Labour's General Election Manifesto Launch
Labour's Manifesto for a future fair for all

Gordon Brown MP, Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party, today launched Labour's 2010 General Election Manifesto, together with the Cabinet, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston, Birmingham. To download the Manifesto please click here.Labour believes our programme for further national renewal meets the big challenges facing Britain with proposals that are ambitious but affordable and which learn both from what Labour has done well and the lessons we take from our experience to date.It is a Manifesto to further our goal of a modern, progressive Britain, based on the values of fairness, respect, decency and openness.Our Manifesto will set out plans to address the main future challenges we face in our economy, our society and our politics:Rebuilding our economyWe will back business to create one million more skilled jobs and grow our economy through advanced technology, exports and business investment. Labour’s Manifesto sets out our plan, equipping more people for the jobs of the future with up to 70,000 advanced apprenticeships and new Skills Accounts. It also sets out our plan to modernise Britain’s infrastructure with High Speed Rail, a Green Investment Bank and broadband access for all.Renewing our societyWe believe that personalised public services and strong communities are fundamental to British society. Our Manifesto sets out our plan to ensure that excellence is spread across all our public services – with a thousand schools becoming part of high standard accredited sc hools groups, every hospital a Foundation Trust and underperforming police forces or borough commanders replaced or taken over. Our Manifesto also sets out a plan to revitalise communities, protecting the institutions people care about such as the local pub and post office; improving care for the elderly with a new National Care Service, and giving new powers to PCSOs to deal with anti-social behaviour.Restoring trust in politicsWe know that the political system has let people down and there can be no return to business as usual at Westminster. Our Manifesto sets out plans to give people a right to recall MPs who let them down, a referendum on moving to the alternative vote for the House of Commons and a referendum on a democratic Second Chamber and a free vote in Parliament on reducing the voting age to 16.Gordon Brown writes in the foreword to the Labour Party Manifesto 2010:“This General Election is fought as our tr oops are bravely fighting to defend the safety of the British people and the security of the world in Afghanistan. They bring great pride and credit to our country: we honour and will always support them."At the same time the world has been rocked by the first great crisis of the new global economic age. In Britain, the political crisis caused by expenses has undermined the bond of trust between the people and the politicians elected to serve them. So this cannot, and will not, be a ‘business as usual’ election or Manifesto. In this Manifesto we set out plans to address the main future challenges we face in our economy, our society and our politics. We will rebuild the economy to secure the recovery and invest in future growth and jobs."We will renew our society to further strengthen the communities that bind our country together. And we will restore trust in politics with greater transparency and accountability in a system battered by the expenses scandal. Thi s programme for further national renewal meets the big challenges of the age. Our Manifesto is ambitious but affordable, bold but realistic, and learns from the lessons we take from our experience to date. Over the next ten years we will confront major challenges - intensive global competition, climate change, an ageing society, and bringing stability to Afghanistan. This is a moment for good judgement and serious purpose to meet the challenges ahead."Our aim is a modern, progressive Britain based on fairness, respect, decency and openness. This is a Manifesto about the greater progressive change we need because of the tougher times we are living through. There are no big new spending commitments, but there is a determination for every penny to be used wisely, and, as present plans make clear, to give the maximum protection to frontline public services. This is a moment to show greater boldness in response to what Britain has gone through and the toll it has taken. We r eject a ‘business as usual’ mentality because we have to re-build and rebalance the economy, as well as renew our society and politics. Reform cannot stand still – not least because we need to get more value and delivery from public services in a period of public spending constraint."Our Manifesto charts an optimistic course in tougher economic times. It builds on and takes forward the reforms we have undertaken since 1997."I love Britain and want the very best for our country. This Manifesto is my pledge of a future fair for all."Online films launched at event

Labour have created a set of online promotional videos which allow viewers on YouTube and the party's site to explore Labour’s plans for government. As the Cabinet arrived at the launch event every party member was emailed the link to the promotional films and encouraged to forward them to their friends and post to Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. Ellie Gellard, the popular Labour supporting blogger and student opened the launch by urging everyone in the audience and those watching at home to share the films with their friends, colleagues and online contacts. To see the promotional videos, please click here.