Brown cut by double-edged sword

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A display of Rupert Murdoch's decision to drive his publications into leading the cacophony of castigation against the British Labour party made major news recently.

Gordon Brown apparently made a litany of spelling errors in a letter of condolence to Jacqui Janes, whose son and Grenadier Guardsman, Jamie Janes, was killed in Afghanistan in October.
The Sun, The Times and Sky News leapt at the chance to tear at the scraps of Brown's already tattered reputation, which in turn provoked a rather flaccid defence from Mandelson. It was claimed that Brown's messy handwriting was the true cause of the mistakes, caused from his poor vision. The PM lost the sight in one eye as a teenager after a schoolboy rugby accident. 

Brown quickly telephoned Mrs Jane the extracts of which can be read here to apologise after hearing that the condolence letter had upset her. He handwrites letters to the families of all UK soldiers killed in action.

The mogul's campaign must be a bitter reminder to Gordon Brown of the contrast with the heady days of 1997, and that playing with a double-edged sword can be dangerous.

Brown's predecessor courted and won-over Murdoch and was granted the backing of his media empire, before the crushing of the Tories in the 1997 election.

The choice to approach Murdoch by the then leader Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson in effect validated the antithetical role of the tabloid press - to remain politically neutral. Murdoch and his cronies were convinced of a Labour victory and so backed the winner. Like a lame racehorse that will never recover, Brown has found the once nurturing hand holding a shotgun.