Gordon Brown's speech: reaction

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008 ... onference2

Cabinet colleagues praise PM, while Conservatives portray speech as swing to left

* Deborah Summers, politics editor

* Tuesday September 23 2008 17:10 BST


Cabinet colleagues and Labour grandees today hailed Gordon Brown's conference as a "real Labour" speech in which the prime minister found his true voice. But the Conservatives portrayed it as a lurch to the left to save his leadership.

David Miliband, who is seen as the most likely contender to succeed Brown, described the speech as "excellent".

"I think Gordon found his true voice," he said.

Ed Balls, the schools secretary and a close ally of Brown's, said: "This is has been a very united conference. I think people's gut instinct after hearing that speech will be: Gordon Brown is the right man for the job."

Andy Burnham, the culture secretary, added: "I think you have seen quite graphically here today what the party thinks about the prime minister.

"Leading this country is a huge, huge responsibility and task and you need a man of experience and we saw him in action today."

Derek Simpson, the joint leader of the Unite union, said that the prime minister had scored an "injury time winner", and he predicted that Labour could now go on to win the next election.

"This was a real Labour speech from a real Labour leader. He showed there is a huge gulf between Labour and the Tories," he said.

Billy Hayes, the general secretary of the Communication Workers' Union, said that with the current global economic crisis Brown was "the right person at the right time".

Labour MP Ian Gibson, who said earlier this week that Brown needed "an Obama moment", declared after the speech: "That was it."

"It was absolutely brilliant. He delivered it humbly but with a passion we don't often see in Labour politicians," he said. "On the specifics he was talking about things that people really want."

But George Osborne, the shadow chancellor said: "This was Gordon Brown retreating to the left to save his job. There was nothing really new in the speech, no apology for the mess he's got the country into and no new ideas that show us how he's going to get us out of it."

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008 ... own.labour

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/vide ... own.speech - Video Highlights


Gordon Brown: 'We will be rock of stability and fairness'
• PM apologises for 10p tax debacle
• Urges activists to 'stay true to beliefs'

The Labour party put on a show of unity tonight after Gordon Brown told his critics "this is no time for a novice" to be in charge of the country.

His bold and highly personal speech to the Labour party conference in Manchester played well with delegates and union leaders. But the Conservatives accused him of pandering to the left to shore up his ailing premiership.

At the start of his 59-minute address Brown admitted he had made mistakes but vowed to work to put them right.

Introduced on stage by his wife Sarah, the prime minister said his government would be the "rock of stability and fairness upon which people stand".

In a swipe at David Cameron, the Conservative leader - and almost certainly at David Miliband, the foreign secretary and his most obvious rival for the top job - the prime minister insisted: "Everyone knows that I'm all in favour of apprenticeships, but let me tell you this is no time for a novice."

Promising a "new settlement for new times", Brown insisted his government stood for a fair Britain for a new age.

"Our duty, what gives us moral purpose, is serving the people who need us most, Britain's vast majority, people on middle and modest incomes who need to know that they are not on their own amidst this change – we are on their side."

The prime minister apologised for abolishing the 10p tax band, which hit poorer families. "What happened with 10p stung me because it really hurt that suddenly people felt I wasn't on the side of people on middle and modest incomes – because on the side of hard-working families is the only place I've ever wanted to be. And from now on it's the only place I ever will be."

Facing critics of his leadership head on, the prime minister said: "I'm not going to be something I'm not. If people say I'm too serious, there's a lot to be serious about."

And in another thinly veiled swipe at Cameron, Brown said: "Some people have been asking why I haven't served my children up for spreads in the papers. And my answer is simple: my children aren't props, they are people."

Brown again insisted that he was the right person to lead the country through the current economic turmoil, amid fresh falls in the financial markets that suggested the crisis is far from over.

The prime minister paid warm tribute to Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader, and also hailed his predecessor Tony Blair's hand in reshaping the Labour party.

Sarah Brown's appearance on stage was a surprise move. She thanked the party for its support before a short video showing the government's achievements, which preceded the prime minister's speech.

The film featured a clip of the US Democratic presidential hopeful, Barack Obama, endorsing the prime minister - a move that could prove controversial.

Remarking on the warm reception his wife received, the prime minister joked: "Thank goodness we are a team."

Brown pledged to extend free nursery places for two-year-olds for every parent who wants them in every part of the country, introduce legislation to enshrine Labour's pledge to end child poverty and help more than one million families with free internet access.

The prime minister also said that prescription charges would be scrapped from next year for those battling cancer.

And, on crime, Brown said the government would appoint an independent commissioner to stand up for victims, witnesses and families.

Urging Labour activists to "stay true to your beliefs", Brown added: "Understand that all the attacks, all the polls, all the headlines, all the criticism, it's all worth it if in doing this job I make life better for one child, one family, on community. Because this job is not about me, it's about you."

[norbert]

good soft soap ?

[k979aaa]

I for one will never believe he has changed till he appoints denis skinner as minister for buisness and regularity reform!. And has HUTTON SKINNED ALIVE!.