Labour unveils key election campaign pledges
Exclusive: Gordon Brown backs Alistair Darling to stay as chancellor after election as he sets out Labour's election promiseGordon Brown tomorrow unveils Labour's key election pledges, promising that a re-elected Labour government, which would retain Alistair Darling as chancellor, would help create a million skilled jobs, a state-funded citizens' right to take antisocial offenders to court, and "the largest set of constitutional reforms this country has ever seen".In an interview with the Guardian, the prime minister declares that "of course" he wants to keep Darling as chancellor if Labour wins the election and lavishes praise on him for doing "a superb job and delivering a brilliant budget".Speaking just 11 days before he is expected to go to Buckingham Palace to call the election, Brown says he will offer the nation "more fairness, more responsibility from vested interests, a greater sense that people have more control over their lives. That is basically a New Labour agenda."Insisting that Labour can still win the election without the need of Liberal Democrat support, he argues: "This is a progressive moment," claiming "there is no rebellion against collectivism in the country" akin to the late 70s.Brown says he is not worried by the prospect of a personalised multi-million pound poster campaign against him by the Tories and promises to find ways of revealing more of himself to the electorate, saying: "I had to come to the conclusion that to be mediated by our newspapers meant [the voters] didn't find me. I had come to the conclusion that I had to do things where I had to talk directly to people. It is a conclusion I had to come to because of the way things were going. I feel that I am pretty open with people and I needed the chance ... to talk to people directly."He says he wants the Labour pledges, which will be enshrined in a new pledge card to be revealed tomorrow, to be readily enforceable. The five pledges are: secure the recovery; raise family living standards; build a hi-tech economy; protect frontline investment in policing, schools, childcare and the NHS – with a new guarantee of cancer test results within a week; and strengthen fairness in communities through controlled immigration, guarantees of education, apprenticeships and jobs for young people and a crackdown on antisocial behaviour.He also discloses that he is to ask Sir Tim Berners Lee, the inventor of the world wide web and a government adviser, to draw up proposals on how government progress against the key guarantees can be measured online.In an attempt to empower victims of antisocial behaviour, the prime minister says they will be entitled to take out civil injunctions, funded by the local public authority, if the police are not taking action within a set time."People have got to know if they have a real complaint they will get a fast response, and ultimately if they feel they have not been given satisfaction, they will be able to take a civil injunction themselves and that will be paid for by the authority." Labour is also planning to install champions for victims of antisocial behaviour in every local authority.In one of Labour's major pitches to the electorate, Brown promises people "both voice and choice so they can trigger redress if they don't get what they want". He promises NHS patients will be able to go to another health authority, or the private sector, if they are not offered treatment within 18 weeks and cancer tests within a week. Parents will also be able to trigger a ballot for new management in a local school if standards are not being met.Arguing that constitutional reform is vital to restoring trust in politics, Brown says: "You might have thought that after three terms of a Labour government, we would be cautious about further reform. Quite the opposite is the case."Despite recent cabinet disagreements, he promises: "We will publish proposals very soon that will show our determination to have an elected house of Lords."Brown is having to navigate between Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, who wants to retain 20% of the places for appointed peers, and Jack Straw, the justice secretary, who favours a wholly elected second chamber. The prime minister hints at a compromise whereby the new house would be 80% elected as a staging post. He also urges peers to allow through the bill introducing a referendum for a new alternative vote system for elections to the Commons.Brown also discloses that he wants the expenses and allowances of peers to be under the supervision of the new Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) in the same way as MPs. Ipsa is due to launch its tough new MPs' expenses regime on Monday, and in advance Brown told MPs they must sign up to Ipsa's regime.Speaking on the eve of the election battle, Brown says he is relishing the prospect of the campaign, including house meetings, TV debates and town hall meetings. He says it is "far better" to be the candidate than the election strategist, as he has been in the last three elections.Gordon BrownGeneral election 2010LabourAlistair DarlingPatrick WintourNicholas Wattguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Add this link to... Bury
Add this link to... Bury
Related Articles:
-
UK Today News: UK Budget 2010 UK Chancellor Alistair Darling has announced the UK budget ahead... Read Full Story »
Alistair Darling Pictures
Comments
