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Gordon Brown promised a new type of politics yesterday as he persuaded three prominent opposition politicians, including one sacked from the Tory front bench in a racism row, to work for the Government as advisers.

Ministers dismissed accusations that Mr Brown was purely engaged in electoral tactics as he announced that the dismissed Tory former homeland security spokesman Patrick Mercer would be recruited to advise on security and that the former Shadow Cabinet member John Bercow would head a review on services for children with communication difficulties. The retiring Liberal Democrat MP Matthew Taylor will advise on rural planning.

It is also understood that Johan Eliasch, who The Times revealed yesterday was resigning as Conservative deputy treasurer, has been approached for a job as an adviser on environmental issues. The offer was made before Mr Eliasch, a Tory donor who lent the party £2.6 million, stood down over what he sees as David Cameron’s shift to the right.

Mr Brown also used his first substantial speech of the new political season to the National Council of Voluntary Organisations to announce that he was proposing a Speaker’s Conference to enable all parties to consider together ways of reversing the decline in electoral turnout. Mr Brown said: “I believe that this is the wrong time in history for politics as usual, the wrong time for empty partisan posturing, which focuses on what divides us. Instead, this is the right time to discover what we have in common, to cooperate across party lines, to work together with patriotic purpose to do what is right in the British interest. So this is a new kind of politics. It is not an easy politics. It is not about gimmicks.”

Mr Brown also fleshed out his ideas for citizens’ juries, a nationwide citizens’ summit and standing commissions to tackle long-term issues, starting with the role of carers. The first jury will meet this week on children to discuss how to ensure that every child can be safe, secure and successful at school; how parents could get the support and advice they needed as they brought up their children; and how to ensure that the education system reached the highest standards.

Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat leader, said: “I am delighted that Gordon Brown has once again recognised the knowledge and experience that Liberal Democrats have to offer in tackling major policy challenges that the Government has proved unable to solve.”

Caroline Spelman, the Conservative Party chairman, said: “David Cameron has always made clear that he would work with Gordon Brown on issues where we agree and both Patrick Mercer and John Bercow discussed their intention to join these reviews with the party in advance. But it is important some of Gordon Brown’s other ideas finally result in action.”

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