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Brown prepares for crucial speech | Brown prepares for crucial speech |
(about 6 hours later) | |
Gordon Brown will strive to reassert his authority over Labour in his keynote speech at the party conference. | |
The prime minister will spell out a vision of "a Britain of fair chances for all and fair rules applied to all". | |
He will unveil plans to give up to £700 in computer vouchers to schoolchildren who cannot afford internet access. | |
But the speech could be overshadowed by continued speculation about a leadership challenge from Foreign Secretary David Miliband. | |
Mr Brown is under pressure to give the speech of his life when he addresses the conference after lunch on Tuesday. | Mr Brown is under pressure to give the speech of his life when he addresses the conference after lunch on Tuesday. |
He is expected to deliver a bullish, upbeat speech - with little of the confessional tone some were predicting. | He is expected to deliver a bullish, upbeat speech - with little of the confessional tone some were predicting. |
And he will speak with notes - eschewing the trend for leaders to wander the conference stage reading from autocues. | And he will speak with notes - eschewing the trend for leaders to wander the conference stage reading from autocues. |
Fairness | |
Mr Brown will tell delegates: "In this world of vast economic and social change, new opportunity for all must be matched with a new responsibility from all. Our aim is a something-for-something Britain, nothing-for-nothing Britain." | |
The theme of fairness will run through the speech, with the prime minister saying no-one should "take more out of the system than they are willing to put in". | |
Mr Brown will say: "Our policy is that everyone who can work must work, so that the dole is only for those looking for work or actively preparing for it. | |
"That's only fair to the people pulling their weight." | |
He will tell the conference that taking action on the causes of crime will never mean indulging criminals, promising higher profile verdicts in court cases and "greater visibility" for those doing community service. | |
Meanwhile, on immigration he will say: "We recognise the contribution that migrants make to our economy and our society, but the other side of welcoming newcomers who can help Britain is being tough about excluding those who won't and can't. | |
"That's only fair to the tax-paying public and to the migrants who uphold the rules." | |
Mr Brown will promise to "create rules that reward those who play by them and punish those who don't. | |
"That's what fairness means to me." | |
Need for leadership | |
In his speech, the prime minister will admit to mistakes on the abolition of the 10p tax rate but aides say he will be unapologetic about his personality and image. | |
But he is likely to repeat his claim that he is the best person to lead Britain through troubled economic times. | |
Aides were briefing that he had been delayed in writing his speech by transatlantic phone calls about the implications for British jobs and investment over the restructuring of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. | Aides were briefing that he had been delayed in writing his speech by transatlantic phone calls about the implications for British jobs and investment over the restructuring of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. |
The major policy announcement in the speech is expected to be a £300m plan to offer free computer access to children from low income families to boost their chances in the jobs market. | The major policy announcement in the speech is expected to be a £300m plan to offer free computer access to children from low income families to boost their chances in the jobs market. |
David Miliband praises Gordon Brown during his address to delegates | |
Mr Brown is expected to say that 1.4m schoolchildren do not have internet access and are losing out educationally and do not have the necessary skills to get good jobs. | Mr Brown is expected to say that 1.4m schoolchildren do not have internet access and are losing out educationally and do not have the necessary skills to get good jobs. |
Leadership future | |
During his speech on Monday, Mr Miliband praised Mr Brown twice, but for past achievements, and spoke of the need for "leadership from the party of change". | |
Afterwards, when his staff told him that his speech was being given six marks out of 10, Mr Miliband replied: "I couldn't have gone any further. It would have been a Heseltine moment." | |
Mr Miliband, who has gone out of his way to call for Labour to unite behind Mr Brown, was apparently referring to one of the occasions when Michael Heseltine challenged the leadership of Margaret Thatcher. | |
A succession of cabinet ministers and delegates at the conference have called for unity, after a week in which 13 Labour MPs - one of them a minister - called for a leadership contest. | A succession of cabinet ministers and delegates at the conference have called for unity, after a week in which 13 Labour MPs - one of them a minister - called for a leadership contest. |