Thousands log on to watch Gordon Brown


Thousands of people logged on to labour.org.uk this evening to watch Gordon Brown, Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party in a live Q&A webcast.

The webcast was held following the first of the English local elections broadcasts in which members of the public were encouraged to text questions to Gordon Brown.

During the half hour webcast Gordon Brown answered questions on topics including the 10p tax rate, Iraq, safer neighbourhoods and affordable homes. Over 3000 questions were sent to Gordon Brown by web and text message.

Following the webcast, which was hosted by Arabella Weir, Gordon Brown said

“I was delighted with the number of people who sent texts. I was able to answer a wide range of comments and questions texted in from all over the country. The webcast gave me an opportunity, using the internet to interact with people across Britain, to hear their views and respond to their concerns.

“I recognise that whilst the Labour Party has achieved a great deal in communities up and down the country over the last eleven years, we have only just begun to change Britain for the better and we must step up the pace of change.”

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Message posted by ZEINAB MOHAMED  at 2008-04-15 09:09:27
Dear Mr Gordon Brown and the Labour Party
In the next few days we will be entering our full opinions and notes to Mr Gordon Brown's speech.
Yours sincerely

Mrs Zeinab Mohamed Morris L0107858
Mr Paul Morris L0107857

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Message posted by PAUL  at 2008-04-15 08:59:54
Dear Mr Gordon Brown and the Labour Party

In the next few days we will be entering our full opinions and notes to Mr Gordon Brown's speech.

Yours sincerely

Mr Paul Morris L0107857
Mrs Zeinab Mohamed Morris L0107858
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Message posted by Anita at 2008-04-10 16:31:26
I agree that it is very bad public relations as well as unethical to penalise low earners without children. On the subject of public relations, I just wish we could have the courage of our convictions (or are they not shared by our leaders?), and publicise the social damage that is done to our society by the increasing inequality in wealth, in order to justify a reasonable increase in taxation for those who have large incomes. The extra money could provide more social amenities such as youth workers in deprived areas, more parenting groups of a non-compulsory nature, subsidising the Post Offices, renationalising bus services, anything that will repair the fabric of society and improve social (not just ethnic) cohesion.
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Message posted by Peter at 2008-04-10 15:45:35
Like Stuart, I don't want to see anyone lose out from the simplification of the tax system through the 'abolition' of the 10p tax rate. There are remedies without 'playing to the gallery' and doing a U-turn. I look forward to an early announcement in the House of Commons after the Spring Recess, and before the London and local elections on 1 May.

Regular updates can be seen here:

http://petergkenyon.typepad.com/peterkenyon
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Message posted by Mark Vines at 2008-04-10 16:18:49
As I understand it from the Evening Standard. Those on a salary £18500 or below will marginally lose out in the tax changes.So as a poorly paid health service worker in London , I might just escape. It's not the amount of money involved, its the principle of a Labour government hitting the low paid.
Why don't they uplift the tax threshold above inflation.Something Gordon Brown always refused to do, to help with low pay.
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Message posted by Stuart at 2008-04-08 12:25:44
I'm a new Labour loyalist as I believe largely in where we've got to and where we want to go as a sensible mainstream Party of the centre-left.

However, I'm in a *state of disbelief* about the Government's chosen path of hitting some of the lowest income tax payers through the abolition of the 10p rate.

I'm *ashamed* of the policy and the arrogant disregard for ordinary people who don't happen to have children. Don't patronise us with talk about this tax-hike being necessary to help contain child poverty.

Childless people do contribute to society, and to hit those of them on low incomes even harder with this 'tax simplification' is reprehensible.


Sorry, but it's just beyond the pale and this tax increase on low-income people is a worrying sign of how disconnected some of our representatives appear to have become.
What are we playing at ?!
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