London, November 11: Jacqui Janes, whose son was killed in Afghanistan, last night accepted an apology from Gordon Brown over “insulting” mistakes he made in a handwritten letter of condolence. The bereaved mother drew a line under the row when she said she was satisfied with the Prime Minister’s sincerity.
She was speaking after an emotional Mr Brown, whose daughter Jennifer died at just 10 days old, insisted he understood the “sadness and anger” of the parents of fallen troops. The Prime Minister said: “I understand very well the sadness that she feels, and the way that she has expressed her grief is something that I can also clearly understand.
“I wanted to say during that conversation with her, but thought I could not really do so because I do not know her, that when there is a personal loss as deep and immediate as she has experienced it takes time to recover. That loss can never be replaced; you have got to take every day at a time.”
–Agencies