Brown signals New Labour "rethink"

Gordon Brown pledges policy rethink
Gordon Brown says his party must "adapt and rethink New Labour policy" during its conference in Manchester later this month.The prime minister, writing in the parliamentary publication the Monitor, said it was important to react to changes which had taken place since New Labour first came to power in 1997. "I believe that Britain is well placed to withstand the shocks that these transformations bring, but if we are to seize on the opportunities these new challenges present, then the country, the government, and New Labour must do more," he writes. "Whether global or domestic, deep-seated or just fleeting, the pressures that we face in the short-term and the long-term have all changed since New Labour first came into government. "And so, the way we govern must change too. That is why in Manchester this year it is time to adapt and rethink New Labour policy."