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Brown stirs election fever
25/09/2007 09:34 - (SA)
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| Gordon Brown acknowledges delegates before delivering his speech during the party conference in Bournemouth. (Lefteris Pitarakis, AP) |
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Bournemouth - Prime Minister
Gordon Brown pledged to improve Britain's free schools and
hospitals on Monday in a speech to the party faithful which
fired their enthusiasm for an early general election.
"I will not let you down. I will stand up for our schools
and hospitals ... I will stand up for a strong Britain," said
Brown, making his eagerly awaited first speech as leader to the
ruling Labour Party's annual conference.
The conference, always an important event for the party
rank-and-file to debate policy, was especially important this
year as it gave new leader Brown a chance to set his stamp on
the party, led for the past 13 years by Tony Blair.
Brown's sober speech marked a sharp contrast with the more
theatrical style of Blair, who stepped down after a decade as
prime minister in June.
His speech went down well with Labour members who gave Brown
a standing ovation at the start and end of his speech.
"I thought it was electric, he's made my heart beat fast,"
said Nicole Murphy, a 44-year-old nurse.
Brown has focused on improving public services, putting less
emphasis on Britain's military involvement in Iraq which is
deeply unpopular with many Labour Party members and helped force
Blair from office mid-way through his third term.
Brown devoted just a paragraph of his speech to Iraq and
Afghanistan, where thousands of British troops are deployed,
pledging to work for security, political reconciliation and
economic reconstruction in both countries.
He said there should be "no hiding place anywhere in the
world for al-Qaeda" but said it would take more than military
force to win the struggle against Islamist militants.
Election fever
The five-day conference in the southern English resort of
Bournemouth has been dominated by election speculation. Brown's
wide lead in the opinion polls has encouraged talk that he could
call a snap election, perhaps as soon as October - some three
years early.
A poll in The Sun newspaper on Monday showed Labour with an
eight-point lead over the opposition Conservatives, who have
been weakened by infighting over their leadership and policies.
Brown made no mention of any election plans. But his
hour-long speech smacked of an election manifesto as he appealed
to all classes, age groups, the left and the right.
He promised one-to-one tuition for 300 000 children in
English and maths, grants for 600 000 university students,
regular free medical checkups and fast-track treatment for women
with suspected breast cancer.
Several Labour parliamentarians backed a snap vote.
"It was good visionary stuff. It needs a bit of flesh on the
bones but it's the right sentiment for a manifesto. Let's go for
it," said lawmaker Ian Gibson.
Another legislator, Joan Walley, also favoured an early
poll: "He's got a really clear long-term vision. He'd be his own
person with his own premiership."
Sources close to Brown say he will not decide on an election
until after the conference.
Conservative leader David Cameron called the speech
"uninspiring". "It's clear that Gordon Brown has no answers to
Britain's problems. The Conservatives do and that is why we have
all along called for a general election and continue to do so
today. We are ready and waiting," he said in a statement.
Brown gave short shrift to a planned European Union treaty
where he is resisting calls from the Conservatives as well as
some Labour members, unions and media for a referendum.
Brown said only that he would insist that British demands
were met in final negotiations on the treaty.
- Reuters
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