Brown's legacy

Your leader (11 May) certainly hits the nail on the head regarding Gordon Brown's chancellorship by saying the economy "appeared to have avoided the economic cycle of boom and bust".

Due to our forced exit from the Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1992, he inherited in 1997 the most benign legacy of any 20th century Chancellor, maintained it for two years and then squandered it, with his apparent success thereafter built on the sand of borrowing from our children and grandchildren – long before the bankers completed the debauching of our finances.

His one achievement was not joining the euro, likewise built on sand.

JOHN BIRKETT

Horseleys Park

St Andrews

The most ironic aspect of the admittedly dignified announcement from Gordon Brown regarding his future (your report, 11 May) is that if he had gone at the turn of the year, as many were urging, a new leader would have had time to get established before 6 May.

With the electorate clearly unsure about trusting the Tories, the momentum of a new leader almost certainly would have gained Labour an overall majority, or at the very least a workable arrangement with the Liberal Democrats.

ALEXANDER McKAY

New Cut Rigg

Edinburgh