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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Blears attacks Labour's 'failure' | Blears attacks Labour's 'failure' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has attacked the government's "lamentable" failure to communicate. | Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has attacked the government's "lamentable" failure to communicate. |
| Writing in the Observer, Ms Blears says the public does not believe many of the government's policy announcements. | Writing in the Observer, Ms Blears says the public does not believe many of the government's policy announcements. |
| And she says use of "new media" by politicians is not as effective as traditional campaigning methods. | And she says use of "new media" by politicians is not as effective as traditional campaigning methods. |
| "YouTube if you want to, but it is no substitute for knocking on doors or setting up a stall in the town centre," she says. | "YouTube if you want to, but it is no substitute for knocking on doors or setting up a stall in the town centre," she says. |
| "We need to have a relationship with the voters based on shared instincts and emotions. | "We need to have a relationship with the voters based on shared instincts and emotions. |
| "We need to start showing we understand the instincts, fears, hopes and emotions of the broad mass of British people." | "We need to start showing we understand the instincts, fears, hopes and emotions of the broad mass of British people." |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown has launched an online version of Prime Minister's Questions, pledging to respond to videoclip questions submitted via the Downing Street YouTube website. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown has launched an online version of Prime Minister's Questions, pledging to respond to videoclip questions submitted via the Downing Street YouTube website. |
| Commons defeat | Commons defeat |
| Ms Blears also criticises the government's handling of the issue surrounding the Gurkhas, saying it put itself "on the wrong side of the British sense of fair play, and no party can stay there for long without dire consequences". | Ms Blears also criticises the government's handling of the issue surrounding the Gurkhas, saying it put itself "on the wrong side of the British sense of fair play, and no party can stay there for long without dire consequences". |
| The government suffered a shock defeat in the Commons on its policy of restricting the right of many former Gurkhas to settle in the UK. | The government suffered a shock defeat in the Commons on its policy of restricting the right of many former Gurkhas to settle in the UK. |
| MPs voted by 267 to 246 for a Lib Dem motion offering all Gurkhas equal right of residence, with the Tories and 27 Labour rebels backing it. | MPs voted by 267 to 246 for a Lib Dem motion offering all Gurkhas equal right of residence, with the Tories and 27 Labour rebels backing it. |
| Although Ms Blears does says that Mr Brown will lead the party into the next election, she also argues that the government must appear more "human" if it is to defeat the Tories. | Although Ms Blears does says that Mr Brown will lead the party into the next election, she also argues that the government must appear more "human" if it is to defeat the Tories. |
| "Labour ministers have a collective responsibility for the government's lamentable failure to get our message across," she says. | "Labour ministers have a collective responsibility for the government's lamentable failure to get our message across," she says. |
| "Whatever the problems of the recession, the answer is not more government documents or big speeches." | "Whatever the problems of the recession, the answer is not more government documents or big speeches." |
| Former deputy prime minister John Prescott had earlier rebuked Labour politicians who criticised the prime minister. | |
| Mr Prescott said members should stop complaining and get behind the party. |