Gordon Brown set to deliver Commons speech

Gordon Brown will signal his return to the political fray tomorrow by making his first Commons speech since leaving Downing Street.

The former Prime Minister will insist maintenance on Britain's two new aircraft carriers should be carried out at a Scottish shipyard near his constituency, rather than in France.

The last time Mr Brown addressed the House was April, before he led Labour to defeat in the general election.

He has only been seen in Westminster a handful of times over the past six months, as he concentrated on writing a book about the financial crisis.

However, the ex-premier's spokeswoman confirmed he was due to speak on a motion being proposed by Labour colleague Thomas Docherty tomorrow night.

Mr Brown will urge that 50-year carrier maintenance contracts be awarded to Rosyth, which borders his Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat, instead of the French dry-dock in Brest.

But Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said Mr Brown should be using his first speech since rejoining the backbenches to say sorry for tying the coalition in to the disastrous multi-billion pound defence deal.

"Gordon Brown should be apologising to the country for allowing such a deal to be made that meant it would cost the taxpayers more to cancel the second aircraft carrier than to build it," he told the Mail on Sunday.

"His appearance in this debate shows that his decision to order the aircraft carriers was always about protecting his own political interests rather than the national interest."