Cameron accuses PM of stealing BNP slogan

Nov 7 2007 by Rob Merrick, Liverpool Daily Post

DAVID CAMERON yesterday accused Gordon Brown of stealing slogans from the BNP as a row over immigration was thrust to the centre of the Queen’s Speech.

The Tory leader brandished leaflets produced by far-right parties across the Commons chamber, as he tore into Mr Brown’s pledge to create “British Jobs for British Workers”.

A BNP leaflet read “Keep British Jobs for British Workers”, while the National Front also demanded “British Jobs For British Workers”.

Claiming they were proof of Mr Brown’s “absolute bankruptcy”, Mr Cameron said: “If he could only see how embarrassed Labour MPs are, how they shudder whenever he says those words.”

Mr Brown did not respond to the accusation, instead claiming the Tories had nothing to say on the “big challenges” of education, housing, tax, public spending and Europe.

The attack followed the inclusion of a Citizenship and Immigration Bill in the new legislative programme, to set out a requirement for new migrants to learn English before entry.

The Government, after admitting most new jobs have been taken by foreign nationals, has been on the back foot on an issue thought to be rising up voters’ list of concerns.

The row came as Mr Brown’s first Queen’s Speech contained no fewer than 30 Bills, also focusing on education, housing, pensions, energy, local transport and terrorism.

There were few surprises, but there was an attempt to outflank the Tories with a consultation on extending the right to flexible working to all.

A Health Bill will promise a fresh drive against hospital superbugs, by giving a new regulator powers to fine dirty hospitals and shut down wards.

The education leaving age will be raised to 18 and a Climate Change Bill will set a legally-binding target to cut CO² by 60% by 2050. Savers will be offered more protection, and faster access to their funds, if a bank collapses. And a new Homes and Communities Agency will be set up to deliver affordable homes and regenerate run-down areas.

Mr Brown plans to move ahead cautiously on his controversial plan to extend pre-charge detention for terror suspects, perhaps to 56 days, with a promise to seek “consensus”.

In often fiery exchanges yesterday, Mr Brown said the speech was a “legislative programme that takes the next step forward for a stronger, fairer Britain”.

And he accused Mr Cameron of planning “unaffordable tax cuts”, claiming just 3,000 rich estates would enjoy a £1bn windfall from the Tories’ proposals to slash inheritance tax.

But Mr Cameron accused the Prime Minister of “short-term tricks instead of solving long-term problems” and signalled a fight on funding reforms aimed at millionaire Tory donors.

He said: “If that happens, people will conclude that, having tried to put off the election, now he’s trying to fix its outcome.”

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