And Mr Brown said Labour aimed at full employment, extending the New Deal for young people to other vulnerable groups in order to create one million more jobs.

BBC: Brown upbeat on economy

Other businessmen, drawn into administering the government's New Deal programme for getting young people off welfare, have been irritated by the lack of resources at their disposal.

ECONOMIST: The new establishment

The Naked Chef star had been trying to negotiate a new deal for his Oliver's Army, which would have seen him train a number of unemployed young people in a London restaurant.

BBC: Oliver dropped by