'Britain is working' say Labour

Tuesday, 11 January 2005 12:00 AM

The Labour Party have launched the first of their general election posters, with the tag line 'Britain is working. Don't let the Tories wreck it again'.

In a show of party unity, John Prescott, Gordon Brown and Alan Milburn were all present to launch what will be Labour's biggest poster campaign since the last general election

The four posters revolve around economic achievements, and general election co-ordinator Alan Milburn said that the key message in the upcoming election would be stability and prosperity for British families.

Mr Milburn claimed that Labour had replaced the Conservatives as the "party of the economy" and "we are working on the third term plans that will entrench stability, extend prosperity, and develop Britain as a truly modern economy founded on skills, talent and enterprise."

He added there should be "no return to the Conservative Party that will wreck it again"

The launch had originally been scheduled for just after Christmas, but was delayed as a mark of respect for the victims of the Asian tsunami.

The first poster, in traditional gothic-style hand writing, reads the "Longest period of economic growth in 200 years." The second, with a black and white abstracted drum kit, proclaims the "lowest inflation for 60 years", the third read the "lowest mortgage rates in 40 years" and the final poster trumpeted the "lowest unemployment for 20 years."

Speaking at the launch, the Chancellor said he believed that the parties' respective economic policies would be the "central issues" when people make the decision which party to broke for.

Implicitly addressing media reports of leadership splits, Mr Brown said the party had a "shared purpose" and a "united determination" to fight the next general election and a victory there was their "sole motivation".

He promised to usher in a country of stability, enterprise, investment and fairness, which he compared to the Conservatives, who he claimed are "a party of instability, unemployment, neglect of investment and unfairness"

Mr Brown added: "Labour has worked hard to deliver strong economic foundations. This campaign draws attention not just to our record, but to a Tory record of high interest rates, high inflation, two recessions and three million unemployed. That choice between stability and boom and bust, jobs or tolerating unemployment, investment or cuts, is central to the political fight ahead."

Mr Prescott said that he "can't wait" to get the message out to the voters, saying that Labour has delivered on all of its promises made in 1997.

Brandishing the original 1997 pledge card, Mr Prescott told reporters: "If we had stood up in 1997 and promised a record like that eight years later, nobody would have believed we would do it. But we have, and we are going to make sure people know it. That's why I'll be continuing to wave my pledge card and remind voters of the economic stability we promised then - and we have delivered."

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