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Gordon Brown to do voluntary community work

Gavin Cordon,Pa
Tuesday 04 August 2009 07:23 EDT
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Gordon Brown is to spend part of his summer break doing community work in his Scottish constituency, it was disclosed today.

Downing Street declined to give any further details, insisting that the arrangements were private.

However, a No 10 spokesman said he would be spending some time helping out on voluntary projects in his Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency.

"The Prime Minister will be undertaking some community voluntary work during his time in his constituency," the spokesman said.

"For obvious reasons he has agreed with the organisations concerned that any work he does will be private."

While No 10 remained tight-lipped about what exactly Mr Brown would be doing, The Guardian reported that volunteers were currently being recruited to run performing arts workshops for children and teenagers in the Kirkcaldy area.

For the third year running Mr Brown and his family are spending their summer break in the UK, with reports that they will be heading to the Lake District after a spell in the constituency.

Once again it is a far cry from his predecessor, Tony Blair, who enjoyed a series a holidays in glamorous foreign locations - including the Barbados villa of singer Sir Cliff Richard.

Mr Brown's decision to do a bit of voluntary work will no doubt be seen by some as an act of penance after another torrid year for his Government, culminating in the row over MPs' expenses.

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