Gordon Brown -The U.K.'s new Prime Minister?

Gordon Brown adressing SERA

Last Friday I attended one of SERA'S ( Socialist Environment and Resources Association) events in London.

SERA believes that environmental justice is essential for social justice, and that both must be the driving force for the third term Labour government. SERA is a pioneer in bridging the social and environmental movements to produce common solutions to major issues facing the UK and the world today.
Find out more about the organization, forthcoming events, our most recent publications, and membership.

SERA's summer reception was held in London at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. The guest speaker was Gordon Brown who is Chancellor of The Exchequer in Tony Blair's Labour Government.

The Chancellor is the main contender for the position of Prime Minister, when Tony Blair steps down.

I was introduced to The Chancellor by my good friend Dave Wetzel who has been a life long Labour Party activist and is currently Vice Chair of London Transport amongst many other roles that he carries out, not the least being a spokesperson for Land Value Tax.

Gordon Brown made the sort of speech you would expect to hear from the Chancellor and it showed that labour has turned its electoral attention towards the serious issue of climate change and energy. The Chancellor will ask the World Bank to come up with the money to do urgent research into energy solutions in the post cheap oil era. That's a red light statement and the media and social commentators should be on high alert but not yet.

I was some what comforted by the tone of the Chancellor's speech as he reached a tempo where he argued that a paradigm shift would be needed to survive the challenges ahead. We face a crisis on a broad front of climate change, sustainable and energy. The Chancellor has a firm grip on the issues. The question is will he have the charisma and the political support from his colleagues and the party, and lastly but most importantly, from the electors?

Bryan Pepperell