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Gordon Brown blames European leaders for slow road to recovery
Joe Murphy, Political Editor19 Jan 2010
Gordon Brown today criticised EU leaders for the slow pace of their planned economic recovery.
Standing alongside the new European President he said plans for EU-wide growth of just 0.7 per cent were “too low”, while EU unemployment of 10 per cent was “unacceptably high”.
Instead, the Prime Minister urged an “economic step change” to power the continent out of recession and create growth and jobs.
“The European growth ambition is not good enough for the future,” he said. “We and other countries will be proposing a growth and jobs strategy designed... to create new opportunities for jobs across the continent.”
A proposed EU Compact for Jobs and Growth could get 15 million more people into work, Mr Brown claimed, and deliver a four per cent surge in output, worth £440 billion.
“At this critical point in Europe's history, we must now more than ever raise our level of ambition for Europe's future growth and employment,” he said.
European Council President Herman van Rompuy, on his first official trip to London, said growth should be “at least” two per cent to maintain European lifestyles.
He has called a summit next month to consider the growth strategy, which aims to promote low-carbon development and high technology.
“We need to come back to an economic growth which is sustainable and which is at least 2 per cent in order to preserve our way of life and keep up with the other major economies of the world,” he said.
Reader views (9)
He's leader of just one of 27 provinces. No more weight is given at Brussels to his views than to those of any of the other 26 provincial premiers. He ratified the E.U. Constitution and promoted the new federal system, giving away much of the U.K.'s powers to self-govern. Now he has to accept that Brussels runs the show.
- Phil Jones, London EU, 19/01/2010 18:42
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What a joke! GB poses as some sort of pan-European economic guru. This however is the former Chancellor who not only sold half our gold reserves at the bottom of the market, but told everyone what he proposed to do.
Then he got busy on loosening up the regulatory system thus allowing, Northern Rock, for example, to engage in the economics of the casino and nearly drag the entire banking system down with it.
As for "President" van Rompuy, in time honoured Euro fashion, he's tackling the problem by (you've guessed it!) calling yet another summit. Summitry seems to be the only growth industry in Europe these days.
- John C, Leatherhead, UK, 19/01/2010 16:31
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The cry of the left - every failing is always someone elses fault.
- M, London, 19/01/2010 15:17
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The last time I looked (a) every EU country but ours was OUT of recession and (b) every EU country but ours actually has employment sectors that build things that people want, whereas ours provide services that very few people do want.
13 years of failed economics and government, and as usual it's someone else's fault. Bring on the judgement day that will be General Election 2010.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 19/01/2010 15:16
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He is an embarrassment to this country, he thinks he is Napoleon
- Peter Woods, Torre Chiance, 19/01/2010 15:13
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Yes, blame everyone else! Hadn't he saved the world? What went wrong? This man is mentally unstable. The sooner we kick him out the better.
- Beatriz, London, 19/01/2010 15:10
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For pities sake man, go just go.
You have bought us economic ruin and I just can't stand seeing or hearing you any more.
- Roger, Devon, 19/01/2010 15:05
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Oh gosh isn't he wonderful! Just look what our great leader is going to do next........
15 million back to work across Europe. Whoopee!
Generating £440billion extra output! Woohoo!
It's so easy when you say it quickly. But don't worry if it doesn't happen, he will just print the money anyway!
Move over Alice, it's Gordon in wonderland now. Wonder when he will call the election and we can all live happily ever after?
- Ronnie, what used to be England, 19/01/2010 15:00
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Of course he blames others - after all, he's incapable of admitting his own failings in the matter (as documented endlessly in these comments through the months, let alone the media generally). He can hardly do the mea culpa thing with one breath, and in the next state, 'by the way, I'd make an excellent Prime Minister for the next parliamentary session', could he?
The trouble for him is that he, and his party, ARE culpable. There's a price to be paid for that.
- Rogan, Irving, 19/01/2010 14:53
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