Blair and Brown push childcare vision
Gordon Brown yesterday pledged to eradicate child poverty in a third Labour term of office.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said Labour would work to give every British child the “best start in life”.
In a speech in Cardiff promoting Labour’s support for child care and child benefit, he said the policies were inspired by the creation of the NHS in 1948.
He outlined Labour’s intention to offer “generous tax credits”, 3,500 new SureStart centres by 2010 and flexible work arrangements for parents.
“Labour’s ambition is not simply tackling idleness but delivering full employment; not just attacking ignorance, disease and squalor but promoting lifelong education, good health and sustainable communities.
“Instead of just freedom from want, our aim is the freedom of every child and every adult to fulfil their potential”, he said.
Tony Blair, who has confirmed he will serve another term as Labour leader, if elected, but not a fourth, said he and the Chancellor were “entirely united” on making childcare “a centrepiece” of the next election manifesto.
Downplaying suggestions Mr Brown’s speech was a personal, “alternative” manifesto, at odds with New Labour overall vision, Mr Blair said: “Childcare is a major part of what we want to do.”
Today, Mr Blair will hold his monthly Downing Street press briefing.
In Edinburgh, Mr Brown will make a major speech on Third World debt and the tsunami tragedy.
Mr Brown will proffer his new “Marshall Plan” for the developing world, which aims to release “sufficient resources” in debt relief and extra money from the richest countries to deal with the “underlying causes” of poverty in Africa and elsewhere.
The Chancellor flies to Africa next to promote Britain’s presidency of the G8 of leading industrial nations and the Government’s commitment to eradicating absolute poverty on the continent.
He is expected to visit the African states of Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa, highlighting his brainchild plan – the international finance facility – which envisages debt relief payments to the world’s poorest nations through the IMF and World Bank.
Mr Brown has said 2005 would be a “make or break year” in the fight against global poverty.
