A bit of a non event but it may buy him time

I managed to miss the first 15 minutes of Gordon's speech and ended up watching it on the big screen in Exchange square Manchester along with around 10 other disinterested people,a van load of police and numerous pigeons.

Two pensioners walking past managed a smile when he made the announcement about prescriptions but apart from that a rather lack lustre performance with a few sound bites for the later TV bulletins.

What is everybody else saying.

Well some initial thoughts from the Coffee House team,Peter Hoskin thinks its

very, very best parts were mediocre - and they were few and far between. Perhaps the biggest question hovering over it is: where's the beef? Although some of his policy announcements will be welcomed - particularly those on prescription charges - none were particularly groundbreaking, and most were either recycled or timed for the far-flung future.

and James Forsyth thinks

That was a lot less good than I expected. He used everything he could to try and establish an emotional contract, to borrow a Stephen Carter phrase, with voters but to my ears it fell flat. The chances of Brown being ousted by Christmas just increased significantly.

Iain Martin over at three line whip thought it

a pretty standard Brown text was preceded by an eye-catching introduction by Sarah Brown and a new personal approach from her husband in the opening minutes. He looked extremely nervous and uncomfortable on this unfamiliar territory but the hall liked the implied admission of vulnerability.

Adam Boulton describes it as

well-crafted, well-delivered and pleased his Labour audience

adding that

For now it will certainly buy him time as an unchallenged leader – at least unless the opinion polls fail to show any improvement in Labour’s standing.

Mike Smithson comments that

I found interesting the way he name-checked almost every single cabinet member - that’s a Brown innovation. He very rarely recognises that there is anybody else within his government.
Overall I felt there was a surprising lack of passion. I was expecting much more than that.

So overall then steady as she goes but let's wait and see what the public think