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.'

I think he's been just cracking, really good. I was so pleased when he became PM. I couldn't vote for the labour party again this time, because of the war for oil in Iraq. Which was galling, as I think he's been excellent since he took over.

Mr Brown, I'm sad for you and us all today. Thankyou so much for your tireless work and your commitment to fairness in this country and around the world.

(do you think sarah is mnetting and gordon is unpacking? (or sarah is mnetting, gordon is on the wii?) (or sarah is mnetting and gordon is asleep)???

Real sadness in this house too. For so long Gordon Brown has been a key figure in this country, and has done so much good. We'd like to say thank you.

Double whammy after losing our Labour MP too.

And I loved Sarah's dress!

would like to write something moving, articulate and expressive

all I can think, though, is: it's not faaaaaaaair

and I hope Sarah doesn't get round to reading this thread for a little while. It's made me blub- so lord knows what it'd do to her

thanks for starting it, expat. lovely idea

Wishing you and your family well too; thank you for dragging the UK out of recession; I think history will look kindly on you for that, and for your championing of the poor throughout your tenure. Your dignity on handing over was moving, and you will find a new lease of life out of office I am absolutely certain.

(And if Sheila McKechnie were around today, I bet she'd be calling round with a tot of something appropriate for 'wee Gordon'. )

(and I agree -- Sarah, you looked beautiful this evening, and your kids were adorable.)

"Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone"

Inspiring farewell.

Lovely children.

Incredibly dignified exit.

All the best as you begin the next chapter of your lives together.

gordon, you have done wonderful things for this country. Bet your glad you don't have to hang out with dave and nick with their superficial and simplistic chat discussing just for men hair dyes and 7 am jogging!

lucky woman Sarah say no more

I am not sad for you Gordon - you are a great politician and I am sick of seeing you scapegoated for not 'fitting the bill'

Go forth and enjoy those beautiful boys!

New beginnings !

Great leaving speech.
Very sad indeed to see you- and Labour- leave office.
It's really an awful day politically, but I agree that for you as a family personally this is a brilliant new start.
Could not stand the way you were treated by the press, and now you'll be free of all that.
Even though I was not a huge fan of New Labour, I'm not stupid enough to think that the Labour government of the last 13 years did not make a very positive difference that many people are grateful for.

I was very sad to see Gordon Brown's resignation. Mr Brown is a rare breed of politician, whose integrity stuck out a mile amongst the shady figures lurking in British politics. It was heartbreaking to see the media attack this quality time and time
again. I believe Gordon is a good decent human being who was attacked and villified by a media and society who celebrates rude bullies. The way in which Mr Brown's character was verbally assaulted by Mr Cameron time and time over was no better than school-yard bullying. Thank you Gordon for supporting those often forgotten and swept under the carpet by mainstream society. When all the dirty politicians are seen for what they really are, I think Mr Brown will be grateful he stuck to his moral guns. You have left a lasting legacy and will not be forgotten by the communities who have benefited greatly from your vision. Wishing you and your lovely family well for the future.

Thank you expat for starting this thread.

And thank you thebelfastgal for saying almost exactly what I wanted to say but much more eloquently and coherently than I could!

I wish you had had a longer term as prime minister Gordon. Though of course you have made some mistakes, you have worked so hard for the good of so many people, and as others have said, your integrity and desire to eradicate poverty and unfairness in our society and the world has been very evident and inspiring.

You deserve so much more credit than you have been given and I hope that history treats you more kindly than the current media have.

I was especially heartened when I heard that you had increased your majority in your own constituency. That speaks volumes!

And now hopefully you will have more time to enjoy your family!

Bumping this thread in the hope it may get noticed by the Browns at some point.

To Gordon and Sarah,

Watching you leave Downing street last night was so sad, but also so beautifully poignant seeing you as a family together with your truly gorgeous boys.

Your comments about politics being the second most important job, rang so true when we saw you with your beautiful wife and precious boys.

To me, as a politican, you are one of the few who I always beleived was in it for social change, to do good, and driven by a deep belief that you could do some good through politics. This is why I voted for you. I will never forget the cancelling of the third world debt. You are a principled dignified man, and all the media attacks and denigrating of your image cannot, and did not, change that.

I am sure you will now enjoy having more time with yout family, but I'm also sure whatever you do now you will continue to work (and fight!) for what you believe to be right.

Best Wishes to you Both,

Brideshead.

Good luck Gordon and Sarah.

I am sure that you will find life to be much happier now that you are released from politics. Enjoy your lovely family, and the next stage in your career.

(Please do not get a permatan like Tony Blair though).

Well said brideshead, I agree with all you said.

Bumping too.

(would type more but one handed as bfing)

Last night I sat down and tried to write to a politician for only the second time in my life. Except not a politician anymore I suppose.

I am not at all ashamed to admit that I shed a tear last night watching the footage of you leaving no 10. I was moved to write because I hoped you knew, wanted to confirm that there are people out there in the great British public who believe you conducted yourself with grace, humility and conviction. I wished very much that you could continue to lead the country and am very sad that it's not to be. I come from a long line of hard-working, committed and red through and through folks. Their lives given over to collieries and small mining communities were worth it for me to live in a politically-evolved world and to raise my daughter in a political climate that cherished ideals that I still believe in. It is the Labour government that fostered the life I have today and many years of sacrifice and struggling terribly under other rule led to what will probably be remembered- once the spin is erased -as a politically important and well-managed era.

I'm so sad to see you go and wish you well.

I do hope you see this.

To echo others and to be completely shallow, I loved your dress last night, Sarah, you looked beautiful and your boys are super cute.
I hope spend time now enjoying life as a family, there is evidently a lot of love in your household.

There are many eloquent and heartfelt posts on this thread. I echo them I saying that you are a man of great integrity, I admire you greatly and I am saddened at the way you have been treated by the media.

Thank you for all you have done in the past 13 years. Best wishes to you and your family.

ShowofHands, he is still a politician - returned as the MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath with an increased majority.

Dear Gordon and family,

I am so sad to see you leave your 'second most important job'. It is obvious that you love your family most of all, but also have a deep and honest respect for the British people, in all their various guises. You have been a humble champion of the poor, women, gay rights, poverty, and of the value of difference and diversity. My day-to-day life, and that of millions of others, has been improved by your initiatives and those of your party, and I so truly believed in your ability to guide us out of this recession with all the sincerity, integrity and authority of a truly great leader.

Your passion for making a difference is unrivalled by any other party leader, and your unassuming intelligence might not have grabbed headlines, but did not go unnoticed. You have always had your doubters, but it seems to me that you have always been your own harshest critic. I hope you can now sit back and be proud that you did your very best, and enjoy your beautiful family with no regrets about your premiership.

Best wishes,

GM

Poledra, I had a text, not 20 minutes ago (a circular thing) saying he'd stepped down from that too. They just can't stop can they? Will text back henceforth and correct.

I sat up and watched the results, so saw the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath result and GB's subsequent speech live. Woke dd up with my vigorous cheering.