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Brown outlines 'eco towns' plan Brown outlines 'eco towns' plan
(about 2 hours later)
Gordon Brown says he wants five new "eco towns" built to help people onto the property ladder, as he continues his campaign to succeed Tony Blair. Gordon Brown says he wants to see five new "eco towns" created as part of a general increase in house building to meet "pent up" demand for homes.
He said he wanted the 100,000 homes in "carbon neutral" communities to be built on old industrial sites, such as former Ministry of Defence property. The chancellor, campaigning to succeed Tony Blair, said he wanted the 100,000 homes in "carbon neutral" communities to be built on old industrial sites.
Mr Brown told the BBC he wanted the total number of homes built each year increased, with more social housing. Mr Brown told the BBC's Sunday AM he wanted to help create a "home-owning, asset-owning, wealth-owning democracy".
He is so far unchallenged in his bid to succeed Tony Blair as Labour leader. He spoke as the Labour Party prepares to draw up a leadership race timetable.
The proposed five "eco towns" could each contain up to 20,000 homes, funded with a mixture of public and private finance. You have got to combine the building of housing for ownership with the building of houses for rent in a far more mobile and fluid society Gordon BrownLabour chancellor
It reflects concern over the growing demand for homes, which has driven up housing prices, making it more difficult for young couples attempting to get on the property ladder. The party's ruling national executive committee is meeting on Sunday afternoon and will announce afterwards the timetable for both the leadership - and deputy leadership - contests.
But the Conservatives say that carbon neutral towns were announced by Labour over a year ago. The whole process is expected to take about seven weeks even if neither of the proposed left-wing leadership challengers, Michael Meacher and John McDonnell, get backing from the 45 Labour MPs needed to enter the contest.
They claim that between them they can meet that figure and have said that the one with the least support will step aside in favour of the other.
As they continue to seek nominations from Labour MPs the two will debate policy with Mr Brown at a conference on Sunday evening.
Mrs Thatcher
Even if they do get enough backers the two are not seen as a realistic threat to Mr Brown's chances of being chosen by Labour as its new leader, and hence as Britain's next prime minister when Mr Blair leaves Downing Street on 27 June.
That means Mr Brown's campaign is targeting voters at large as much as those in Labour and the trade unions who will decide the party's next leader.
He told Sunday AM he wanted to go further than Margaret Thatcher in extending home ownership.
"But I also recognise you have got to combine the building of housing for ownership with the building of houses for rent in a far more mobile and fluid society," he added.
The proposed five "eco towns" could each contain up to 20,000 homes and showed "imagination" in combining the need for homes with helping the environment.
On detail, he said the eco-towns would have bus routes, cycle lanes and schools designed with the environment in mind so the whole community could be carbon neutral.
The Conservatives say that carbon neutral towns were announced by Labour over a year ago.
HealthcareHealthcare
On Saturday, Mr Brown said education and healthcare were his top domestic priorities, saying he wanted "fairness and opportunity for all" in the UK. During the interview Mr Brown confirmed his plans to give Parliament more power over things such as decisions to go to war.
He spent the day campaigning in marginal seats in Kent. But he rejected suggestions that the Iraq war had been a mistake and said he planned to visit the country.
Asked what mistakes had been made since Labour came to power in 1997 Mr Brown said: "I think if you look back over the last ten years, what happened over the Dome was a mistake."
HAVE YOUR SAY I feel like Brown has been snuck in through the back door Luke Frost, Sunderland Send us your commentsHAVE YOUR SAY I feel like Brown has been snuck in through the back door Luke Frost, Sunderland Send us your comments
Speaking at Sunlight Community Centre in Gillingham, Kent, said: "What I want for my children I want for every child, to get the best education and the best healthcare." He also said his announcement of a 75p pension rise "could have been done far better".
Mr Brown said there was a need for electronic prescriptions, the availability of blood pressure checks at pharmacies, and walk-in clinics. And he said "we've still got a lot to do to show people that the health service is going to move into the modern era as a health service that is there for people when they need it".
The chancellor said: "I see us building up the NHS and making it a great British institution and making it the envy of the world." He said he did not think the health service should be given full independence, saying ministers still needed to make funding decisions, but he talked up the local accountability allowed by foundation hospitals.
But Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley questioned Mr Brown's history as chancellor when it came to NHS improvements. But for the Conservatives, the shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "Gordon Brown is responsible for Labour's financial mismanagement of the NHS. He failed to make the NHS a priority during his 10 years as chancellor and his rhetoric... is unconvincing."
"Gordon Brown is responsible for Labour's financial mismanagement of the NHS. He failed to make the NHS a priority during his 10 years as chancellor and his rhetoric today is unconvincing," he said.
Leadership contest
Mr Brown is the firm favourite to succeed Mr Blair when he quits on 27 June.
Labour's national executive is due to announce the timetable for the leadership contest later today.
It will set the timetable for the leadership election itself - if there is one - and for what will be the more hotly contested contest, for the deputy leadership.
Mr Brown will also hold his first policy debate with his two party rivals - Michael Meacher and John McDonnell.
The pair are yet to decide which of them will challenge Mr Brown, insisting that between them they can muster the support of 45 Labour MPs needed for one to go forward as a candidate.