Brown's pledges a 'sham' - Tories

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/6292474.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Gordon Brown's programme of reforms for the next year amounts to a "re-release" of the 1997 Labour manifesto, Tory leader David Cameron has said.

This showed the prime minister's "promise to listen to the country" was a "complete and utter sham", he added.

Mr Brown earlier outlined his proposed bills to MPs, breaking the tradition of announcing the government's programme in the Queen's Speech in November.

Mr Cameron said he had heard plans for education and housing "all before".

Mr Brown told the Commons he wanted more "affordable" homes to be built, 25-year fixed-rate mortgages and more government-owned land to be used for building.

'Same failures'

He also proposed raising the minimum education leaving age in England and Wales to 18, with more young people doing apprenticeships.

Mr Cameron said: "Now, I know this is meant to be some great constitutional innovation, but I have to say most of what the prime minister announced sounds rather like the Queen's Speech last year, the year before and the year before that - a long list of bills, the same priorities and the same failures.

"And I have to say we've heard it all before. He said he wanted to build more homes, but didn't he say that in 1994, in 1998, in 2005 and in 2006?

"But isn't it the case that every year, this government has built less social housing than was built in any year under its predecessor?

"And I have to say to him, wasn't the announcement about building on Ministry of Defence land - wasn't that made in May 2006 and again today?

"He said he wants 25-year mortgages, but isn't it the case that he first announced that four years ago?"

Mr Cameron added: "He wants apprenticeships and universal education after 16.

"I've checked the record, he told us that in 1996: a year before he even came to office.

"I have to say to the prime minister, for 10 years he has plotted and schemed for the top job, but all we've got is a sort of re-release of the 1997 manifesto.

"The country has moved on but he simply hasn't."

Mr Brown has proposed 23 bills for the next parliamentary session.

He says he is announcing them four months ahead of the Queen's Speech to encourage more discussion of their contents.