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PM unveils key election pledges | PM unveils key election pledges |
(10 minutes later) | |
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said the economic recovery is top of his list of five election pledges, as he hailed Labour as the "people's party". | |
He told party activists Labour would put the "British people first". | |
He pledged to use the internet to measure how pledges are met and publish an annual contract for ministers. | |
Tory leader David Cameron dismissed that as "nonsense" and said the PM could not "dither" forever and should get on and call an election. | |
Mr Brown's other pledges were to raise living standards, protect frontline services, strengthen community fairness and build a hi-tech economy. | |
'Force for fairness' | 'Force for fairness' |
The prime minister, who earlier told the Guardian he would keep Alistair Darling as Chancellor if Labour wins, addressed activists in Nottingham. | The prime minister, who earlier told the Guardian he would keep Alistair Darling as Chancellor if Labour wins, addressed activists in Nottingham. |
He told them: "We are fighting for Britain's future - and we intend to win." | |
He said he knew people were sceptical about politicians' pledges but said these were "not general pledges without details, without tests, without scrutiny". | He said he knew people were sceptical about politicians' pledges but said these were "not general pledges without details, without tests, without scrutiny". |
We are the people's party and we are pledged to serve the people Gordon Brown | |
He promised new ways of measuring progress against the pledges online, and said cabinet ministers would have to sign up to public, annual contracts outlining what they were expected to deliver. | |
Their positions would be subject to delivery - "just as it would be in a business or any other organisation", he said. | |
He also said the head of the civil service, Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell, would be asked to "performance manage" departments' top civil servants against their delivery of the pledges. | |
Transparency 'extension' | |
Web founder Sir Tim Berners-Lee was working on creating "maximum possible information available to the public at all times", he said. | |
"This rapid extension of transparency will show in real time how government are delivering against our pledges." | |
Mr Brown added: "We will put the British people first, before personal interests, before our party interests, before any vested interests. | |
"We are the people's party and we are pledged to serve the people." | "We are the people's party and we are pledged to serve the people." |
After an empty Budget we have five empty pledges. Michael GoveConservatives | |
But in his own speech to activists, Mr Cameron accused the prime minister of taking people "for fools". | |
"He says in future he's going to have a contract for each cabinet minister, detailing what you expect them to do. What a great idea. | |
"Just imagine if this contract had been written for the Parliament we have just had - that the contract with Alistair Darling was to double the national debt and give us record youth unemployment." | |
He said there was a "big choice" at the general election: "Do we want five more years of Gordon Brown or do we want change with the Conservatives?" | |
Risks 'real' | |
Earlier Mr Brown told the Guardian victims of anti-social behaviour would be allowed to use public funds from their local authority to take out civil injunctions, if police were too slow to act. | Earlier Mr Brown told the Guardian victims of anti-social behaviour would be allowed to use public funds from their local authority to take out civil injunctions, if police were too slow to act. |
He 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. | He 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. |
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg 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." |
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". |
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. |