The PM, the Sun and the dead soldier

By Torin Douglas
Media correspondent, BBC News

Guardsman Janes died in Helmand province in October

When the Sun announced it was abandoning its support for Gordon Brown's government, the prime minister put a brave face on it.

"We would like the support of every newspaper," he said, "but it is people that decide elections."

Party advisers argued that though the Sun still sold more than three million copies a day, its political influence had waned. They said TV was more important and people got their information from a much wider range of sources than in the past.

All true - but this week the Sun has reminded everyone why political leaders would rather have it on their side than not. As Neil Kinnock and John Major found to their cost, the paper's campaigns can be ruthless and relentless.

On Monday, the paper launched its first fusillade at Gordon Brown, with the front-page splash headline "Bloody Shameful".

The paper thundered: "Remembrance Day Fury - PM sends gaffe-strewn note to soldier's grieving mum... then fails to bow at Cenotaph." Inside were four more pages, plus a leading article, illustrated with a picture of the letter he had sent to Jacqui Janes, with the mistakes highlighted in red.

In true tabloid campaigning fashion, headline was piled on headline. "PM couldn't even get our name right - Soldier mum's disgust at condolence letter... Why didn't he bow like the Queen?... Shoddy PM".

The Sun, believe it or not, doesn't want to personalise it

George Pascoe-Watson
Sun's former political editor

Inevitably, the story was picked up by other newspapers and on news bulletins. The government had to respond, revealing Mr Brown had telephoned Mrs Janes to apologise.

Lord Mandelson said the prime minister had not meant to cause offence and knew his handwriting was not great - but pointed out the "context", that the Sun had chosen to "campaign against Gordon Brown and Labour" in the run-up to the next election.

The Sun's former political editor George Pascoe-Watson told the BBC it was not the Sun attacking the prime minister but Mrs Janes herself, and said: "The Sun, believe it or not, doesn't want to personalise it."

'PM is humbled'

That seemed at odds with the Sun's own leading article, which stated: "Both blunders provide yet more evidence of Mr Brown's underlying disregard for the military. And of his half-hearted attitude to the war in Afghanistan."

On Tuesday morning, the Sun launched a second front-page volley - "What PM told dead soldier's mum in 13-min phone row".

It turned out Mr Brown's phone call of apology to Mrs Janes had been recorded and the Sun had the tape. It printed a transcript under the headline "Mum at war: PM is humbled on the phone" and posted the recording on its website for the world to hear.

I think Mrs Janes is using her poor son's death as a political stunt

Text to Radio 5 Live

In it, Mrs Janes criticised the government over lack of equipment for British troops and said her son could have survived his injuries but bled to death.

The second day's coverage prompted a backlash.

By 0730 GMT, BBC Radio 5 Live's Breakfast show was reporting lots of texts and e-mails from listeners sympathising with the prime minister: "A Sun set-up. That soldier would be ashamed that he was being used in this way."

"How can a private conversation be unknowingly recorded then published in a national newspaper unless one party was complicit?"

"Feel PM has been set up by Sun & I'm starting 2 feel sorry 4 him."

"I think Mrs Janes is using her poor son's death as a political stunt. It's awful."

By the end of the programme's phone-in, comments were running 60-40 in favour of the prime minister. Similar comments have been posted on the BBC News Have Your Say site.

But that will be small comfort to Gordon Brown. He has now been given due warning of what he can expect in the run-up to the general election.