The Wardman Wire

I agree with a relatively small number of the policies of the Brown administration, and I have been bitterly critical of Mr Brown in many areas. I also believe that there have been more casualties than necessary in Afghanistan, some caused by mistakes in management of our Defence Forces; this is partly the responsibility of Mr Brown as well as of previous adminstrations – going back as far as the previous Conservative government in some areas.

British Casualties have also been increased due to Britain’s NATO Allies being unwilling to take on a full share of the load in Afghanistan.

The entry into the war in Afghanistan was, in my view, a morally and ethically correct decision at the time – unlike entry into the latest war in Iraq, which was more than questionable.

Despite all of this, I admire and respect Mr Brown for taking on the task of personally writing to all the families of servicemen who have died while he has been Prime Minister. I do not know how exactly many letters he has written, but I am sure that it must be personally harrowing for a leader who has to take personal responsibility for continuing to keep our Armed Forces into that situation.

In taking on this task himself, he has my respect and admiration.

I am not going to make a political comment on the fallout from a mistake he made in one letter. It may cause a problem in the short term, but Mr Brown deserves for this to pass quickly, and I hope that it does not dissuade him from continuing to do what he can to provide personal support for the families of servicemen who are killed.

I think that it was probably also a mistake for the family to react as they did, though I am not critical of them for doing so – it is understandable at a time of grief.

Opponents of Gordon Brown should no more use this to attack him, than he has used these personal letters to make political capital – which as far as I know is not at all. Any who do use the issue to attack him are fishing in a lake of acid, and may end up getting burnt. It was a bad misjudgement for the Sun to use this issue in this way; after Liverpool/Hillsborough they should know better.

Writing letters to relatives is about providing human, pastoral, support, and is beyond politics.

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