Gordon Brown's speech to Citizens UK

The Case for a Living Wage

In this section, the speaker thanks the person who made a case for a living wage and talks about how politics can make a difference.

The Power of Movements

• The speaker talks about Citizens UK and how it is built on moral convictions.

• He mentions that movements like Citizens UK are built on moral convictions first, then hundreds, thousands, and eventually hundreds of thousands of people.

• The speaker shares his experience with a video from the Make Poverty History campaign that taught him the strength of movements.

Change Makers

• He talks about how movements pass by leaders who spoke on stage and zoom in on the faces of crowds because they are the real change makers.

• He gives examples such as men and women marching to Washington with Martin Luther King Jr.

• The speaker emphasizes that there are millions of unnamed men and women who are heroes who make history happen.

Making History Happen

In this section, the speaker talks about how movements can create change once they have learned something.

Lighting Candles

• He says that one person can light thousands of candles which can lead to tens of thousands all lit from one flame.

• Nobody can humiliate or suppress those with pride or fear anymore because they have learned something.

Making A Difference

• The speaker acknowledges that work may not always make headlines but it can always make a difference.

• He praises Citizens UK's campaign for a living wage and says it shows that community is more than its buildings, institutions, and fabric.

• The speaker talks about his experience as a student campaigning for decent pay for university cleaners and disinvestment in apartheid.

• He mentions that the fight continues and pledges to create a minimum wage that rises at least in line with earnings.

Building A Good Society

In this section, the speaker talks about building a good society together.

Investing Together

• The speaker praises Citizens UK's campaign for the living wage and says it shows that public services are not things we can do on our own but what we choose to do together.

• He emphasizes that investing in good schools, hospitals, public buildings, community centers, and banks is what builds a good society.

Fund to Help Parents Give Children Best Start in Life

In this section, the speaker discusses their plan to create a fund that will help parents give their children the best possible start in life. They also pledge not to cut or harm the child tax credit and criticize policies that benefit only the richest few.

Key Points:

• The speaker plans to create a fund to help parents give their children the best possible start in life.

• They pledge not to cut or harm the child tax credit.

• The speaker criticizes policies that benefit only the richest few, such as an inheritance tax cut that would primarily benefit the top 3,000 people in England.

Expanding Community Finance Organizations

In this section, the speaker discusses their plan to expand funding for community finance organizations and make loans and savings available everywhere through post offices. They also propose turning post offices into "the People's Bank" and criticize high-cost doorstep lending.

Key Points:

• The speaker plans to expand funding for credit unions and other community finance organizations.

• They propose making loans and savings available everywhere through post offices.

• The speaker suggests funding these initiatives with hundreds of millions of pounds raised through a community finance levy on banks.

• They propose turning post offices into "the People's Bank" so that everyone is within a few miles of banking services at competitive rates.

• The speaker criticizes high-cost doorstep lending as exploitative.

Affordable Housing Plan

In this section, the speaker outlines their plan for better use of land and affordable housing. They propose not charging stamp duty on houses below £250,000 and increasing it for houses over £1 million. They also pledge to build 10,000 council homes and back the extension of community trusts.

Key Points:

• The speaker proposes not charging stamp duty on houses below £250,000.

• They suggest increasing stamp duty for houses over £1 million.

• The speaker pledges to build 10,000 council homes so that more people can become homeowners.

• They back the extension of community trusts as a means of enabling greater land ownership.

Choices for Fairness

In this section, the speaker emphasizes that the upcoming election is about choices and that nations must choose their own history. They highlight their support for policies such as the living wage, interest rate cap, Community Land Trust, and community banking.

Key Points:

• The speaker emphasizes that the upcoming election is about choices and that nations must choose their own history.

• They highlight their support for policies such as the living wage, interest rate cap, Community Land Trust, and community banking.

• The speaker references historical figures who inspired people to take action for justice and fairness.

• They call on everyone to march together for justice, dignity, and fairness.