Letter: Brown's blunder

It is hard to imagine that David Maddox believes that Gordon Brown, Labour MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, broke "a silence of more than six months" to protect "the UK's ability to intervene militarily anywhere around the world" (your report, 3 November).

Brown's recent comments that the aircraft carriers could be used to protect the Falklands indicates just the lack of knowledge of naval operations that his disastrous handling of the UK economy should have indicated.

How many surface combatant ships would be available to screen and provide anti-submarine and anti-air cover for the carrier?

How many tankers and support ships would be needed to refuel and victual such a carrier over a prolonged period of protection? How many aircraft would the carrier embark? The Nimrods could have provided maritime reconnaissance but, thanks to his financial incompetence, they will be scrapped.

Mr Brown, as Chancellor, must have had a hand in the foolish contract that would have provided more cash to the builders had the carrier contract been cancelled. Much comment has been made about his limited appearances in Parliament since he was removed from power.

The adjournment debate gave him a platform to attempt to justify the building of the carriers. Many workers at Rosyth live in Brown's constituency - that's why he appeared.

Bill McLean

Newmills

Dunfermline, Fife

I was astonished and amazed at seeing Gordon Brown standing in Westminster asking for support and backing for our armed forces. He wants the aircraft carriers to go ahead at Rosyth.

We are all aware that this man, when Chancellor, continually invaded defence funds to spend elsewhere. Brown was responsible for the breakup of the Scottish regiments and we chased him all over his constituency telling him that the Black Watch, the regiment from the heart of his constituency, went to war with one name and came back with another.

His plundering of the defence funds left the armed forces ill-equipped and troops went to war and were killed because of this. Brown's interest in Rosyth, which is in his own back yard, is only to save his own skin and keep his voters sweet.

Major Bob Ritchie MBE

Bloom Court

Livingston

Is it not deliciously ironic? On the same day (4 November) your newspaper publishes Michael Kelly's piece on a likely attempt by the nationalists to hijack the new French-UK defence collaboration, Alex Orr (Letters) of the SNP attempts to do just that.

Alexander McKay

New Cut Rigg

Edinburgh