Brown’s 10-yr vision for UK

Prime minister Gordon Brown was setting out a broad decade-long agenda on Monday in his first speech to a Labour party conference as its leader...

Prime minister Gordon Brown was setting out a broad decade-long agenda on Monday in his first speech to a Labour party conference as its leader — an ambitious programme he hopes will help him put his own stamp on Britain’s government following Tony Blair’s 10 years in office.

Brown, who became Britain’s leader 12 weeks ago, was setting out new policy on key public concerns of gun crime and health while planning to signal increased support for efforts to broker peace in Sudan.

He told party elders on Sunday he planned fresh reforms of public services and a focus on education, aiming to compete with the emerging economies of China and India.

“I know that we must go much further, be bolder and more confident if we are to unleash the talents of all and make Britain the place it can be,” Brown wrote in a letter to his party’s executive committee.

Advisers said the letter revealed Brown’s likely future election manifesto and set out the themes of his speech on Monday— improving services, handling globalization, tackling terrorism, responding to an ageing society, climate change and helping young families. Brown said he would announce new stop-and-search powers for police in 10 cities designated gun crime black spots, allowing officers to check anyone on suspicion they are carrying a weapon.

“Wherever there are guns, we are going to take action to get them out of these communities,” Brown said.