'I will stand up for British values'
Updated on 24 September 2007
Gordon Brown's first Labour conference speech as prime minister presents him as a man with the country's best interests at heart.
The set was more spartan,with less flash than new Labour has sported at recent conferences. It was reflected in Gordon Brown's speech, which sought to present a statesman standing above the fray, with Britain's best interests at heart.
Punish and prevent: five years jail for anyone found with a gun, taking away the liquor license from any shop caught selling alcohol to an under aged drinker.
But today's speech eschewed all mention of the opposition. And of Tony Blair there was little mention. There was an outbreak of rare party harmony and eerie unity, even with the unions.
There was no mention of the E-word, as Gordon Brown grapples with whether to go to the country early.
"I will stand up for British values. I will stand up for a strong Britain. And I will always stand up for you." The words with which Gordon Brown ended his first speech to a Labour conference as prime minister.
His speech ranged from the professional to the personal, announcing new measures on crime, education and health. And he explained how his own experiences had informed him.
But there was no mention of the E-word, as he grapples with whether to go to the country as early as next month. Nor any mention of the political opponents he'll face if he does call an early election.
Instead, Mr Brown remained focused on his ambition: to create "a stronger, fairer Britain".
