Plus ca change or spot the difference

Gordon Brown has, as really was expected, become Labour Party leader and so Prime Minister without a contest. His acceptance speech, the main points of which are illustrated using the soundbites extracted for his website, indicates in some ways a new direction but essentially a continuation of the New Labour mission. With the below photo, he states:

I am truly humbled that so many of my colleagues have nominated me for the leadership of the Labour Party and I formally accept the nomination, the responsibility it brings, and the opportunity to serve the people of Britain. I will strive to earn your trust. To earn your trust in our schools, in our hospitals, in our public services, and to respond to your concerns. To earn your trust in our schools, in our hospitals, in our public services, and to respond to your concerns. And by listening and learning, I want to become a voice for communities far beyond Westminster, to become a voice for the parent, the patient and the public, whom public services must exist to serve.

As a contrast, compare these words to the following:

It is an honour to lead this Party. I accept it with humility, with excitement and with a profound sense of the responsibility upon me. You have put your trust in me and I vow to you I shall repay that trust with unstinting service and dedication to our Party and our country... The task of national renewal is to provide opportunity and security in this world of change... On the economy, we replace the choice between the crude freemarket and the command economy with a new partnership between Government and industry, workers and managers... On education, that we do provide choice and demand standards from the teachers and schools, but run our education system so that all children get that choice and those standards, not just the privileged few... On welfare, that we do not want people living in dependency on state handouts, but will create a modern welfare system that has people at work not on benefit... There is much to be done, but much has been done. It was done by individuals of will and principle, working together for change.

This is Blair's acceptance speech, delivered almost thirteen years ago on 21 July 1994, the priorities are the same but trust is not the key issue but features, as does the humility interestingly Blair also talked of socialist values. So essentially more of the same but more listening perhaps? It seems there are key phrases that belong in the modern leadership acceptance speech, and if this was not sufficiently evidenced by the above how about these lines:

It's a huge privilege and honour and a great responsibility to take on this job. I will do it with everything I have to the best of my ability for my party and my country... this country faces huge challenges... The challenge of economic competitiveness... reform our public services... the quality of life... having social action to ensure social justice, and a stronger society... At the heart of what I believe are two simple principles, trusting people, and sharing responsibility

This was David Cameron on accepting the Conservative leadership, he follows the same rules it seems!