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Brown impresses Labour conference, media unmoved

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged to improve Britain's free schools and hospitals on Monday in a speech to the Labour Party faithful which fired their enthusiasm for an early general election.

"I will not let you down. I will stand up for our schools and hospitals ... I will stand up for a strong Britain," said Brown, making his eagerly awaited first speech as leader to Labour's annual conference.

The conference, always an important event for the party rank-and-file to debate policy, was especially important this year as it gave Brown a chance to set his stamp on the party, led for the past 13 years by former prime minister Tony Blair.

Widely viewed as his personal manifesto for a possible early general election, the 63-minute address was heavily-slanted toward domestic issues such as education, health and crime as well as national identity.

His speech went down well with Labour members who gave Brown a standing ovation at the start and end of his speech.

"I thought it was electric, he's made my heart beat fast," said Nicole Murphy, a 44-year-old nurse.

But many newspapers wondered yesterday where Brown would find the money to fund the raft of initiatives outlined in his speech.

And some wondered why a party that has been in power for 10 years was only now addressing such issues, especially when Brown as chancellor of the exchequer under Blair effectively controlled domestic policy.

The Sun, Britain's best-selling daily, said Brown's speech rang "all the bells and whistles for the voters he needs for a fourth Labour term" but like its right-wing sister paper the Times said there was no such thing as a free lunch.

"They carry a huge price tag which must be paid by taxpayers if and when they are delivered," it said in an editorial.

"And throughout his speech it was impossible to forget Mr Brown has been effectively co-ruler of Britain for the last 10 years as chancellor," it said.

The Sun also bemoaned the fact that Brown spent only 12 seconds on the new EU treaty. On Monday, it accused him of signing away Britain's history and traditions by refusing a referendum on the issue.

The right-wing Daily Mail said there were other questions such as why was he now pledging to introduce tougher controls on immigration and sounded a note of scepticism on his vow to put education at the top of his agenda.

The Financial Times praised Brown's "noble goals" and supported his pledge to raise people's aspirations and get them to fulfil their potential.

But it said there was "plenty of `what' but not enough `how'" and little policy substance.

The Independent praised a "workmanlike" performance, but questioned how Brown's objectives could be met. It also said the way he "slid over" Iraq and Afghanistan was "shameful."
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