For Mr Dear Gordon Brown and Family, because I know Sarah Brown may lurk, a support thread

[expatinscotland]

although I can't dictate that, I hope that is how it turns out.

I for one will miss you. I and my family will be sad to see you go. They've painted not just the town but most of the country red for you!

I think your heart was in the right place, though I did not always, and I think you really cared, even about people like us, in the Highlands of Scotland.

I hope when it's all over, that you and your family come home to Fife and enjoy a retirement.

We don't live in the East anymore, and it will all I can do to keep us here for now. But my husband and my elder two are from the East in Edinburgh, and all their family from Fife and the Perthshire Highlands, who accepted me, a foreigner, as their own when they were under no obligation to do so.

You are so welcome up here.

The Queen Mother, daughter of the Earl Strathmore said, 'Duty is the rent you pay on life.'

You took that to heart, and regardless of what others may say, some of us believe that, maybe even the Queen!

Best of luck to you and yours and just to know, you are not without your supporters, Mr Brown (I think that is how he is called but forgive me if not).

Well done. And, as Churchill said, 'Keep b*ggering on.'

The treatment of Gordon Brown by the press was appalling - if people want to criticize his policies then fair enough, but the personal attacks and mis-reporting was totally unnecessary.

As for "Bigotgate" - he was right and the press reaction was totally over the top. This articulates much better than I can why he was right and why the press reaction was wrong:
catmachine.tumblr.com/post/558002979/bigot-trouble

By the way, Sarah Brown has seen this thread according to her Twitter account.

P.S. This is the charity founded by Sarah Brown in 2002: piggybankkids.org/

applemint
what did she say on twitter?

technophobe emoticon

Someone on Twitter posted a link to this thread saying 'this is why more women should be involved in politics' and she re-tweeted it, which means she forwarded the message onto all of her followers.

I'm really glad she's seen this, I think the way GB was treated by the press was appalling. Did anyone see HIGNFY last night? There was a comedian (can't remember his name) who was ranting about journalists and defending GB, thought he was v good.

Linky

I want to add my voice to this thread - simply to be counted as agreeing with all of the positive things above.
Gordon you have measurably created a fairer more inclusive society, at home and abroad. You saved us from financial meltdown, at home and abroad. You had the potential to be a truly great prime minister, of intelligence and integrity, and I am sorry you have been cut short.
Your peers let you down when they tried to 'tame' you for the press, and I was thrilled when you found yourself again in the last week of campaigning and during your very dignified resignations.
Sarah, you have been the model PM partner. You have never lost your professional or personal independence, whilst being wholly supportive and to the cause.
I hope your quality of life now shoots through the roof - enjoy your lovely family. With every kind regard.

Me too - I really trusted Gordon Brown and was sad to see him go, but happy to see what gorgeous sons he has, and hope he has a great time spending more time with his family. My sister met him in the course of her job and said he is magnificent in person.

Just wanted to echo everything everyone else has already said, you will be missed as PM (although I am so glad you are still my MP )

Your boys are absolutely beautiful as well

I posted here earlier (diff name) but just wanted to say that since this election I have joined the Labour party and am keen to do a Politics A level or other qualification. I have been a Labour supporter all my life and wonder why I didn't take these two steps before. I think the answer must be that politics always seemed very slightly grubby. Gordon Brown has changed that for me, by showing me it is possible to be honourable, to make a difference and to do the right thing. I am determined to make up for earlier inactivity, so thanks for being such an inspiration, Mr Brown!

Like so many on this thread I shed a tear watching the family leave hand in hand after Gordon Brown's address.
This man takes duty seriously and took responsibility for Labour not winning the election. Yet their vote increased overall in the face of a vicious media campaign against a decent man, who i saw won the debates hands down on real policy; while the other two just repeated key phrases and words...and already we can see their " pledges" are meaningless.
I think Sarah Brown did well to remain calm and dignified despite her anger at the total misprepresentation of her husband by the media, especially when they broadcast a private conversation.
I want to thank you, Gordon Brown, for:
Dealing with the world banking crisis and preventing total meltdown of our economy
For the minimum wage
For tax credits
For better maternity and paternity leave
For parents' rights to work flexibly
For childcare, surestart, early education and bringing children out of poverty
For civil partnerships
For allowing those who took time out to care for children or others to claim these years towards their pension
For integrity and conviction in pulling together so many policies which help families and the poor, sick and disabled.

For intelligence, compassion and for being, what history will show, one of the best Chancellors and PM this country ever had.

Already the "rainbow" logo of the department of children families and schools has been dismantled by the new government ...

You have inspired me to do more for this country - and I have joined the labour party.

I wish you, Sarah and the children more happy time together and I know you will continue to serve your constituency andthe labour party well.

very best wishes and thank you!

That should read "misrepresentation" of course...sorry for the typo!

I love this thread. GB was a principled politician, and I do not think that we will see his like again for some time. Likewise, Sarah dealt with her duties and the appalling press she and GV received with perfect grace.

As ConDemNation not doubt begin to dismantle the good work GB has fought so hard to do, he will be missed more each year I think.

I also actually cried seeing the family leave no.10! I will never forget the passion with which GB spoke about the working people of Britain- nurses in particular. Good luck Gordon, Sarah, John and Fraser and keep us all informed about your work.

*GB not GV of course!

'The women posting their ridiculous plaudits to Brown here are too clueless to deserve the vote: a disgrace to the suffragette movement. '

Not sharing the same beliefs as someone else is not a condition of disenfranchisement, thankfully. Fortunately, the women of the suffragette movement were more open-minded than you, hence, they pursued universal suffrage for females.

And men also vote Labour. Or is it just women you reserve ire for if they disagree with you?

'they will get smaller pensions because of what the outgoing Labour government has done.'

they'll get smaller pensions for more and more people living longer and longer.

duh.

Explatinscotland, thank you for setting up this thread - it's a brilliant idea. I am so sorry to see it hijacked by a vindictive poster who clearly doesn't understand that it is not the place to vent your views on politics but rather one to honour a man who we respect and admire - and there are plenty of people who didn't vote Labour paying tribute on here.

Drjgb, what you have done here is the equivalent of writing a nasty message in someone's leaving card at the office party. You should be ashamed.

This is so obviously not the place to post comments such as that by Drjgb. Just one thing though in response to such rudeness - think that every time you go to the cash-line and withdraw your hard earned money, you are only able to do thanks to the swift, decisive and intelligent actions of Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling. The ungratefulness of much of the British public really beggars belief.

If you are pissed off with anybody, be pissed off with those who make a profit by gambling on the stock markets. They do so at the expense of everybody else.

I cried the night you left Downing Street. Not just because I was devastated that a Tory PM was walking through the door but because I have always thought you one of our most unfairly maligned PMs. As a Cof the E you could do no wrong but bliar got out just in time before the economy tanked and you were left holding the baby. I have the utmost respect for you and thought your resignation speech was one of the most dignified I have ever heard. You and your wife personify RK's If.

I wish you a peaceful and happy retirement from leadership from our country

I would like to thank Gordon Brown for the Go'vt Mortgage Releif scheme, which has enable us to stay in our house after both being made redundant.

He brought the scheme in to help people like us unable to pay our mortgage becuase of redundancy and not be reposessed after a few months.

So our boys (3 and 8) are happy and secure and we've kept the house, DH has a new job and I have some freelance stuff, so we are on the way back up! It also made us more motivated, not that we lazy about finding jobs, far from it, but we felt looked after and cared for by the state we have been paying into since we were both 18 (now 39 and 40).

So cheers Gordon!

I already tweeted @SarahBrown but wanted to add my two cents' here too.

I always thought of Gordon Brown as a principled, serious, and committed politician and felt he had his priorities straight - particularly about lifting children out of poverty and making it possible for women to have a family and work.

Some of the media coverage he and Sarah received was truly appalling and unnecessarily personal and made me ashamed to live in this country.

I wish them all the best of luck with whatever they do next and hope they're all having a fabulous rest somewhere - they deserve it!

My daughter says he was dealt a bad hand, she is 14 years old and although not offically old enough yesterday she joined the Labour party...because they care about people ...I am so proud of her.

I agree with so many of the posts ...Gordon Brown is a prince amongest men....why could so many not see it?

Best of luck from me too. Great thread.

I also believe history will look kindly on both you and TB.

I would be happier if this country was being led by your and AD.

I think Rupert Murdoch is a disgrace to mankind never mind journalism.

The personal comments made about you reflected more on the crass individuals that made them.

You seem a solid loving family and I am sure that whatever you do in the future will be a success.

I wept when I saw you leave.

You are a good man, with integrity and an inner moral compass. I trusted you and knew you were in my corner.

My DH and I have bought our own house, have good jobs and a good standard of living, our son has benefited from Working Tax Credits, Child trust fund, sure start and so much more.

Good Luck Mr Brown, you are a good man and I was touched by your final speech.

I have not 'benefitted' personally from New Labour but I do remember the previous Conservative administration and you and your colleagues did so very much better - I cannot understand how anyone however devoted to the conservative party cannot see that. History is already on your side in that respect and truth will remain truth no matter what spin is put on it.