GORDON BROWN will unveil a broadband revolution today to allow every child to learn online at home, as he battles to rescue his ailing premiership in his make-or-break conference speech.
The prime minister will announce a £300m scheme to deliver broadband access to a million homes where pupils are in danger of slipping behind because they cannot take part in online lessons posted by their teachers.
Households will be handed up to £700 to pay for computers, broadband, software and technical support – an initiative designed to make plain that only Labour will “give everyone a chance”.
Mr Brown will tell delegates: “To ensure we are prepared for the times to come, the Government will fund one million more households to get online, enabling parents to link with teachers and their children’s schools to help young people with homework and coursework.”
The scheme is certain to cheer Labour’s rank and file, most of whom are desperate for voter-friendly new policies that can win back support, particularly in the party’s heartlands such as Merseyside.
Currently, only 58% of homes boast broadband – shutting out a total of 1.4m youngsters – at a time when teachers increasingly post learning materials online and almost every school emails pupil reports.
Studies have shown that computer-literate pupils move into jobs that pay 20% more. And 90% of new jobs are advertised online.
A Labour aide said: “This government is determined to give everyone a fair chance.”
The initiative will be trialled in two as yet unidentified areas next year and expanded everywhere by 2011.
Funding will come from “efficiencies” in the department for children.
Other sections of Mr Brown’s speech will strike a much a harsher tone, with pledges to crack down on the workshy and shut out unwanted migrants in a “something for something Britain, a nothing for nothing Britain”.
He will say: “Everyone who can work must work, so that the dole is only for those who are looking for work, or actively preparing for it. ”
And he will add: “The other side of welcoming newcomers who can help Britain is being tough about excluding those who cannot.
“That’s only fair to the taxpaying public and the migrants who uphold the rules.” The Prime Minister is also expected to set out how he plans to “clean up the City” amid rising public anger at reckless lending and outrageous bonuses – in stark contrast to the “walkaway” Tories.
He will pledge a crackdown on greed in the City through spotchecks on bonuses blamed for encouraging irresponsible risk-taking by financiers.
Attempts by rebel MPs to bring down the prime minister have stalled because of the banking crisis, but the ceasefire will not hold unless Mr Brown can quickly win back public trust.
Meanwhile, one old enemy of the Prime Minister – EU commissioner and former MP Peter Mandelson – refused to offer his backing when questioned.
Quizzed on Mr Brown's leadership, Mr Mandelson smiled, but remained silent, although he said the Prime Minister’s analysis of problems in the global economy was “absolutely right.”
