to see computer parts, if I sign up for the Army I expect to see war.
This woman is exploiting her child's death for political points scoring and its disgusting. If the Government was doing that, or recording conversations with the parents of the dead, there would be complete OUTRAGE.
Hypocritical double standards of Murdoch's machine and the right wing in general :mad::mad::mad:
I agree with you, the fact that she ran to the press with it gets me. Ok if she is angry at the letter leave it at that and don't go to the press. Getting your 15 minute of fame though someones death is not right.
Remember Diana Gould?
Was she wrong to attack Mrs Thatcher over the death of several hundred Argentinians on the Belgrano? She didn't even have any personal involvement in the events yet she became quite famous because of it. Those on the Left treated her as a heroine
Or is it only wrong to attack a Labour Prime Minister?
Personally, Mrs Janes has the right to say whatever she damn well wants.
Comments
On the contrary, he’s stubbornly stated (or Downing Street has) that he’ll continue to send out his childishly scrawled felt-pen missives, poor grammar et al.
I just wrote some notes (with a proper pen, not a marker pen :rolleyes: ) with one eye closed and managed to maintain neat handwriting and, miracle of miracles, I avoided outrageous typos as well so the defence he’s now falling back on of his vision being responsible for these errors is pathetic in the extreme.
Would that be the same 'right-wing' media that's been backing Labour for the past God knows how many years and who were essentially responsible for getting the clowns in office in the first place?
Hopefully they'll never sink that low again.
just listened to it. seems she was the only one "arguing". obviously taped and prompted by the sun.
it is so sad that she has lost her son, but sadder that it has turned into this circus.
If the Sun is involved it does however suggest that someone in Number 10 is leaking information to them as otherwise they'd have had to have someone hanging around on the off-chance that Broon would ring.
The problem with Broon is that he isn't touchy-feely and doesn't show his emotions openly
BTW does anyone know if Tony or any of his predecessors personally wrote letters to the families of those who died?
Perhaps they originally posted a transcript but then decided to make the audio available instead. Also the paper itself may have the transcript.
Listen to the recording here
She really lays into Brown - not just over the letter (in which he denies making any mistakes), but also over his lack of commitment to the armed forces, and the lack of helicopters for transport & medivac.
Listening to the recording (particularly from 9m 55s), it's quite clear that her motivation in this is her anger at the lack of equipment - she blames the death of her son on the fact that he bled to death because the resources weren't there to save him.
Whatever the Sun's motivation in using this to bash Brown, I say good on the mother for standing up and confronting him over the only thing that's important to her - the death of her 20 year old son.
LOL - this 'right-wing media machine' was fine up till about 3 months ago when they stopped supporting Labour
Now. apparently, they sink to 'depths' :rolleyes:
In a way Brown can't win this one. She is a very angry and upset mother who has lost her 20 yr old son and blames the lack of resources for his death. It sounds like he was caught in an IED explosion but she believes they couldn't evacuate him in time and he bled to death. And I don't think anything Brown could have said would have helped, other than saying she is right, which he can't say. He clearly doesn't want to get caught up in a debate with her and kept trying to bring the subject of the call back to the letter.
However, I don't think Brown helped himself really with the way he handled the call. It was very much a "Oh hello I'm calling to straighten a few things out about that letter, I did spell his name right btw" type call rather than a "I'm very sorry to have caused you upset, that letter should have been checked first, I understand your anger" apology.
He may struggle to express himself but I wonder how many times he can use that excuse before people start to wonder "Actually, is he just an arse who refuses to admit he is ever wrong?".
I agree with you, the fact that she ran to the press with it gets me. Ok if she is angry at the letter leave it at that and don't go to the press. Getting your 15 minute of fame though someones death is not right.
Completely agree. It's a little bizarre that Brown didn't just apologise, and tried to argue about the mistakes made in the letter... but, I guess, that's just his nature.
The recording starts halfway into the argument - had this been a set up from the Sun, I'm sure we'd have heard the whole thing... and how would they have know that Brown was going to call? I'm much more inclined to believe that she recorded the call herself - the other voice in the background being either a family member or a friend.
Yup, the man just can't admit that he is wrong. What is the matter with him?
According to the BBC the call was made late Sunday night. The Sun had already made downing street aware of the story it would be running (Monday).
Her 20 year old son has just been killed. She partly blames Brown's under-funding of the army for that.
She can do what she likes as far as I'm concerned.
To attack and belittle her just because she's humiliated a failed and discredited prime minister is mean spirited beyond words.
So what would people prefer something done on the computer and he just signed his name.
Noone would beleive he'd written it himself and then they'd be another up roar about other people writting the letters for him. People with pour handwritting and bad eye site these days tend to use computers, he's taken the effort to hand write it to proove that its come from him.
Guess some people will never be happy.
Lets just have one standard letter thats printed off and he fills in the name and signs it by hand, would that suit people.
Its the fact as well that it isn't a common surname. Its the first time I've heard it so very easy to make the mistake.
Have you checked your spelling in that post? :rolleyes:
Seriously the mother is being used by the Sun to score cheap political points, i found her behaviour to be more shocking than a mis-spelt name.
Well I accept the messy nature of the writing is just his writing style and he admits to that. Fair enough. But at least check the thing before sending it or start again if you make a mistake on a word.
Considering the topic under discussion I have to ask - Are all those typos intentional?
......
Breakfast covered this (somewhat cursorily if you ask me, not that their pro-Labour stance is interfering with their oft-stated impartiality you understand :rolleyes:) and Broon was apparently receiving more support than condemnation. If you ask me it’s because most people in the country can’t spell either so are all thinking, "there but for the grace of God....."!
$$$$
Thats the reason
and now shes recorded a private and personal conversation with the Prime Minister to exploit her son's death even further. This woman is truely disgusting. Its absolutely despicable behaviour, grossly out of order.
Mrs Janes should be well and truely ashamed of herself.
But with all due respect to those people, they aren't the PM of the country and they aren't writing to the families of soldiers who have just died in war.
Such a letter is very very important to the family of the man or woman who gave their life for this country. At the VERY LEAST it should be checked for errors before it's sent. Agreed?
No one is accusing Brown of doing it intentionally, that is just rediculous. What people are unhappy about is how this letter was sent in the first place. It should have been checked, simple as that.
It's not asking for much to expect such an important letter to be checked before sending.
Good question. Yes, that despicable rag is exploiting her for its own ends, but then she went to them in the first place. Six of one, half of dozen of the other.
The Sun hasn't sunk to any depths. It's always been at the bottom of the sewer.
Her son could of survived if he didn't sign up for the Army, which was the choice he made. He was 20. He didn't have to sign up for the Army. He wasn't in the Army with nothing to do when he signed up, he was aware we were fighting two wars.
I feel every sympathy for the loss of a loved one, but if I am opening up a computer I expect to see computer parts, if I sign up for the Army I expect to see war.
This woman is exploiting her child's death for political points scoring and its disgusting. If the Government was doing that, or recording conversations with the parents of the dead, there would be complete OUTRAGE.
Hypocritical double standards of Murdoch's machine and the right wing in general :mad::mad::mad:
Remember Diana Gould?
Was she wrong to attack Mrs Thatcher over the death of several hundred Argentinians on the Belgrano? She didn't even have any personal involvement in the events yet she became quite famous because of it. Those on the Left treated her as a heroine
Or is it only wrong to attack a Labour Prime Minister?
Personally, Mrs Janes has the right to say whatever she damn well wants.