New prime minister, Gordon Brown, has announced his key priorities for his first 100 days in power. Speaking at a party conference in Manchester on Sunday, Mr Brown said he wanted to make Britain ‘stronger, more tolerant, more prosperous and fairer'. He singled out housing as a key priority, and announced that from now on, the housing minister would attend cabinet meetings. ‘And because we need to build new homes, not just to own, but to rent, we will bring together the private sector, housing associations and local authorities to renew the promise of social housing for our communities,' he added. Britain's new premier also told party members that he wanted to bring businesses, colleges and the voluntary sector together to improve education, and he would give priority to tackling child poverty and reforming the NHS. Writing in The MJ this week (page 21), outgoing LGA chairman, Lord Bruce Lockhart, called on Mr Brown to ‘deliver a bold and radical devolution of powers' from Whitehall to local government. Lord Bruce Lockhart said the LGA also wanted to see local select committees established which would give residents a chance to hold councillors, police chiefs and health bosses to account. He also reiterated the LGA's demand for the Government to cut red tape. The Future Services Network has called on Mr Brown to let people become more involved in the shaping public services. The network commissioned a new poll from Ipsos MORI which revealed that 83% of people wanted more influence in how local services were delivered. ‘As the latest polling shows, we are at a tipping-point on public service reform,' said National Consumer Council chief executive, Ed Mayo.
