Party conference briefing

Will Pickering, SkillsActive - 04/10/2007

In Bournemouth, with speculation about an early election showing no sign of abating, Gordon Brown used his first Labour Party conference speech as leader and Prime Minister to promise that he would not let the people of Britain down, describing himself as a "conviction politician" who wanted to "defend and extend" British values and help everyone reach their potential.

He said, “I stand for a Britain where everyone should rise as far as their talents can take them and then the talents of each of us should contribute to the well being of all.”

On the subject of skills he asked the following questions, “How many men and women who hope to move up the ladder in mid career are deprived of the chance to upgrade their skills and jobs? How much talent that could flourish is lost through a poverty of aspiration: wasted not because young talents fail to reach the stars but because they grow up with no stars to reach for? And how many of our youngest children are still deprived of the early learning they need.”

Innovation, University and Skills Secretary John Denham outlined recent changes to the training system aimed at meeting the needs of companies, employees and individuals. He went on the stress the need to make sure that “our colleges and trainers offer the skills companies need at the place and time that is right for them”.

Highlighting the importance placed upon employers he said, “it's employers who have the most influence on other employers. Over 250 companies covering two and a half million employees have now made the Skills Pledge…..As our drive for world class skills takes hold, attitudes will change. So when someone complains they are in a dead end job, their best friend will say 'get retrained'. When an employer complains about the shortage of skills, others should ask 'what are you doing to train your staff?”

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls used his speech to outline the importance of all those involved in the children’s workforce, “all the staff and volunteers who work with young people in children's centres, local authorities, the voluntary sector and youth services; and to all the governors and parents who give their time to support our schools”.

Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, James Purnell emphasised his belief that “culture and sport bind our communities together”, describing his cause as to give everyone the chance to develop their talent and unlock everyone’s potential.

He launched a campaign for coaching through which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will to invest £5 million over three years in the coaching recruitment campaign to be delivered from April 2008.

On the subject of the Olympics he said, “In five years, we will host the greatest sporting show on earth. What a catalyst this could be. What an opportunity to lift the sights of a generation. The Olympics are not five years of construction followed by a fortnight of competition. The Olympics can be a great sporting summer, flanked by a decade of aspiration”

Conservatives

In Blackpool, challenging the Prime Minister to call an early election, Conservative leader, David Cameron said, “We will fight, and Britain will win."

Speaking without notes for over an hour, he contrasted the "modern" Tories with Labour's "cynical... old politics".

He said, “I know that business wants to hear from the Conservative Party how we will reduce regulation and reduce taxation to give them more freedom in this new world. And as we share the proceeds of growth between public spending on the one hand and lower taxes on the other hand, we can give business the lower tax regimes that they need. But here's the deal. For business and for us, to make sure we have sustainably lower taxes, we need business to help us to cut the bills of social failure. That's the only way you can keep tax and regulation down in the long term”

Shadow Children’s, Schools and Families Secretary, Michael Gove spoke about the Conservatives plans for education, announcing the launch of a new campaign ‘Comprehensively Excellent’, in which they identify some of the very best state schools in the country and identify the qualities which help make them a success. They’ll campaign for these qualities to be adopted more widely.

He also said, “In the world being shaped by globalisation those with degrees and skills can prosper, those without face losing even what little opportunity they have today. Instead of two nations, instead of the educationally rich and the knowledge poor, sheep and goats, the fortunate and the forgotten. We should have an education system which overcomes disadvantage, unlocks talent and unites our country. That is my vision and it should be our mission.”

He also stressed how he wanted to bring adventure back into learning by making it easier to do competitive team sports, easier to go on outward or out of classroom trips.

“I share the fear that our children are being brought up in a world where they are so insulated from adventure, so restricted by health and safety rules, that they never learn to manage risk. Because they cannot find it in the safe environment of school, some seek risk in the dangerous environments of gang culture.

So we will make it easier for all schools to do what the best want to - bring back adventure. We will change the law to shift the balance against the health and safety bureaucrats, to dismantle the compensation culture, to let our children enjoy the wind in their hair and the thrill of testing themselves outside their comfort zones”.

Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat leader, Menzies Campbell outlined his belief that the Liberal Democrats have emerged as the “principal challenges to government”.

“Who’d have thought that after a decade of Labour government social mobility would be in decline? And who’d have thought that our country would languish - shamefully - at the bottom of the UNICEF league table for the well-being of children." He emphasised how he believes that the Lib Dems are leading the fight for five freedoms of opportunity, good health, personal security, prosperity for all and a clean environment.

Shadow Children, Schools and Families Secretary, David Laws outlined how he wanted to set up a new liberal direction for education, “based on opportunity, localism, and real empowerment”  He announced that over the next few months a team will look at then new and best ideas in education, both here and abroad.

“Children with loving and supportive parents do better in life. So we will look at what more can be done to enable good parenting. The second challenge, for all children, is for more high quality early years education.
Finally, we must help our schools to break the link between poverty and poor performance.”

Regarding tourism, the party backed plans to:

• Establish a permanent Cabinet sub-committee on tourism
• Create an English Tourist Board like those for Scotland and Wales
• Improve public transport 
• Develop local destination management organisations to help create effective tourism strategies