Brown says Conservatives have "changed their tune but haven't changed their minds"

In today's conference speech, reported in press around the world this morning as crucial to the Prime Minister's survival, Gordon Brown barely mentioned the Conservative Party until he approached the end.

Brown's attack began as to much applause he claimed as Labour achievements such progress as giving working men and women the vote: "Every single blow we have struck for fairness and for the future has been bitterly opposed by the Conservative Party". In fact, it was a Conservative government under Benjamin Disraeli which extended the vote to working men in 1867 -decades before the Labour Party was formed. It was also a Liberal/Conservative National Government that gave women over the age of 30 the vote in 1918 and a Conservative government under Stanley Baldwin that in 1928 established an equal voting age of 21 for men and women.

On the economy, Brown said angrily that the Conservatives were wrong, in the ongoing crisis, to have opposed nationalisation of Northern Rock and to oppose the ban on short-selling: "What has become clear is that Britain cannot trust the Conservatives to run the economy".

Brown mentioned David Cameron only once by name, but referred to a smart "Conservative leaders' team" with a plan that they are implementing "ruthlessly": give the appearance of having changed as a party and conceal with they really think. Brown compared them to the salesman who won't tell you what he's selling because if he did no one would want to buy it. After giving his list of Conservative proposals, Brown concluded that Tories had "changed their tune but haven't changed their minds". He went on to deny that Britain's society was broken - "by anyone or anything".

The full text of Brown's attack on the Conservatives:

You know our party so often in its history has been home to the big ideas - ideas later taken for granted, but revolutionary in their time. Just think, the vote for working men, and then for women, the NHS, legal protection from race or sex discrimination. These are no longer just Labour policies, they are established British values - they are the common sense of our age.

And we should never forget one thing - that every single blow we have struck for fairness and for the future has been opposed by the Conservatives.

And just think where our country would be if we'd listened to them. No paternity leave, no New Deal, no bank of England independence, no Sure Start, no devolution, no civil partnerships, no minimum wage, no new investment in the NHS, no new nurses, no new police, no new schools.

And so let's hear no more from the Conservatives - we did fix the roof while the sun was shining.

And just think if we'd taken their advice on the global financial crisis. Their policy was to let northern rock fold and imperil the whole financial system, our Labour government saved northern rock so not a single UK depositor lost out.

Their policy said, in this week of all weeks, that speculative short selling should continue. We acted decisively to end reckless speculation.

And the conservative policy would mean that at this very moment, there would be no regulation at all to protect homeowners. We are the party of protecting of homeowners rights.

Do you know what their Shadow Chancellor really said? In the week that banks were collapsing the man who wants to run our economy not only said: this is not a problem caused by the financial markets but went on to say and, I quote, "that it's a function of financial markets that people make loads of money out of the misery of others."

Just imagine where we'd be if they'd been in a position to implement their beliefs - no rescue of Northern Rock, no action on speculation, no protection for mortgages, doing nothing to stop banks going under.

What has become clear is that Britain cannot trust the Conservatives to run the economy.

Everyone knows that I'm all in favour of apprenticeships, but let me tell you this is no time for a novice.

But I believe in giving credit where it's due. The Conservative leader's team are smart - they've got a plan, and they are implementing it ruthlessly.

Their strategy is to change their appearance, to give the appearance of change, and to conceal what they really think.
And when salesmen won't tell you what they are selling, it's because they are selling something no-one should buy.

But I'm a man for detail and I've discovered some clues about what would be in store in a Conservative Britain.

They want us to believe that, like us, they now care about public services. But when Mr Cameron actually talks to his party about their spending plans he says the difference between Labour and Tory levels of public investment will be "dramatic" and "fundamental".

They want to tell us we're all progressives now but the day that Hazel Blears and Caroline Flint were announcing a one billion pound package to support millions of homeowners, the Conservatives were confirming that their first tax priority is to take that one billion pounds from hard working families and hand it over to the 3,000 richest estates in Britain.

And they want to tell us they now believe in investing in education, but they are committed to slashing 4.5 billion from the schools building programme, axing the educational maintenance allowances that help poorer students stay on and opposing the raising the education leaving age to eighteen and stopping training programmes. And yes friends, they would even take away Sure Start from infants and their parents. One of our greatest gifts to the future - one of the first priorities for Tory cuts.

The Conservatives may want to represent the future, but whether its Europe or energy, planning or tax credits, university places or 42 days, whenever they are tested on substance they have nothing to offer to meet the big challenges of tomorrow, because they are prisoners of their past.

If you look beneath the surface, you'll see that the Conservatives might have changed their tune, but they haven't changed their minds.

The Conservatives say our country is broken - but this country has never been broken by anyone or anything. This country wasn't broken by fascism, by the cold war, by terrorists.

Of course there are problems, but this is a country being lifted up every day by the people who love it.

Comments

[Kris Taylor]

Well said GB. The Tories talk of Britain as a broken society is stupid, counter productive and insulting to the great majority of decent people.

[Sally Roberts]

"Do you know what their Shadow Chancellor really said? In the week that banks were collapsing the man who wants to run our economy not only said: this is not a problem caused by the financial markets but went on to say and, I quote, "that it's a function of financial markets that people make loads of money out of the misery of others.""

I hope we are going to strongly refute this bare faced lie! I can't find that quote anywhere and I am absolutely certain Osborne didn't say it.

[rma]

You Know.....Did anyone count how many times he said "You Know" in his speech. Not the one listed above which seems to be an official transcript, but the real one he gave on Television?

[Sally Roberts]

"The Tories talk of Britain as a broken society is stupid, counter productive and insulting to the great majority of decent people."

The expression was first used by IDS after his visit to Easterhouse in Scotland where he witnessed extreme poverty and - yes - the symptoms of a "broken society". It is not stupid, it is not counter productive and what IS insulting to the great majority of decent people is a Labour minister (McNulty) twisting IDS's words for his own short-term gain. It only reminds me of the great Kipling quote "IF you can bear to hear the words you've spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools..."

Well, McNulty and Labour are the knaves - let us pray that the British People are not the fools!!

[Norm Brainer]

I only caught a bit of the speech but it did seem to be concentrating on conservatives as if brown was in opposition, not giving any plans rather what he thinks the conservatives would have done in the past few years (which seemed to be made up)

Tell us what you are going to do, Brown, not what you say someone else would have done!

[Tim Montgomerie]

"Everyone knows that I'm all in favour of apprenticeships, but let me tell you this is no time for a novice."

Was that comment aimed at David Cameron or David Miliband?!

[Mark Hudson]

Before everyone gets too carried away putting the boot in, I thought it was somwehat better than anticipated. Quite whether it moves his dismal ratings and avoids a leadership challenge, I doubt it. However, for Brown, it could have been a lot worse.

[David_at_Home]

If the Tories really were as Gordon Brown indicated I might feel more inclined to vote for them.

For example "….no rescue of Northern Rock, no action on speculation, no protection for mortgages, doing nothing to stop banks going under." seems like a good idea to me, rather than pouring billions of taxpayers money (i.e. the money taken from little old ladies, hard working parents, etc.) to prop up failed financial institutions and the feckless who took out loans that could not repay.

[David]

I thought it was a deadly performance, regardless of political perspective.

[Prentiz]

"Everyone knows that I'm all in favour of apprenticeships, but let me tell you this is no time for a novice."

Was that comment aimed at David Cameron or David Miliband?!

Aimed rather effectively at both I thought - only decent line in the speech.

[Sean Fear]

The only time the Conservatives opposed the extension of the franchise, IIRC, was in 1832. All other laws to extend the franchise were either introduced by the Conservatives in government, or supported by them in opposition.

Labour's role in extending the franchise has, in fact, been insignificant.

[Norm Brainer]

I just saw on the news that he had to get his wife to come on first to ask people nicely not to beat him up and steal his lunch money. Poor gordon.
He may not have noticed though as he was trying to improve the life of the 1 child (whilst thousands suffer more)

[Tyke Tory]

Ignoring my own political bias against him, I just found the delivery very boring. The content was difficult to pick out as it used local government speak too much, 'a new settlement', 'extraordinary and challenging circumstances' - something you read in government waffle, not the words of people down the pub.

[Richard Calhoun]

Brown's speech illustrated how concerned he is about his position as Leader.

This was a speech to Labour MP's and supporters at conference to try and win their support and keep him in office until 2010.

It was all pretty cynical really and he certainly wasn't addressing the electorate.

[James]

At one point, when he started to list the 'working man who could now afford a holiday for his children' and the 'little old ladie' who could now afford to eat (or some such guff), I honestly thought he was about to say "and little Tiny Timmie can now afford a new set of crutches"...

[Gezmond007]

I thought Brown was very good, follow that Mr Cameron if you can , I dont think you have the capability.

As I,ve said before we need a leader with Substance not just a salesman !
Bring back John Redwood or Ken Clarke men of substance.

[James Burdett]

Haven't seen the speech but it seemed pitifully short on anything substantial. He seems intent on carrying on as if his fiscal plans aren't in the process of being blown apart by the slow down.

[David (One of many)]

Gezmond, if that was a very good speech in your view I'm glad nobody seems to take your opinions seriously.

[Gezmond007]

What would you know David one of many. I watched it at work with about ten colleagues , half of whom before thought he was terrible and thought his speech was very positive .

Don,t be so narrow minded !

[Richard Calhoun]

Posted by: Gezmond007 | September 23, 2008 at 16:11

Unlike Brown, who was simply appealing to the Labour Party to keep him there until 2010 I think you will find Cameron will address the electorate as well.

I trust that he will address the very serious financial crisis we find ourselves in both globally and domestically, unlike our illustrious Prime Minister.

[David]

I was struck by the desparation of the audience trying to say awake and keel over with the cameras on them.

[christina Speight]

Points to note in Brown’s speech .

It was high on rhetoric an desperately short on accurate and reliable facts. Much sob stuff but no recognition that all the things he claims to want to put right are the result of his personal mismanagement

He said “The Conservatives say our country is broken - but this country has never been broken by anyone or anything.”. I say look, around him and , if he can; look us squarely in the face and say that again., It’s balderdash.

But - as they say - the devil’s in the detail so here are some details :-

1. He lies over 3 million jobs in that almost all of these new jobs have gone to immigrants.

2. He talks of the Tories not helping people with their fuel bills “in the last world downturn”, he probably doesn’t remember that fuel prices were not then rising anything like as fast!

3. “the party that will ensure security and dignity for pensioners.” That’s why pension increases are way below the rise in the cost of living, I suppose?

4. He talks of “1 million new jobs in green industries” Eh? Where and doing what? Profitably? or more state interfering bureaucrats.?

5. “ we will be the party of law and order.” That’s why violent crime has reached record levels and 50,000 criminals walk the streets free because he hasn’t provided enough prisons.

6. So its his government that cures cancer? . I thought it was the NHS which they have so overburdened with administrators that standards are falling.

7.“achieved a 36 percent reduction in MRSA.” - - Firstly this has happened because the MRSA bug has been overtaken by as much worse one ‘C.Difficile’. Why did he cause it to happen in the first place? He did so by reducing the number of hospital beds to the point that there is no sterilising time between one patient and the next in the queue

8. “ we can lead the way in beating cancer and other diseases - a great endeavour worthy of a great country: proud because we have a health service focused on 21st century needs.” Under his financial chaos wee lag behind much of the world now!

9. “no bank of England independence” without Labour. That was Tory policy put into effect by Gordon Brown. And all the other things he says Labour has done and the Tories didn’t were because the Tories weren’t then in power.

10. “rescue of Northern Rock” I wonder he has the gall to mention that. It was a total disaster and led directly to the attack on Halifax-BOS

11. “the best armed forces in the world.” They be the best men and women but they’ve been sent to fight for us ill-equipped, ill-provided with accommodation, ill-paid, ill served in medical aftercare when wounded. And there aren’t enough of them to do the job they’re asked to do. That’s why such numbers are leaving.

12. “Fairness” is his theme. Is it fair to let credit run wild and ruin people’s lives and jobs? Is it fair to have a postcode lottery for drugs? Is it fair to deny the voters the promised EU Treaty referendum? Is it fair to ruin our children’s lives by sending them out from ‘sink’ school;s illiterate and innumerate?

[Gezmond007]

I trust that he will address the very serious financial crisis we find ourselves in both globally and domestically, unlike our illustrious Prime Minister.

Posted by: Richard Calhoun | September 23, 2008 at 16:24

Where has he been for the last ten days Richard , the silence was deafening ! Only Osbourne said anything and he put his foot in his mouth.

When will you all learn that keeping men with experience like Ken Clarke on the backbenches is a big mistake !

[Richard Calhoun]

Posted by: christina Speight | September 23, 2008 at 16:28

Christina,
You give the man credibility by even commenting/criticising on the contents of his speech when he deserves none.

His speech was self serving, he simply wants the Labour Party to keep him there until 2010.

[John W]

Gezmond007 I don't know what you are smoking, but I want some.

[Richard Calhoun]

When will you all learn that keeping men with experience like Ken Clarke on the backbenches is a big mistake !

Posted by: Gezmond007 | September 23, 2008 at 16:31

Clarke has had his day, he is divisive and would not improve the quality of the cabinet.

The silence has been deafening as Brown and Darling stumble on behind everyone else, they are the ones in Government and seem to have no idea what is going on around them.

I think you will find Cameron will address this issue at Conference which Brown signally failed to do.

[Sally Roberts]

I think Christina does well in her analysis of this speech - now Christina, get out there and tell people what you've just been telling us - it would be so much more useful than some of the remarks you make about our leader!

[George Calthorpe]

With our armed forces facing daily threats from enemies abroad, I thought that his scant reference to them was so unappreciative that I would rather he hadn't done so at all.

A speech to save his own skin, rather than back our troops abroad.

Scumbag.

[Gezmond007]

Now Now George , dont be rude !!

[David Belchamber]

Brown said in his speech "I am a man for detail". Christina and others have pointed out how many details he got absolutely wrong in his speech (especially, emotive things like the claim that Labour extended the vote, which happened years before there was a Labour party).
He also goes in for partial truths (gave the BoE independence - a tory idea - but it is only the MPC that has this freedom).
If he is man for detail, robbing the poor to pay the rich with the doubling of the 10p tax band was not too clever!
I know that Brown is only concerned about saving his own political skin but, as leader of his party, I think he should only say things that are true.

[Leon Bancroft]

I think Cameron should be rubbing his hands together for next week. Biggest priority the economy? Answers = none. Well, his plan is actually to hammer us with more tax and break the bank with more borrowing. Instead, he proposes free internet for all kids, what a waste of money when people out there can barely pay their electricty bill to turn the PC on! As for the attack on Cameron using his kids 'as props' just shows how desperate the guy has become. I really hope Cameron and the team take a good look at this speech ahead of next week and blow Brown out of the sky.

[The Half-Blood Welshman]

Somebody should remind this idiot that the groundwork for the NHS was done by the National Government of Churchill, with the approval of Attlee, based upon an idea by Sir William Beveridge (a Liberal who had worked with Lloyd George). Moreover, although Labour had radical ideas far beyond anything Beveridge recommended when the NHS became fully functional in 1948, most of them were so expensive and unworkable that they bankrupted the country, destroyed the Labour government of Attlee, forced Aneurin Bevan's resignation and were summarily abandoned by the incoming Conservatives.

Apart from that, his claims on the NHS were largely accurate...

[Gezmond007]

Half-Blooded Welshman , what utter rubbish you speak !

[Leon Bancroft]

Anyone in the NHS will tell you this... big pat on the back to labour for throwing more money into the pot, but targets, persistent interference, and gross expansion of middle management bueracrats has been a complete waste of time and money. It infruriates me when labour take the credit for the hard-work and dedication of NHS staff, when contribution has simply been to chuck money at the problem.

[Votedave]

I seem to recall that Gordon Brown didn't see fit to mention David Cameron or the Conservative Party once in his speech last year - he clearly underestimated us and thought he'd beaten us.

What I don't recall is him saying "this is no time for a novice" in 1996, when Tony Blair was Leader of the Opposition.

Gezmond, David Cameron is a man of substance and he is not a salesman. What can be more substantial than being circumspect and waiting for the smoke to clear before he makes detailed policy statements and thereby not appearing inflexible? And what can be more substantial than being in a position where the Government is having to steal the Opposition's policies? Let us not allow the Labour Party lecture us about being insubstantial.

[passing leftie]

The speech is a salutory reminder of what the Tories would do to the country if they got in, and what they wouldn't have done had they been in. And no, Tory policy was not to make the Bank of England independent (Howard thought it was a bad idea). You seriously think the NHS is overfunded, the Armed Forces are overfunded, that banking needs less regulation, that we'd be better of battering heads with EU nations than cooperating with them, and that moralising about marriage and sexuality is the best way forward.

Brown is better than any potential conservative PM, and certainly a better PMthan Cameron ever could be.

[Sally Roberts]

"Brown is better than any potential conservative PM, and certainly a better PMthan Cameron ever could be."

And that's why you're called Passing Leftie, Passing Leftie! ;-)

[Malcolm Dunn]

Why do you bother coming onto this website to come out with this tripe Passing Leftie? I really don't understand it.Do you really think many people are going to listen to what you say when you won't admit that Brown is anything other than a truly awful PM?

[Leon Bancroft]

Well put Votedave. I fail to understand how GB is often refered to as a 'serious' politician, as he did himself today. He has proven completely indecisive, lied over reasons for cancelling the election, completely devoid of ideas (even those policies he had hi-jacked from DC subsequently fell apart). He may look and sound like a serious guy but the reality is quite different. DC on the other hand has gone about policy development in a comprehensive way, resisted reacting to criticism of being policy light for the best part of the first 2 years of his leadership, by putting out eye-catching policies and, refused to guarantee tax-cuts. DC is better at 'PR' and communicating with the electorate, GB is clearly not. As a result GB has tried to hide behind 'experience' and a more 'serious' image.
The only 'experience' GB has, is plunging the government and the british people into record levels of debt. He can no longer hide from the economic situation we find ourselves in, as he clearly did in his speech today which had no significant policy announcements and lacked any indication on how britain would survive the crisis, though I suspect more borrowing and tax hikes are the hidden agenda. If DC makes a speech anything like the one he delivered last year, rich in policy, a clear direction and dynamic solutions to the current economic crisis, then I have no doubt who will emerge the more 'serious' leader next week.

[Angry Ex-Soldier]

>Passing Lefty

"You seriously think the NHS is overfunded, the Armed Forces are overfunded, that banking needs less regulation..."

The Armed Forces are substantialy underfunded to the point of a national scandal. Soldiers are dying as a result of inadequate equipment. How dare Brown ever try to use the Armed Forces politically, ever.

I note he barely mentioned them in this speech, much like last year. Good. He's not fit to clean the average squaddie's boots.

[Dorian Grape]

Yo, passing leftie.

Note to self:

Do not apply for a job with the Kenco coffee early morning smelling test department.

You have clearly some problems with sentient reality. Come over to the Dark Side, you know you want to, otherwise why would you want to play with the big boys?

[Iain]

"The speech is a salutory reminder of what the Tories would do to the country if they got in"

But only significant if forget what Labour have done, like one of the policy successes Brown claimed for Labour, Devolution, a policy that could only be looked on favourably from Brown's parochial Scottish perspective, for devolution makes a joke of Browns claim of Brown's claim to 'fairness', for making English people constitutionally second class citizens could hardly be called as 'fair' neither was there much 'fairness' when he got Scottish MP's to vote top up fees on English students. There wasn't much 'fairness' when Brown said home care for the elderly couldn't be afforded for English pensioners, and there wasn't much 'fairness' when he cut the English NHS budget.

[Sally Roberts]

Oh leave him alone Malcolm! He's quite harmless...!

[Leon Bancroft]

...there won't be much fairness years from now when the state pension is scrapped because GB busted all the cash...

[Ken Stevens]

Still think Brine has been anglifying his accent of late.
;-)

[John]

My children aren't props - they're people!!!

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/03_01/FamilyBrownDM1503_468x413.jpg

[Votedave]

David Cameron's children have hardly ever been in the news, hardly more than those of Gordon Brown.

[christina Speight]

Sally Roberts at 16:41

I think the Brown government is a total disaster and all the hundreds who read my writings daily know that. So to analyse some of the crucial details of the Brown speech comes quite naturally because I say them every day. So I don't need your supercilious advice to " get out there and tell people what you've just been telling us"

I suppose I'll have to vote Tory to rid us of the continuing ghastliness of what Brown does. But I do so with no enthusiasm . I think the Tory leader and his economics sidekick are second-rate and Cameron is duplicitous as well. I've just done this month's survey and I've picked 'A Cameron government will achieve nothing much"

The Tories who get up my nose are those, like Sally, who are more concerned with a Tory victory than with saving our country in its hour of need.

Times are getting worse- much worse- and with Brown-Darling proposing even more borrowing there is little hope of improvement in the next 5 (or even 10) years.

[Formula 1]

During the good times it is not too hard to be a good chancellor it is during the hard times that leadership needs to be shown. Suppose he thought that the hard times had been eliminated.

Borrowing too much results in higher interest payments which means that less money can be spent on Education/Health etc. Do not know the latest figures but in the past interest on govt debt (you know gvt bonds and that) exceeded the Defence budget. Today gord said he would be increasing borrowing even further. It can be paid for by tax rises or asking the IMF. Don't think he mentioned that today.

[passing leftie]

>Passing Lefty

"You seriously think the NHS is overfunded, the Armed Forces are overfunded, that banking needs less regulation..."

The Armed Forces are substantialy underfunded to the point of a national scandal. Soldiers are dying as a result of inadequate equipment. How dare Brown ever try to use the Armed Forces politically, ever.

I note he barely mentioned them in this speech, much like last year. Good. He's not fit to clean the average squaddie's boots.

Posted by: Angry Ex-Soldier | September 23, 2008 at 19:17

I of course meant to say "You seriously think the Armed Forces are underfunded..."

and I think you have proved my point.

[passing leftie]

Why do you bother coming onto this website to come out with this tripe Passing Leftie? I really don't understand it.Do you really think many people are going to listen to what you say when you won't admit that Brown is anything other than a truly awful PM?

Posted by: Malcolm Dunn | September 23, 2008 at 18:52

My comment was more a reflection on Cameron than on Brown.

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[zodiaclove]

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