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PM reveals key election pledges PM reveals key election pledges
(40 minutes later)
Gordon Brown has vowed to offer Britain more "fairness" and "control" as he unveils his five key election pledges. Prime Minister Gordon Brown is unveiling his five key election pledges to party activists, six weeks before the election is expected.
He told the Guardian he aimed to secure the economy, make it hi-tech, raise living standards, protect services, and strengthen community fairness.He told the Guardian he aimed to secure the economy, make it hi-tech, raise living standards, protect services, and strengthen community fairness.
The prime minister, who pledged to keep Alistair Darling on as Chancellor if Labour wins, will reveal the policies to activists in Nottingham later. The PM, who pledged to keep Alistair Darling as Chancellor if Labour wins, is speaking to activists in Nottingham.
Opposition parties say the pledges are meaningless after years of "failures".Opposition parties say the pledges are meaningless after years of "failures".
The Conservatives said Mr Brown was not being honest about the challenges the UK faced, while the Liberal Democrats said any number of pledges would not make people forget Labour's shortcomings. The Conservatives said Mr Brown was not being honest about the challenges the UK faced while the Liberal Democrats said pledges would not make people forget Labour's shortcomings.
The pledges include improving family living standards, protecting the hi-tech economy to build a million more skilled jobs, and protecting frontline investment in policing, schools, childcare and the NHS.The pledges include improving family living standards, protecting the hi-tech economy to build a million more skilled jobs, and protecting frontline investment in policing, schools, childcare and the NHS.
There are also proposed controls on immigration and guarantees around the issue of apprenticeships.There are also proposed controls on immigration and guarantees around the issue of apprenticeships.
Civil injunctionCivil injunction
Speaking less than six weeks before the widely-predicted 6 May general election date, Mr Brown said he wanted "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." Speaking less than six weeks before the widely-predicted 6 May general election date, Mr Brown told the Guardian he wanted "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."
The prime minister said victims of anti-social behaviour would be allowed to use public funds from their local authority to take out civil injunctions, if police are too slow to act.The prime minister said victims of anti-social behaviour would be allowed to use public funds from their local authority to take out civil injunctions, if police are too slow to act.
"People have got to know if they have a real complaint they will get a fast response," he said."People have got to know if they have a real complaint they will get a fast response," he said.
"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.""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."
Mr Brown also said NHS patients would be able to visit another health authority or the private sector if they were not offered treatment within 18 weeks and cancer tests within a week.Mr Brown also said NHS patients would be able to visit another health authority or the private sector if they were not offered treatment within 18 weeks and cancer tests within a week.
We don't have honesty about the scale of the challenge that the country faces now Michael Gove MPConservativeWe don't have honesty about the scale of the challenge that the country faces now Michael Gove MPConservative
And he called on world wide web inventor, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, to try to measure the progress of Labour's policies online. And he called on world wide web inventor, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, to try to measure the progress of government policies online.
Michael Gove, shadow schools secretary and Conservative campaign strategist, said Gordon Brown was asking for "five more years" in power but the key was to look back at the government's record. Conservative frontbencher Michael Gove, who is also the party's election campaign strategist, said Mr Brown was asking for "five more years" in power but the key was to look back at the government's record.
He said Mr Brown had "pledged there would be no more 'boom and bust' but he took us into the biggest recession, the deepest recession that we've had since the 1930s." He said Mr Brown had "pledged there would be no more 'boom and bust' but he took us into the biggest recession, the deepest recession that we've had since the 1930s".
"Now he's campaigning on his economic credentials but they've been tarnished."Now he's campaigning on his economic credentials but they've been tarnished.
"We've never had a proper apology or acknowledgement and we don't have honesty about the scale of the challenge that the country faces now.""We've never had a proper apology or acknowledgement and we don't have honesty about the scale of the challenge that the country faces now."
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, meanwhile, said: "Any number of pledges won't make people forget 13 years of Labour failure." Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said: "Any number of pledges won't make people forget 13 years of Labour failure."
Mr Brown says he wants to empower victims of antisocial behaviourMr Brown says he wants to empower victims of antisocial behaviour
But Douglas Alexander, the secretary of state for international development and Labour's general election co-ordinator, defended the pledges on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. But Douglas Alexander, the secretary of state for international development and Labour's general election co-ordinator denied they were vague and said they were the government's priorities for future years.
He denied they were vague and said these were the government's priorities for future years. He said: "Sitting behind each one of those pledges today, there is a great deal of detail in terms of the specific policies that we will be advancing. He told the BBC they came out of the sense that "the central questions that people are asking about this election are how is Britain going to pay its way in the world and how are we going to earn our living?"
But he said that the pledges came out of the sense that "the central questions that people are asking about this election are how is Britain going to pay its way in the world and how are we going to earn our living?"
He said: "We've said that we want to protect the real difference that we've made in terms of police numbers in recent years and we believe that we can do that within the framework that's been set out, both by the chancellor in the Budget this week and subsequently when a spending review takes place."
'Difficult decisions''Difficult decisions'
Discussing the pledge to strengthen fairness in communities through an Australian-style points-based system, he said the government understood that people were concerned about immigration but said it was not going to indulge in "scaremongering".Discussing the pledge to strengthen fairness in communities through an Australian-style points-based system, he said the government understood that people were concerned about immigration but said it was not going to indulge in "scaremongering".
He said it was time for an "open and honest" conversation about the pledges.
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband refused to rule out cuts in hospital budgets and elsewhere but said that any savings would be the result of the government "facing up to the difficult decisions that we have to make".Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband refused to rule out cuts in hospital budgets and elsewhere but said that any savings would be the result of the government "facing up to the difficult decisions that we have to make".
BBC political correspondent, Reeta Chakrabarti, said Mr Brown was less clear about widely-predicted future cuts.BBC political correspondent, Reeta Chakrabarti, said Mr Brown was less clear about widely-predicted future cuts.
She said: "Despite the inevitable squeeze on public spending ahead, the word 'cuts' appears just once, in relation to 'lower priority spending'."
Later on Saturday, Mr Brown is due to attend Labour's Scottish spring conference in Glasgow.Later on Saturday, Mr Brown is due to attend Labour's Scottish spring conference in Glasgow.