British jobs for British workers

“British jobs for British workers” is a soundbite that has undoubtedly come back to haunt the Prime Minister given the wildcat strikes throughout the country.

It sounded ill-judged when he used it in 2007 during his Labour Party Conference Speech and sounds even more so as it echos in the middle of a recession.

Those feeling their jobs are under threat from foreign workers should not go on strike. Wildcat strikes are a sad return to Britain's dark days of the 1970s - incidentally also under Labour rule. We must not retreat into protectionism.

But it is surely understandable that these workers are calling on Brown to honour his pledge – as is the Labour MP Frank Field.

The problem is that Brown can do nothing. It was a hollow soundbite, reminiscent of the dog whistle politics Labour condemned the Tories for using during their 2005 general election campaign. It was nationalist-protectionist rhetoric not befitting of the Prime Minister. Some even described the pledge as xenophobic. Had Cameron used it, Labour would have accused him and the Tories of being racist.

Brown was trying to appeal to working class voters on the run-up to a general election that never materialised.

It was also part of his bizarre “Britishness” agenda that he was pursuing, perhaps to lessen his Scottishness to the English electorate.

Brown should never have used the meaningless soundbite that could never be turned into policy.

The problem for him now is that those working class voters he was trying to appeal to in a hollow pledge believed that what he said had meaning.

Far from attracting voters, Brown’s inability to follow through could cost him votes.

Brown should be straight with voters and apologise for his use of words. He should admit he misled them. Alas, we have more chance of hell freezing over seeing as our Dear Leader doesn't do apologies or regret.