PRIME Minister Gordon Brown has brought his entire cabinet for a historic meeting in Southampton today.
The city has been chosen as part of the PM's drive to hold cabinet meetings outside London.
In the tightest security operation seen for years the Prime Minister held the cabinet meeting and then took a question and answer session with business and community leaders at City Cruise Terminal.
The PM speaks to the Echo in Southampton. Due to technical problems, you may need Internet Explorer to watch this video.
His fellow cabinet members including Chancellor Alistair Darling and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith have been carrying out a string of public engagements across Hampshire throughout today.
And the people of the county have been sent a message from the Government: “We will listen.”
Mr Brown kicked off his visit to Southampton with a tour of City College with city MP John Denham, the Universities and Skills Secretary, and Schools Secretary Ed Balls.
During their tour of the college – which is to receive a £40 million renovation – they met a number of students as well as those on apprenticeship schemes.
The visit coincides with the start of National Apprentice Week and an announcement by Mr Brown, who was in Berlin yesterday for a European economic summit, to create 21,000 new apprenticeships in the health service, education and local government from April.
The trio then made their way to the City Cruise Terminal in the Docks with other senior Government ministers for the historic Cabinet meeting.
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