Gordon Brown pledges to visit Bristol
Gordon Brown has promised to visit Bristol "very, very soon" after a city MP pointed out that it had been named as one of the world's top ten cities.
The Prime Minister spent a day in the city within months of taking up the top job.
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He indicated in the Commons on Wednesday that he would return early this year.
That could be timed to coincide with the Labour Party's regional conference, which will be held in Bristol next month with a host of senior figures expected to attend.
Bristol East Labour MP Kerry McCarthy told Mr Brown the city had been named as a must-visit by DK Eyewitness, which selected it for its "green" appeal and shopping facilities, among other attractions.
During Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons he was also told that Bristol had made it on to the shortlist for the European Green Capital – the only place in the UK to make it on to the list. Winners are due to be announced in March.
Ms McCarthy said: "The Prime Minister is more than welcome to check out the recommendation for himself whenever he wishes.
"More importantly, we have also been shortlisted for European green capital of the year and have been voted the UK's most sustainable city.
"Does he agree with me and the people of Bristol that green jobs and sustainable development are the way out of this economic downturn?"
The Prime Minister replied: "I look forward to visiting Bristol very soon. On the environment, she is absolutely right. I believe, coming out of this downturn, some of the triggers for further growth can be investment in the environment. We are going to invest in green jobs and environmental technologies."







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by Joey, Bristol
Friday, January 16 2009, 12:47PM
“I never said I was happy with him, I said I welcomed him visiting our great city. There have been worse PMs than GB, here and globally, ok I know were not in a good state at the moment, but I think he is trying his best and would not intentionally want to harm our country or not see it prosper. As for the Heathrow argument, we all hope money will be invested to look into green technologies for fuel and think of all the jobs that will be created when the new runway opens. All I am saying is that there are worse leaders out there and you know it. It's about time people took some pride and responsibility for their actions, get a job, stop sponging, stop blaming immigrants for jobs that were there long before they arrived and they didnt want and feel proud of our great city.”
by Glenn Vowles, vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com
Thursday, January 15 2009, 6:44PM
“Sorry Joey but I cant see how you can be happy with Gordon Brown. At Prime Minister's Question Time he talked of investing in green jobs and environmental technologies yet today his government approved a third runway for Heathrow Airport. The man says one things but does another!!”
by Joey, Bristol
Thursday, January 15 2009, 11:40AM
“I welcome a visit from our PM to our great city called Bristol. I am sure he and the government we voted for are doing their best to get us out of the bad situation we are in. Unlike some other major cities Bristol is doing very well. We might not have voted GB in, but we did the Labour party. I am sure whatever party happened to be in power, they would face the same problems we face today. So can we be a bit more positive about the good things going on in our great city!”
by Glenn Vowles, vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com
Wednesday, January 14 2009, 9:06PM
“I'd very much welcome a comprehensive and coherent plan to create a green economy. Growing numbers of economists eg the authors of the Green New Deal, and at the UN, are saying that investing heavily in efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable transport, reduction, reuse and recycling of waste, building stronger local economies and communities with local production for local needs, is by far the best way to direct our efforts. After all we currently have intimately entangled, mutually reinforcing economic and environmental crises.
However, there is no such plan available from Gordon Brown's Labour Govt.. This is surely no surprise to anyone given that Mr Brown spent over a decade as Chancellor before his period as PM and we're certainly no greener now than when he came to power!! By the Government's own figures carbon dioxide emissions are higher now than ten yrs ago for instance. Current Brown plans in favour of building more coal fired power stations, the expansion of airports, the building of hundreds of miles of new roads, more nuclear power stations cannot considered green.
Looks to me like PM Gordon Brown's plans are pefectly consistent with his past actions as Chancellor doesn't it. Definitely more brown than green!”
by bingmurti, Brishole
Wednesday, January 14 2009, 7:17PM
“Starsky: You're the one, eh? Tsk tsk. Robespierre for president!”
by bsk, St Andrews
Wednesday, January 14 2009, 6:53PM
“I'll get the rotten tomatoes ready then.”
by Steve, Bristol
Wednesday, January 14 2009, 6:49PM
“While he's here, perhaps he'd like to try our wonderful, sumptuous, reliable, fully integrated and reasonably priced public transport system that his party has done so much to develop.
Oh, hang on......”
by Richard, Bristol
Wednesday, January 14 2009, 6:39PM
“It'll be great for Bristol to have any Prime Minister visit our great city. However I hope he'll visit to explore rather than delay and arrive to announce that he's personally signed the go ahead to start the severn barrage; I can see him turning this award in to a campaign to destroy our estuary.”
by Mikos, Temple
Wednesday, January 14 2009, 5:56PM
“"Voted the UK's most sustainable city"...What does that mean, exactly? Who got to vote? How on earth is 'sustainability' measured?
(Parts of) Bristol are fab, I agree. But enough with the total PR guff, BEP, it's as transparent as it is meaningless.”
by Martin, Clifton
Wednesday, January 14 2009, 5:54PM
“Can he tell us when he is going to visit so that I can be elsewhere.
This man is the worst chancellor we have ever had, and has virtually destroyed the economy of this country.”