Prime Minister Gordon Brown, visited Rochester & Strood on the 6th April to launch the Labour General Election Campaign in an area crucial to a Labour Government and forgotten by Medway Conservative Councillors. Gordon visited the Morrison's in Strood with Sarah Brown to highlight the threat to economic recovery posed by the Tories. In addition he met with local workers and residents and listened to the concerns surrounding jobs and the Conservative proposal to bulldoze and concrete over the Thames Eatuary with an International airport.

The warm visit by Gordon Brown contrasted with the visit by David Cameron to Grain in March, where none of the local press turned up because the Conservative Campaign forgot to inform the Medway Press.

Gordon Brown's Election Launch supported the local campaign launch of the Labour Pledge card the previous weekend in Cuxton & Halling, where there is significant opposition to the Conservative 'Boris' Estuary airport, which could cut house prices and harm local wildlife and community well-being

The Labour pledge card was handed out to residents along with campaign literature opposing the Conservative Mayors plan for an Estuary airport. The Labour Pledge card has a number of important pledges for residents across Rochester & Strood

• Secure the recovery in Rochester & Strood - Halve the deficit through economic growth, fair taxes and cuts to lower priority spending.
• Raise you and your family living standards - Raise family living standards, keeping mortgage rates as low as possible; increasing tax credits for families with young children; providing new help for first-time buyers; and restoring the link between the state pension and earnings from 2012.
• Build a high tech economy - Build a high tech economy, supporting businesses and industry to create 1 million more skilled jobs and modernising our infrastructure with High-Speed Rail, a Green Investment Bank and broadband access for all.
• Protect frontline services - Protect frontline investment in policing, schools, childcare and the NHS, with a new guarantee of cancer test results within a week.
• Strengthen fairness in communities - Strengthen fairness in communities through an Australian style points-based system to control immigration; guaranteed education, apprenticeships and jobs for young people; and a crack down on anti-social behaviour.

Dont vote recklessly. Tory Mayor Boris Johnson has pledged to bulldoze and concrete over the Estuary. Our pledges to oppose the Conservative Mayor airport and to work for you and your family show our determination to secure the recovery and build a future fair for all.