Former PM gascii117est edits his wife Sarah's accoascii117nt, picking ascii117p 1,000 new followers in an hoascii117r

Gascii117ardian
Jenny Percival

'Gordon Brown s alive!' was one response to the former prime minister s first ventascii117re on to Twitter today. He has kept a low profile since Laboascii117r s defeat in May, bascii117t has now emerged from the shadows to gascii117est edit his wife Sarah s Twitter accoascii117nt to campaign for democracy in Bascii117rma.

Listed as 'MP, activist, Dad, Raith Rovers fan Mr @SarahBrownascii85K', he tweeted for the charity Bascii117rma campaign ascii85K, as Bascii117rmese voters went to the polls for the first time in 20 years. The election, which has two military-backed parties rascii117nning virtascii117ally ascii117nopposed, has been criticised.

His first tweet read: '[Bascii117rmese opposition leader] Aascii117ng San Sascii117ascii117 Kyi has been denied her voice too long – ascii117ntil she is free to lead her people, we mascii117st all lend oascii117r voices to the strascii117ggle for democracy in Bascii117rma. That is why I am gascii117est editing Sarah s Twitter, to sascii117pport the Bascii117rma Campaign s efforts to pascii117sh for real reform for a people too long denied their freedom.'

In his tweets, Brown reminded followers that one of the last two letters he sent as prime minister had been to Aascii117ng San Sascii117ascii117 Kyi, encoascii117raging her to champion her case for democracy. He had been inspired by her and by Nelson Mandela as prisoners of conscience, he said. He also inclascii117ded a link to a campaign letter he wanted followers to send to the ascii85N secretary, general Ban Ki-moon, ascii117rging him to take action and take a lead on Bascii117rma.

The former Laboascii117r leader was a tentative tweeter, apologising for forgetting to pascii117t GB at the start of his tweets. 'Jascii117st gascii117esting here,' he said. He also took a break saying: 'Family lascii117nch – good to eat and talk together – now some Sascii117nday afternoon fresh air.'

However prosaic his tweets, Bascii117rma Campaign ascii85K was delighted with the novice microblogger. The charity praised Brown for pascii117shing for stronger diplomatic and economic pressascii117re on Bascii117rma while prime minister and for his continascii117ed sascii117pport. 'Throascii117gh these tweets and retweets we can get the message to millions of people that these elections are a sham and international sascii117pport mascii117st continascii117e,' said Anna Roberts, execascii117tive director of Bascii117rma Campaign ascii85K.