“People think of themselves not as consumers but as neighbours and citizens” – Gordon Brown

In the wake of the election that never was, there has been much comment about Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s alleged lack of vision. Three years ago this month, Brown made a seminal speech in which he argued for the need to build a progressive consensus in Britain and to look beyond narrow, individual, self interest to the interests of everyone in society.  The speech which was given to the 2004 Compass national conference attracted much comment.

At the conference Brown spoke to “the ethic of service, which is more than contracts, markets and exchange and is about compassion, duty and respect”.

Conservative Leader David Cameron has often said Brown is a “road-block” to public sector reform but when he gave this 2004 speech more than a year before Cameron became leader, Brown said the welfare state must be more ambitious than its architects envisaged in 1942:

“Instead of simply attacking idleness and unemployment, our goal is the genuinely challenging goal of full and fulfilling employment;
Instead of simply attacking ignorance, our goal is the more ambitious goal of lifelong education for all;
Instead of simply attacking squalor, our goal is high quality affordable, housing for all and not just houses but strong and sustainable communities;
Instead of simply tackling disease, our goal is not just an NHS there when you need it but health and social policies that can prevent illness as well as cure disease and promote good public health;
Instead of just securing freedom from want – which meant sufficiency and minimum standards – our goal is the development of the potential of all to secure prosperity for all.”

In the speech Brown also outlined his vision for social democracy not just domestically but on the international stage:

“if politics succeeds not just in Britain and then in Africa and developing countries, millions more can obtain a decent education, millions more can have healthcare, millions more can flourish, and millions more men and women can achieve their potential”.

A lack of vision?  To read the speech in full, click here.

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