Tonight:
9°c
Brown sets out manifesto with vision of new rights
Paul Waugh and Nicolas Cecil29.06.09
Gordon Brown pledged to give parents and patients a raft of new rights to personalised services today as he finally outlined his “vision” for Britain's future.
In a clear attempt to draw the battle lines for the next election, the Prime Minister set out a package of plans —including his draft Queen's Speech of new laws — seen as amounting to an early Labour manifesto. Tory leader David Cameron called it a “relaunch without a spending tag” and claimed that many of the announcements were either recycled or unworkable.
Speaking ahead of his statement to the Commons, Mr Brown said: “We have targets that are national, we now want to move to personal entitlements.”
But it was left to Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to outline the new plan, titled Building Britain's Future, as he claimed that “the worst is behind us” on the economy and suggested fresh growth would fund front line health and education services.
He said that the Conservatives were opposed to national targets and new rights for parents and patients because they were in hock to teachers, police and doctors who didn't want change.
“The Tories, in my view, have entered into a sort of Faustian pact with producer interests in the public services; they are saying they will spend less on public services and they are also saying they will require less of them.”
In a clear bid to shore up Labour's core vote, the Prime Minister was set to unveil moves to give local people greater priority on council waiting lists, long seen as a problem exploited by the British National Party.
And in the clearest example yet of how the Government will seek to juggle its finances, it emerged that housing will get a £500 million boost for new homes by taking cash away from the Home Office and Department for Transport, as well as bringing forward spending earmarked for later years.
Some Labour strategists believe that the party's traditional vote is in real danger following the inroads made by the BNP at the European elections when the far-Right party won two seats.
Housing minister John Healey explained that the extra cash had to be accompanied by new rules making clear that the council house list was being allocated “fairly”.
“When people see new homes being built in their area, they need to believe that they, their friends or families have a fair shot at living in them,” he told the Standard.
The Tories said today's framework from Mr Brown — originally dubbed a “National Plan” before aides warned it would sound too Stalinist — was a string of recycled announcements.
As Lord Mandelson confirmed that the spending review would be postponed until after the election, Shadow Treasury chief secretary Philip Hammond said that it was clear Labour wanted to hide the spending cuts it was planning.
The Business Secretary also signalled that the deeply unpopular plans to sell off a stake in the Royal Mail may be delayed.
Reader views (26)
i always watch the news and keep up to date but this man BROWN IS DESTROYING MY COUNTRY I WENT IN THE ARMY DONE n/s AND LOST A FEW OF MY FRIENDS AND WHAT FOR THE COUNTRY RUN OVER WITH SPIVS AND CROOKS FROM ALL NATIONS GO bROWN YOU ARE A DIGRACE TO THE ENGLISH GO BACK TO scotland or do they not want you.I worked for myself in the building trade just can not compete with all cheap labour hurry up the next election out on your ear with a massive pension me retired£100 a week pole tax at 130 a month Brown hop it.
- Derek, romford essex
These politicians are immune to the thoughts and requirements of ordinary people whom require decent accomodation, building legoland type accomodation is a recipe for disaster, give people some quality and they will give you some respect.
- Tony Goodwin, Basildon,Essex
Someone's rights is someone else's responsibilities. Perhaps Mr Brown might advise who this is?
- Overtaxed, Farnham UK
Perhaps its time we took to the streets, after the holidays that is..........which will give time to the authorities to build barricades, and cancel leave etc?
- Sam Dickins, London
Odd that he is "giving" us something that we should already own- RIGHTS
- John Graham, london UK
Brown's "Visions" How many of these 'visions' have we now had from this clapped out shyster who along with his deputy, Mandelson are both UNELECTED. Nobody in the UK voted for Mandleson and nobody in England or Wales voted for Brown. Even in his own constituency Brown has no power as the Scottish Parliament sets the rules up there. We are being ruled over by a junta, who does Mandleson think he is to be dictating to us the electorate when the twice disgraced mortgage fiddler has not got one single vote as a mandate? Brown was 'imposed' on us by the yellow streaked expenses fiddlers who make up the ZaNuLabour Party and we have now got the prospect of the Queen of the Welsh champagne socialists & EU fiddlers, none other than Gleynes Kinnock another unelected parasite being brought in to lord it over us as well. This country has sunk to level of a feudal barony where democracy means just as much here as it does in NKorea or Iran. It's a joke!
- Ed, Hants
why should we be impressed by politicians who insist that the most important groups in our society are the sick, thick and the destitute. Our task is to ensure that under such sections of society a net is placed to prevent such sad cases falling into oblivion. Lets have political leadership that concentrates on the winners and the potential winners in the race for life style. We will pull the rest up with us.
- Sam Dickins, London
@Frank: if you really think this cabinet is communist, you need to go back to school and pay attention this time. Would communists really privatise the postal service, as Mandelson is so keen on doing? New Labour is barely to the left of the Tories!
- Charlie, Soho, London
I see that NuLab are now chasing the BNP vote by promising council homes for local people. First we had British jobs for British workers now it's 'homes for whites'. Desperate stuff from a fag end govt. facing a landslide defeat and possible bankruptcy.
It's disturbing that Mandy, who is 2nd only to Brown, is not an elected politician but still rules over us plebs because he is a Lord. I wonder what the old Labour lot would have thought of that.
Just call the election.
- Undercover Elephant, Dole Farm, Crays Hill, Essex
Who would take any notice of what this slimeball has to say.
- Dee Jay, Fleet Hampshire
Who exactly voted this cretin to represent us? I know we have a lame duck Prime Minister who was not voted to be Prime Minister, but when did we vote in Mandelson to run the country? Seems the difference between what is going on in Iran and the UK is just semantics. Both countries qre being run by people no one really elected. At least in Iran some people give a damn.
- Stephen Rothbart, Prague Czech Republic
When Gordon Brown was Chancellor if anyone (particularly a non-elected peer) had had the temerity to announce policies on his behalf he would have sent out his minions to brief against them in the most unpleasant way he could. Pity Darling seems not to have enough backbone to stand up to this Old Reptilian.
- Roy Grainger, London
The man looks like an idiot with comments like this. He's an unelected cabinet minister. How and why do we let him get away with it?
- Frankie, Biggleswade Bedfordshire
The unelected Lord spouts more waffle.
The UK is bankrupt.
The National Debt is running at 50% of GDP.
Brown and his ilk could not care less - they will all be out on their necks within the next 11 months.
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK
I cannot abide this man. He is a totaly ignorant man.When is is interviewed on tv he is very cutting and very rude in his answers. The sooner we are rid of him and the government he represents the better
- Christopher Logan, london
Every-time I see Mandelson's face I cringe.
Well I have news for Mandeson's New Labour; you sold out your root voters 12 years ago; don't expect them to be a fickle as your middle class hanger-oners that switch around parties for the best tax cut bargains and self interest; you may be like that, but the majority of the working classes are not.
We never sold you out, not since the Labour Party was formed; but you did?
Go away you creeps, we will not forget your treachery; especially you Mandelson and Blair.
- Mickinlondon, london.
He could help the treasury coffers by recovering the £55,000 evaded in taxes by Mr G Osborne.
- Neil, London, London UK
MP's expenses are no more than a diversion from the real issue. A few million stolen by "Right Honourables" is chicken feed when compared to the Trillions of public money being spent on trying to buy the next election for the Labour party. Is their love of power so great that they are willing to destroy a country to hang on to it? This bunch seems to have taken on board the North Korean attitude, that the country without them is not worth existing. Just as the leadership of North Korea is mad, so are Gorden Brown, Alister Darling and Peter Mandelson.
- Stephen, London
Gordon Brown's advisers are doing this country a great disservice by failing to advise him of the strength of feeling amongst the electorate towards Brown himself and this odious creep he has elevated to the house of lords. I find it astonishing that no-one has the courage to advise Brown of the content of these postings yet they are all being paid a high salary to do so.
- R.F., Yorks, UK
The unelected LORD is spouting yet more spin and waffle.
The UK is bankrupt. Finished.
The ONLY persons with any cash are MP's, Lords and Bankers.
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK
Labour's canoe has gone down the wrong branch of the river, the branch that has a massive waterfall and not only are they committed, but know it. Labour can only employ spin, obfuscation, lies and deceit, to convince other passengers on the canoe that it is the correct branch of the river, although they can all hear the approaching waterfall. However, Brown and Mandelson are both ensuring, at the expense of the passengers, that their survival is paramount.
Labour CANNOT reverse course.
- Bingham Macnamara, lymington, hampshire
Lord Mandelson has never worked in a business in his life and is a career politician. As such all he can think about his political survival. He does not understand or even care that government debt is at a critical level. We need a general election to get rid of this arrogant incompetence.
- Simon Ellis, London
Makes sense; why spell out your spending plans when you've got no chance of being able to carry them out once the elctorate have had their much overdue say.
It beggard belief that this "noble" (unelected) lord who had on two previous occasions to leave the Cabinet in disgrace is now, after a lucrative exile in Brussels, apparently determining Government policy. Who's idea was it to insert the "deputy" adjective into his descrpition as PM in all but name?
- John C, Leatherhead, UK
So what we have is a communist cabinet stuffed with unelected unaccountable Lords and Ladies, as well as an unelected Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, all wanting to buy votes from their feckless core base courtesy of tax paying hard working middle England.
Democracy, what's that? And BTW we are trillions in debt!
Unfortunately to balance the Lunacy of the Left we have a rise in the far right.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Can you trust any utterance from this man's mouth?
I don't think so.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants
No surprise. It's always been known as "the scorched earth policy". ie. If we (Labour) can't have it we'll wreck it for anybody else.
Nice party.
- Thomas, London
