Dear IMF,

I understand that you have received an application for employment from a Mr James Gordon Brown.

Mr Brown will probably tell you, not completely truthfully, that his last salaried position was that of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

While it is true that he was indeed so employed for a short time, his last position was, in fact, that of Member of Parliament for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, Scotland, which employment has not been terminated: he is, not for the first time, absent without leave.

Prior to taking up the position of Prime Minister, Mr Brown was employed by the people of the United Kingdom as custodian of their economy. When the people gave Mr Brown the keys to their Treasury it was full and in excellent health, as the Civil Service informed him, providing exhaustive detail. Mr Brown immediately decided to spend all the people's treasure, and in addition to borrow a great deal more.

When, to the almost unanimous relief of the British people, Mr Brown was dismissed from their service - at the first opportunity - he left them not only an empty Treasury but an historically unprecedented debt which they will be repaying with extreme difficulty over three generations, living in penury - with concomitant strife - the while. In short, Mr Brown ruined the lives of millions of his compatriots who regret ever having made his acquaintance.

The prosperity and peace of hundreds of millions would, I fear, be jeopardised were Mr Brown to be employed within your esteemed organisation.

Therefore, gentlemen, I beg you to consult widely on Mr Brown's career to date and not to take at face value the references which he will present. They are likely to be entirely fictitious and written by himself. (He has acquired something of a reputation as a writer of fiction.) Genuine references from his former employers may be found here and here.

Yours, etc.,

Prodicus of Ceos