Brown’s pledges
Share
Most of Gordon Brown’s weekend speech was entirely predictable. In essence he was saying: “We are good and the Tories are bad”. But there was one point that is worth examining in more detail.
It was to be expected that Brown would promise to secure the recovery, reduce the deficit and not cut frontline services (although it is not clear what the final phrase will mean in practice). The pledge to support new industries and create new jobs is worth closer examination.
Brown did not give much detail in his speech on how his final promise would be implemented. There was some talk of making Britain the world-leading digital economy, creating “green jobs” and increasing the number of apprenticeships. (article continues below)
Judging by Brown’s past record and statements these are unlikely to amount to much. Both green jobs and apprenticeships are likely to end up as low paid, low productivity positions designed mainly to keep people off the dole.
As for being a world-leading digital economy it is hard to imagine Britain investing enough to succeed. Nor is investing heavily in broadband sufficient to make Britain a manufacturing leader.
These pledges, along with those of the other party leaders, will need to be subject to close scrutiny in the run-up to the election.
