UK NEWS

BROWN'S £1/2M 'PROPAGANDA' FOR CLASSROOM

TAXING: Pupils are being taught Brown's message on the economy

Tuesday May 22,2007

By Macer Hall, Political Editor

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(8)

GORDON BROWN was last night accused of using propaganda in schools to promote his tax-grabbing policies.

Study packs sent to classrooms have been dubbed a sinister attempt to indoctrinate youngsters about the Chancellor’s regime.

The Red Box course, costing £500,000, outlines how the Treasury works for children as young as seven with primary school teachers urged: “Show them a picture of the Chancellor.”

Pupils are then told that the Chancellor is “a very important member of the Government” and has a “very difficult job”.

In a preface, Mr Brown claims the pack teaches “the purpose of taxation” and “why we all have to pay tax”. Other issues include “how tax pays for essential public services” and “the consequences to society of tax evasion”. But critics point out that the teaching programme does not include sections on Government waste or tax cuts.

Why should kids want to waste their time thinking up excuses to justify Brown’s overcomplicated tax credits system

Shadow Financial Secretary Mark Hoban

They also note that its cost has soared to more than £500,000, including £107,000 for consultants to design a website and £42,000 to produce a video about the Treasury.

Role-playing exercises include managing billions of pounds of taxpayers’ cash. Pupils are also asked how they would persuade anyone who thinks the system is unfair to “change their mind”.

Shadow Financial Secretary Mark Hoban said: “It’s extraordinary that taxpayers’ cash is being forked out on this tedious propaganda.

“Why should kids want to waste their time thinking up excuses to justify Brown’s overcomplicated tax credits system when the Chancellor won’t justify them in Parliament?”

Whitehall has produced more than 8,000 study packs since the the study aid was launched five years ago for citizenship lessons. Matthew Elliott, from the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Gordon Brown is known to be a control freak but nobody would have suspected he has micro-managed the curriculum to promote himself and to spread propaganda about his failed policies.

“This is an incredible intrusion on our children’s education. Schools should promote learning, not propaganda.”

Last night a Treasury spokeswoman said: “The fact is that the Red Box has been an extremely popular learning tool, with the website receiving over seven and a half million visits in its first two and a half years.

“It continues to play an important role in educating children about public spending and other issues dealing with the Budget and public finances.”

But the Chancellor faces anger over his stewardship of the economy today as a report will reveal £6billion in overpayments in tax credits.

More than £2billion of the overpayments are expected to be written off by the Government.

EDUCATION FAILS TO TEACH 3 R'S

23.05.07, 12:11am

This countries education system has failed to teach the 3 R's, any school or teacher taking part in this communist act should be black listed by parents, they should refuse to send their child to these schools and picket the school gates, send the scotish pig back to his homeland then close the border and if his partner the queen is so against scotland being independant tell to choose one side of the border and stay there.

• Posted by: CAN • Report Comment

PROPAGANDA BROONE £1/2 CON TRICK.

22.05.07, 9:07pm

I see the sleazy slimeball is at it again wasting the tax he has conned out of the UK citizens.
Has this jock no shame whatsoever?
We do not want him to represent England at all, we want a Englishman.
Using children to further your own ends is unforgivable.
Broone will be worse than Tone, mark my words.
Vote BNP if you get the chance.

• Posted by: Robertz • Report Comment

BROWNS PROPAGANDA...

22.05.07, 8:10pm

This man is worse than Hitler...
We must get rid of him now..

• Posted by: gary • Report Comment

WHATS NEW THE UK HAS BEEN A PROPAGANDA STATE FOR YEARS!

22.05.07, 3:43pm

We are forced to subscribe to state run propaganda TV, the monopolies commission do not investigate.

Results in the form of league tables are propaganda they are good for nothing else read the book Lies Damn Lies and Statistics and replace statistice with League Tables!

We see that Violent crime is on the increase and that violent criminals are getting younger no matter what the league tables say.

And as for Brown instructing any one in economics remember the Labour party owes millions and sells its integrity to balance its books what is the current price for a tame MP in your pocket, BROWN must demand a premium!

Add to this the fact the moron has stolen and wasted the pensions of millions, given away our gold reserve and signed up to pay benefits to eastern block scum that stay home as well as those that arrive daily!

Teach Economic show a picture of the chancellor to do what teach STRANGER DANGER!

• Posted by: The_Way_I_See_It • Report Comment

BROWN'S PROPOGANDA

22.05.07, 11:03am

I thought was against the law for teachers to provide one sided views on politics. Who will take this up. It is time Cameron made a real stand on something. It these reports are true it is a real disgrace

• Posted by: exnomad • Report Comment