Gordon Brown – 2009 New Year’s Message for 2010

The message made by Gordon Brown, the then Prime Minister, on 30 December 2009.

In his New Year message the Prime Minister has promised to continue to protect and improve Britain as it enters a new decade.

The Government’s priorities will be to secure economic recovery, reform public services, clean up politics and continue fighting the threat of terrorism, Gordon Brown said in a podcast released today.

The PM added that the UK would continue to step up efforts to disrupt terrorists planning to mount attacks on Britain.

“This will have my relentless focus in 2010, just as Afghanistan will have. We will steadily be giving more control of Afghanistan to Afghan troops and police.

On the economy, the PM said the Government’s strategy is to “go for growth”, and in his podcast he predicts that the New Year will mark the start of a “great decade for a great nation”.

Mr Brown said the Government is determined to reduce the deficit without “choking off” the recovery or damaging frontline services.

“Even as we take the tough decisions to halve the deficit, we can still invest in Britain’s future. I say this because Britain is too great a country with so much potential – and people with such high aspirations – that in the coming decade we must not settle for anything less than big ambitions.”

The Prime Minister said the Government will shortly publish the first part of its plan for investment in industries and jobs for the future.

“If we continue to make the right decisions to unleash all the talent that is to be found in these islands, we have much to look forward to – and you and your families have my warm best wishes for the year ahead.”

The PM’s podcasts, which are available on our iTunes channel and YouTube, are recorded at Downing Street or around the world when the Prime Minister is travelling.