to be annoyed Gordon Brown trotted his kids out when he resigned!

[wineismysaviour]

Why? Was there any need? Pull on the old heartstrings..

Poor kids, and it's tea time.

It has nothing to do with politics but I am delighted that the Camerons had their son Ivan in the public view.
Too often people with disabilities are hidden away or treated as less than an ordinary child. I suspect there would have been much sneering about shame had they kept him out of public view.

And I am delighted that the Browns spoke with warmth and honesty aboutthe loss of their daughter - another type of tragedy that is surrounded by British awkwardness and silence.

This thread reflects pretty badly on some of us

This is a bit of a bonkers OP given that none of the politicians have particularly used their DC's for PR purposes so far (IMVHO).

Why would GB be trying to "pull on the heartstrings" now - would be about 4 days too late if he were teying (literally!) for the sympathy vot.

Your later suggestion that he might be doing ti get a better job is even more bonkers than th eoriginal OP!

FWIW I think it would have been nicer if the boys could have gone to tea with the Queen..

Kewcumber - my 8y DD said the same; wanted to know why the litle boys didn't get to go and see the queen.

They are cute little boys; not got their dad's looks then

I don't know - GB was alright in his younger days!

I thought it was sweet, and his DSs were adorable! YABU.

weird OP. i bet the boys were desperate to get out and wave to the press (who have hovered outside their front door for their entire lives) for the first and last time. the browns probably just thought they'd enjoy it, and i for one wish them well and hope that the whole family gets to enjoy life a whole lot more from now on. they've done their time.

My heart actually aches...I adored that man. I just feel that he is genuinely nice man with a clean heart. Feel like a saddo cos I actually want to cry. He never stood a chance...no support from day one. I hope he and his family at last get the peace they so deserve.

You are being bloody stupid, OP. And yes, YABVU. The children lived there too - what did you expect him to do, bundle them out to the car with blankets over their heads?

And besides, they're part of today's history too - in years to come, they'll remember leaving No. 10 and what it meant. I have never seen photos of his children before, so he's hardly exploited them. And he has no further political capital to make now.

What you saw at the regegnation , was gordy the man , not gordon brown the politican.Yes his wife and children were there , but other politicans have done the same.
...its hardly doing a jordan/kerry ragmag "interview" & photo spread is it?
YABVVVVVU.

regignation? .resignation.

I am not a labour voter but I was in tears watching Gordon's speech and the little boys.
They were so excited,and the family looked so close and loving.
Good luck to them all,and how lovely for the boy's to see themselves years from now,on this historic day.

YABU. I needed to see that even Sarah Brown couldn't persuade her DSs to keep their shirts tucked in.

OP - I cant believe you are still trying to defend your point. He wasnt 'using' them, THEY WERE LEAVING THEIR HOME FFS. WTF did you exect GB to do, leave his kids? 'oh sorry kids, you'll need to stay for a bit longer, another man is going to be PM and he'll be along very soon with his own kids, just you play with them for a few days and then you can leave'.

What a ridiculous thread to start. Get a grip.

FWIW I don't trust DC either, I just thought LB's comment was bang out of order. And I'm no GB fan either but I thought his speech was honest and it was sweet that they all wandered off together.

Tonight I think we saw the real GB, speaking with dignity and conviction, and not the man the spin doctors wanted him to be.

Says a lot for the country the two we voted in in my time as a voter are TB and DC - cut from the same cloth.

Lovely of him to let us see him with his family for a moment, and I hope he has time to enjoy them now, and Sarah stops looking so sad (not miserable, sad ). Though in response to another of OP's comments, Mr Brown still has a job as a backbencher for his constituency and therefore is in no immediate need of upping his profile/CV.

Gorgeous family. Gordon left with dignity.

Just read my post, and realised the sarcasm may not have come through.

To clarify, YABU, it was the first time they were photographed in Downing Street.

YABVU. I thought it was a wonderfully touching moment - what he didn't do, unlike others, well one other, our now 'esteemed' leader, was use them in the years before the election in 'at home' spreads etc to prove what a family man and man of the people he was.

I thought it was a really lovely, touching moment. What a wonderful memory for his boys. He looked relaxed and full of dignity and the look on Sarah Brown's face just broke my heart. Very sad...

YABVVU

In fact, it occurred to me as they stood there that it is the first time I have actually seen them.

It is a huge day in their father's life - and they are leaving their home. Do you expect them to watch it from the tv in the back room?

I wouldn't have recognised his children in the street before today, and probably wouldn't do even now. Hardly using them as public material...if he was it hasn't really had the desired effect has it!

Bit disingenuous to say in your OP that you are 'annoyed' and then to claim later that you aren't having a go, you just 'don't understand why he did it'. Plainly trying to have a go. And it's already been said, very eloquently, why he would choose, just this once, to have his children (who are v sweet!) to appear publicly with him, so thankfully I can not even bother with that.

As ever, for his critics, nothing Brown does can ever be right. (And, as I've said already today, I didn't even vote for him this time.)

David Cameron has undoubtedly said much more about his kids, Ivan in particular, but I think in that case there were very good reasons for it. As pagwatch said, it's good that a disabled child was spoken about and not just quietly kept out of sight - and I agree that had the Camerons done that, they would have been criticised for that too.

THis whole lording it shit is going to get right on my tits in the next few days.

I had a wee tear too. Loved seeing his youngest skip down Downing Street, possibly for the last time.

Hopefully, it's dawned on you by now OP, but you are being YABVVFU.

Don't like GB at all, but FGS! He's leaving his home and has been pretty badly humilated. Why wouldn't the poor chap want his family around him right now? Best thing he can do tonight is to snuggle down with Mrs B and lick his wounds. His kid's weren't compromised in anyway. Ohh err... you are cynical!