GORDON Brown is dreadful, but no trade unionist or socialist should support any bid by discredited politicians Patricia Hewitt and Geoff Hoon to get rid of him.

How anybody can take either of these two seriously is beyond me.

Supercilious Patricia Hewitt was an appalling Health Secretary, giving in to big business interests, such as PFI companies. She is now an ordinary MP, but Ms Hewitt can find time to work as a “special consultant” for Alliance Boots Chemists. No conflict of interest, of course.

Smarmy Geoff Hoon is ten times worse. Have people forgotten that he was the Defence Secretary at time of the illegal Iraq War and the “weapons of mass destruction”

lie? Moreover, he also told us that the Iraqis had “mobile weapon laboratories”. None were ever found.

Furthermore, he was implicated in the MPs’ expenses scandal.

Labour will probably lose the next General Election irrespective of the leader and Mr Hoon and Ms Hewitt know this.

Their failed putsch against Mr Brown was an attempt to impose a New Labour leader who took over just a few months before an election and would not be blamed for such a defeat. The Labour movement would therefore be stuck with another crawler to the rich for five more years.

John Gilmore, Bishop Auckland.

RE the spectacle of Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt emerging from the woodwork giving us good reason why they are ex-Cabinet ministers.

During Gordon Brown’s short tenure as Prime Minister he has faced a number of challenges, not of his making, and I list foot-and-mouth disease, flooding, terrorism within our shores, world recession and now one of the worst winters in living memory. His response has been exemplary, thus enhancing his leadership qualities.

During the difficult times ahead Labour needs a man of the stature of Mr Brown, but much more importantly so does our country.

Maurice Baker, Middlestone Moor, Spennymoor, Co Durham.

GORDON Brown is a man who, like any other, has his faults – but he has just nursed his country through one of the worst recessions of the century back to near normality and previously, as Chancellor, there was none better.

To all those rebels who were contemplating a change in leadership, beware – a vote against Mr Brown is a vote for the Conservatives.

Tom Seale, Middlesbrough.