‘Eco town’ pledge from Brown
Prime minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown has unveiled plans to build more than 100,000 carbon neutral homes to help first-time buyers get on to the property ladder.
In his first clear policy indication since announcing his intention to succeed Tony Blair when he resigns on June 27th, the chancellor outlined proposals to construct five eco towns on old industrial sites.
The Ministry of Defence’s former barracks at Oakington in Cambridgeshire is said to be one of the sites being considered for development.
“I would say a home-owning, asset-owning, wealth-owning democracy is what would be in the interests of our country because everybody would have a stake in the country,” he said.
But the Conservatives have accused Mr Brown, still the only candidate in the Labour party leader election, of rehashing year-old government policies.
“Gordon Brown’s first big announcement turns out to be a re-spun government policy that was launched over a year ago,” said shadow chancellor George Osborne.
“It’s another example of same old Labour, same old spin.”
Mr Brown’s policy move is an indication of the rate at which the pace of new household growth is outstripping home building. Relentless demand for property in Britain has sustained booming house prices for Labour’s ten years in power.
The Labour party is due to announce its new leader and deputy leader – following John Prescott’s resignation – on June 24th.
The only two MPs to indicate they will compete against Mr Brown are left-wing backbenchers Michael Meacher and John McDonnell, who claim they have 45 signatories between them for one to stand in a leadership election.
Yesterday Mr Brown said that improving the NHS would be his top domestic priority if he became prime minister.
