As a pensioner who was "prudent" and "frugal" I will not be voting for Gordon the robber and I suspect I won't be on my own. This man is no more to be trusted than Blair The "honest man"

syd, Leeds, uk

Democracy is a smashing thing ain`t it. I live at the very centre of Europe.........but don`t have the right to vote because I have been living outside the U.K. for `too long´. As I am still a U.K. citizen.....I can`t vote in Germany. So if anyone out there doesn`t want to vote in the next election... please cast a vote on my behalf. Any party will do that does NOT want to turn Britain into a Police State by introducing new high-tech identity cards, more survellance cameras and more bans on the right to peaceful demonstration.
Thank you in advance.

John Barry., Berlin, Germany.

'Heed and lead' the call for change? Rubbish. That's the best he can manage with his fancy fast-tracked education?

At least we'll only have to put up with this for a year.

David Harrison, Manchester, UK

So the unelected Brown follows on from the most disreputable prime minister in living memory - Blair. Brown is the one who wrecked the pensions of millions by changing the tax rules after people were committed to schemes. He has introduced stealth tax after stealth tax, ruined family life with failed Tax Credits, and now he starts his time in No:10 by breaking a manifesto pledge to hold a referendum on a EU Constitution.

christina speight, London, London

Will parliament be allowed to vote on all the issues? When it has already happened that parliament has been told that it has no right to debate issues covered by EU competence?

I don't think so.

Give us a referendum

Peter Gardner, Oxford,

A leopard does not change its spots. He was a senior member of the Blair government so is he now saying they were years of failures so he has to change direction?
Do not trust him: he has used spin to the full in decimating a fine pension system and made the tax system beyond comprehension. How can he talk about trust or listening. What happened to the big listen? Tax and spend, but unfortunately not wisely and cost effectively.
I see more of the same but spun to look different: rather like each of the EC representatives claiming they have won their points.

James, Sevenoaks, Kent

Déjà vu! I heard something like this somewhere before, by a Prime Minister called Blair or something. I won’t believe it until I see it.

Peter Dewar-Finch, York, United Kingdom

Hmm. Meet the new Boss. The same as the old Boss.

Stand by for more empty promises, more spin, more tax and spend ...

If only I though the Tories offered a viable alterrnative, I'd say let's have an early election. But they don't and we won't. Plus ca change, plus la meme chose, as they say in France. Where I think they have just made a real change, ironically.

David Hoggard, York,

His first task should be to reintroduce the 10% tax threshold....as a pensioner earning an amazing extra £30.00 a week I hated parting with £3.00 of it, but to have to part with £6.60 makes a nonsense of it.
For once in my life, however, I am getting a break ...I am 65 in january, so get the extra tax allowance (but please dont tell Gordon..)

carole Preston, BIRMINGHAM, UK

Let us give Brown a chance before the knee-jerk whinging begins.
As for that called for a referendum, surely the callers are those who want to see their own opinions on the EU fulfilled and the 'constitution' thrown out. If a referendum went against them, they would cry cheat, whitewash, spin, just as they do with every enquiry, and not want to heed the result. Most of us only learn about the EU from what we read in the papers and the right-wing papers' spin on every aspect of the EU can guarantee that no-one understands enough about the EU to vote in a referendum with any true understanding.
PLEASE Mr Brown, decide yourself and DO NOT trust a referendum!

Mike, Kingston upon Thames, UK

So much spin we are sick through dizzyness.

Patients get appointments to suit them? Drivel. Channel the funds properly and make people attend when appointments are available. If they are sick then they should get to their appointment as a priority. I don't want my tax money spent on making the NHS convenient. I want it spent on making it efficient and fit for purpose. It's a safety net not a drop in centre.

How about reducing the tax burden YOU introduced on working families? We are now so heavily taxed that I personally am close to taking a redundancy cheque and living off the state.

The harder I work the more I get penalised. I am talking about the holistic view of tax here.

The 100% rise in council tax since YOU have been running the economy. The sneaky National Insurance rises YOU have implemented. The ludicrous tax credit system YOU introduced that loses billions a year and yet penalises you for wanting to bring up children traditionally.

Sort your priorities out or get out

Si, Reading,

As I say goodbye to my country and leave this week to start again in one that has cheaper existence living, I look at the repossetion order due in two weeks on the house. The rates bill unpaid of £1840.00, Powergen of £1670.00, The phone Bill £623.00 and the taxation return last paying year where I paid £300 a week out of my wages and wonder if perhaps I should give it another try here in England now that we have such a wonderful leader to lead the country...Gordon Brown.
I don't blame him at all for the woes of this country. Tony Blair forced him to do all those things when he was the Cahncellor taking orders from the PM and I KNOW that he really didn't want to do them at all for all the ten years that he did do.
Good luck to everybody staying.
If ONLY I could afford to stay with you.

C.B Bocket, March/Wisbech, Cambridgeshire

Who wants another election? Not much "heeding and leading" there.

Gerry Watts, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

The constitutional reform that the UK needs is resolution of the democratic imbalance between Scotland; to a lesser extend Wales; and England. Scottish MPs should not be allowed to vote on English law. Will our new leader address this issue .... of course not, he's a Scottish MP that relies on the Scottish vote to keep his party in power.

Another democratic deficit ... the new 'treaty/constitution just negotiated with the EU .... will he allow a referendum. Of course not. Despite the fact that the last Labour manifesto gave a commitment that there would be a referendum on the proposed constitution, by tweaking at the edges and calling in a treaty, he intends breaking the manifesto commitment.

So, in practice, the only democracy allowed to the electorate will be to vote on local issues (possibly planning matters)......and heaven help us there if we come up with the wrong answer!

Donna Walker, Effingham, Surrey

Brown will never be able to do what Blair did. Blair is one of the finest PMs that this country has seen.

Jeremy, London,

What a shame... the biggest diservice the Labour Party has done for GB is to elect GB as their leader and PM from Wednesday. Scotlad has its Parliament and First Minister so why should England have to have suffer a dour arrogant power hungry Starlinist Scot... call the election on Wenesday so we can get rid of him ASAP

Michael, London,

Gordon's speech has been well received, but then his budgets speechs are usually though to be excellent until the evidence is carefyully examined, and normally takes a couple of weeks.

Wasn't Tony Blair thought to e a golden boy in the mid 1990's; things didn't work out for him.

Could this anticipated election possibly be a smoke screen to cover up the anti-democratic refusal to allow the electorate a referendum?

RJ, UK,

nothingh about business or how to encourage entrepreneurship even though Brown made an aside before he became party leader that he wanted liberalise business regs. Er... you created most of them Gordon!

Richard Morris, Foxearth, Essex

Welcome Gordon Brown and thank you Tony Blair ! You are both the greatest leaders we have had in our time. Good luck to the Labour party who we expect tp rule forever with the people of UK and the world

DK, london,

Congratulations to those appointed but
What has happened to
Peter Hain?, he should have been Deputy

Charles Asbury, swansea, Wales

Wow ! has Gordon Brown had a lobotomy ?

Maggie, Brittany , France

Bring it on Gordon I have my polling card ready! Many people might fall for a set of words during your speech yesterday but what is left in my bank account, immigration etc etc is all I need to ensure you do not get back into power. Any more time spent under a Labour Government is another day that the UK falls further away from world stage.

stuart, london,

Is "collective responsibily" the one where everyone but the Prime Minister is expected to take responsibility for the disasters, or is that simply (and hopefully) the Blair version?

Lezli Taubler, London, UK

Is Gordon Brown going to be an honest and capable Prime Minister? Only interested in putting the British people first?

Quite apart from the novelty value, it could help repair the damage caused to the Labour Party.

On the other hand, I have had enough of the glorification of Saint Tony, and the Conservatives no longer have a clue, I may just vote for the BNP.

Mike , London,

Gordon Brown is one of those who thinks government is the answer. People are the answer. Brown may not be in government long enough to understand the question.

Paul, spartanburg, usa

More power for the British parliament? Today over 80% of our laws emanate from unelected Brussels, rubber stamped by an over gorged and brain dead parliament for which Brown has just approved sweeping new powers to extend this process even further. Of course Brown could give whatever powers he likes to parliament as those outside government now have all the force of a Parish Council – none.

Yes, let’s have an election soon and certainly before the new ‘Constitution’ has been ratified. And let’s see who dares put a referendum pledge into their manifesto, or at the least a promise to sign or not to sign.

George Ball, Diss,

Is he going to do what the Labour party manifesto
stated ie. a referendum on the the so called treaty
changes to the EU constitution ?

Barry Holmes, Christchurch, New Zealand