Gordon Brown has failed to deliver real change for Britain

1.31.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 5th Oct 2007

Gordon Brown - failing to make a difference

Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell launched an attack on Gordon Brown for failing to deliver real change for Britain in his first 100 days as Prime Minister.

Menzies Campbell said "Mr Brown has been working hard to convince the British public that there has been real change in Number 10. Yet he cannot escape the fact that as Chancellor he had unparalleled influence over government. He failed to raise green taxes to tackle climate change, supported and signed the cheques for the Iraq war and personally led a smash and grab raid on private pensions."

"As Prime Minister Gordon Brown may talk about change, but he has failed to deliver the real change that Britain needs."

"He has failed to end Labour's assault on civil liberties, failed to grasp the nettle of climate change, failed to open the poverty trap, failed to give power back to people and failed to restore Britain's international reputation."

"This country needs a new direction and Gordon Brown can't deliver it."

Notes

100 Days of Failure

Gordon Brown has had 100 days to deliver a real change for Britain. But on the five key issues for Britain, it's clear he has failed to deliver.

1. Brown has failed to bring an end to Labour's assault on civil liberties. Despite warm words and a change of tone on civil liberties, it is clear the new Prime Minister offers no change. He has:

· Committed himself to pursuing the expensive and intrusive Identity Cards project

· Done nothing to lift restrictions on protest in Parliament Square - and seen a protester sent to prison for the first time on his watch

· Committed to extending pre-charge detention, reneging on John Reid's pledge to secure cross-party agreement first

2. Brown has failed to grasp the nettle on climate change. As Chancellor, Brown allowed the share of green taxes to drop thanks to a lukewarm commitment to the threat of climate change. His first 100 days show he isn't going to change. He has:

· No plans to make the vital green tax switch to tax pollution instead of people

· Failed to properly fund flood defences, or increase resources for public transport

· Committed himself to massive investment in a new generation of nuclear power stations instead of renewable energy

3. Brown has failed to break open the poverty trap. The tax system introduced by Brown means the poorest pay more of their income in tax than the richest. Hopes that he might now implement policies to reverse the 10-year trend of rising inequality have been dashed by the first 100 days where he has done nothing to:

· Restructure the income tax and tax credit system to ensure that work pays

· Deal with the failing Child Support Agency and its £3.5bn backlog of money owed to single parent families

· Introduce any policy to tackle cycles of deprivation in the education system

4. Brown has failed to give power back to the people. More warm words and promises of consultation have masked failure to do anything concrete to reinvigorate Britain's democracy, devolve power, or strengthen Parliament. Instead Brown has:

· Undermined promises to make announcements to Parliament with this week's troop recall statement in Iraq

· Failed even to consider reform to Britain's unfair voting system

· Weakened the ministerial code, allowing ministers to hold company directorships

5. Brown has failed to restore Britain's international reputation. Despite occasional changes of tone from new ministers, Brown has failed to make the vital steps needed to re-balance the Anglo-American alliance and recommit Britain to the international rule of law. He has:

· Signed up to the US missile defence system, even though it risks undermining international arms treaties - overriding assurances from Tony Blair that any collaboration would be openly and publicly debated in Parliament

· Failed to establish an independent inquiry into the reasons Britain went to war in Iraq

· Failed to reopen the investigation into alleged corruption at BAE