Vintage Brown brings the house down

Chancellor delighted delegates in Glasgow

By BBC News Online political correspondent Nick Assinder

Any lingering suggestion that Britain is not in the middle of an election campaign has been comprehensively blown apart by Chancellor Gordon Brown.

While some Labour bosses were dismissing suggestions that their spring conference in Glasgow was a launch pad for the next poll, Mr Brown left delighted delegates in no doubt.

In a powerful speech which attempted to press all the right buttons for party activists, he made no pretence that this was anything other than an election rallying call.

Looming poll

Time and again he spoke about the looming poll and pledged what would be at the heart of the next New Labour programme.

He attempted to answer those critics who have expressed disappointment over his strict economic discipline, insisting it had been right to seek stability first.

Referring to previous Labour governments, he declared that, for the first time, they could make the case for a second term with rising employment and investment built on a foundation of stability.

Disillusion

He also sought to combat the disillusion felt by many so-called heartland voters with pledges that a second Labour government would be more radical than the current one.

Election date still awaited

He appealed to Labour supporters to come out and vote in the next poll and not to lose faith or feel the best was behind them.

"People say Labour's great moment was in the past, in 1945. Others say our great modern triumph was May 1997.

"But, I say again, we have only just begun.

"And to those same people who say Labour's place in history is assured by winning a second term, I say, it is victory with a mandate Labour seeks."

Five priorities

There was little new in his announcements, but he did map out five specific priorities for a second New Labour government.

They were full employment, creating prosperity for all, boosting the number of youngsters going to university, eradicating child poverty and delivering the best public services.

He refused to offer across-the-board tax cuts, again insisting stability must come first.

But he did seek to woo the powerful "grey vote" with a pledge to boost pensioners' incomes.

Vintage

It was all vintage Brown and, predictably, brought the house down.

The only question that remained unanswered was when the next general election would actually be.

Following his speech it will be impossible for ministers to claim they are not now irrevocably locked into an election timetable - even if no one yet knows precisely what it is.

Date of poll

It will also now be difficult for the prime minister to delay for much longer an announcement on the date of the poll.

The chancellor's performance, echoed by speeches from other ministers, certainly persuaded those few delegates still in any doubt that they were in full campaigning mode.

There is still the debate about when it will be - the favourite date of 3 May or even sooner.

But, to all intents, the campaign has now started.