Brown puts education at forefront of 'people party' fightback against SNP

GORDON BROWN will today try to reclaim the political initiative from the Nationalists by urging Labour's Scottish activists to unite behind the party's plans for education.

The Prime Minister, in his first speech to the Scottish Labour Conference since he took over from Tony Blair last year, will claim the "people's party" is the only one able to prepare the country for the economic challenges of the 21st century.

He will contrast that with the SNP's record on investment since taking power last May, claiming it had failed to commission a single new school building.

Mr Brown will also give his strong personal backing to Wendy Alexander, the party's embattled Scottish leader – and have a dig at the Scottish Government by referring to it by its old title of "Executive".

He is set to say: "Scotland stands on the brink of unprecedented prosperity, but is held back by an Executive that doesn't understand the modern world and has no plan except to retreat from it. While Labour had built or refurbished 328 schools and were promising to build 250 more, the SNP have commissioned not a single new school building in the last ten months.

"They said they would match our historic investment in schools brick for brick – tell that to pupils at Elgin High or Dumbarton Academy whose developments have been cancelled, or to parents at so many other schools facing delayed investment.

"And while Labour got record numbers of young people into higher and further education, the SNP have cut the budgets of colleges, universities and enterprise agencies – precisely the institutions which could equip our people to prosper in the decades to come.

"Labour will fight on the side of our communities, with parents, pupils, tenants, patients, pensioners. We will be their last line of defence, the people's party." The conference at Aviemore is the first since devolution to find Scottish Labour in opposition. Much of the agenda will focus on Ms Alexander's three key themes of "reform, reconnect and renew" – some of which deals with the way the party operates on the ground.

She has already driven through changes to the way the party finds and targets likely voters by putting the whole system online. However, agents and candidates will also be looking for ways to increase the number of members and activists, a worsening problem for Labour in Scotland over the last few years.

Part of the conference will deal with new policy ideas, particularly in education, the one area which Ms Alexander feels Labour has to make its own ahead of the election of 2011.

Last night, Ms Alexander said she was "relishing" her first conference as leader.

Douglas Alexander, the International Development Secretary and Ms Alexander's brother, is due to address the conference today while Des Browne, the Scottish Secretary, will close the conference with a speech on Sunday.

THE SIX STEPS LABOUR MUST TAKE
WHAT Labour needs to do in Aviemore this week.

• 1. Wendy Alexander needs to assert her authority over the party, following six months of problems and stuttering performances. She needs to emerge from conference energised by the full backing of her party.

• 2. The Scottish Labour Party needs to be galvanised to prepare it for three years of battles with the SNP. Activists need to leave determined to harry the government from opposition.

• 3. Gordon Brown has to inspire the delegates. He has to show his Scottish party, particularly those who felt let down by Tony Blair, that he really has been worth waiting for.

• 4. The leadership has to get backing for its "renew, reform and reconnect" agenda. Party managers have set much store on the internal reforms to streamline campaigning.

• 5. Labour has to set the political agenda. By the end of the weekend, no-one should be in any doubt what the party's message is and what it stands for.

• 6. The party has to patch up its differences with local government. Party leaders need to take time on the fringes of conference to make up with Labour councillors. They will need their support in the future.