Time to let Brown get on with the job

THERE can be few who do doubt both Gordon Brown’s sincerity in his letter to the family of Jamie Janes and his honesty in his apology for the apparent errors it contained.

Yet the prime minister is hounded for his bad handwriting. The letters that Mr Brown, and Tony Blair before him, have had to write to the families of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan must be among the hardest things they have had to do as prime minister.

They bring into focus the cost of the military campaigns and consequences of the decisions they make as the political leader of the United Kingdom.

The quality of handwriting cannot be taken as an accurate measure of the seriousness with which the writer takes to a task. Mr Brown’s style may well be affected by the well-documented problems he has had since losing his sight in one eye in a rugby accident.

The letter row is yet another distraction from the problems facing the Labour Government.

Across Europe, economies are emerging from recession while Britain struggles to turn early signs of recovery into definite positive growth.

The political and military campaign in Afghanistan is exacting an ever greater toll. This year has been the bloodiest for UK troops since the Falklands campaign.

Mr Brown is struggling to engage with the electorate on these and other fronts as the general election looms next year. Now he has his handwriting to defend. The prime minister has apologised personally to Jamie’s mother, Jacqui Janes, and every other family he has written to. It is time to let him get on with the many other problems that require his attention.