ONE section of Observer political commentator Andrew Rawnsley’s new book about Gordon Brown deals with the international leadership Mr Brown showed in October 2008 when a number of British banks (and many others worldwide) were faced with potentially catastrophic failure, with the banks due, literally, to run out of cash within days.

According to Rawnsley’s newspaper: “The gravity of the crisis was kept from the public because of the terror that would have been ignited.”

Rawnsley goes on to outline how Mr Brown took the lead in resolving the crisis in Britain by forcing the deal that saved the banks, and, together with Chancellor Alistair Darling, encouraging other major economies to follow this lead and so prevent the domino effect of one major bank bringing down a succession of others.

Odd then, that the media has so heavily reported the less important aspect of Mr Brown’s alleged management style, which could be described either as robust or bullying depending on one’s personal outlook, and has largely ignored the international statesman element.

Mr Brown clearly has personality flaws; who doesn’t?

I’d rather have a leader who is a leading international statesman who might be a bully rather than a milksop from the Bullingdon Club.

Philip Hunt, Barningham, Co Durham.

THE words “anger”, “violence”, “rage” and “terror” were among those I frequently read in last Sunday’s papers. They did not refer to a coup d’etat in some African country; nor did they relate to acts of terrorism or football violence.

They referred to the way our Prime Minister runs his office – if the many reports are to be believed. At his pathetic press conference at the weekend he said he had made mistakes in the past and wants the British electorate to give him a second chance. The truth is he should never have been given a first.

This man continues to show complex personality problems; he once, you will recall, called himself a saviour. He has likened himself to Churchill. This man has continued to show he is unfit to lead either his party or the country.

I look forward to the replies with which his supporters will defend him. They will, no doubt, be as deluded as he.

Colin T Mortimer, Pity Me, Durham.

GORDON Brown last weekend launched Labour’s General Election slogan: “A future fair for all”.

Sounds good doesn’t it? But consider the reality of Labour’s record here in the North-East where unemployment is rising, record numbers claim incapacity benefit, thousands of our young people are not in any form of education, employment or training and that slogan sounds at best hollow or, at worst, a cruel reminder of how Labour has let this region down.

North-East Conservatives claim it’s time for change and after 13 years of this particular Labour Government they may be right.

The North-East is overdependent on government-created jobs and with a record deficit many of those jobs now look unsustainable.

It’s obviously time for Mr Brown to go, but I don’t envy David Cameron’s challenge of tackling Labour’s legacy of unemployment, debt and dependency.

James Bell, Durham.