MORE jobs, prosperity and affordable housing for Medway. That's what the future holds for the Towns, according to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown.

Mr Brown made the forecast in a visit to the University of Greenwich in Chatham today to talk about the future of regeneration in Kent and Medway.

The Chancellor said:"We will build great prosperity in the community and more jobs will be created in this area through the Thames Gateway project.

"This will also see more affordable housing coming to areas that need it most, such as Medway."

Mr Brown, widely tipped as Tony Blair's successor, was joined in the debate by Labour party chair Hazel Blears and MPs Jonathan Shaw (Chatham and Aylesford) and Paul Clark (Gillingham and Rainham) at the University of Greenwich in Chatham Maritime.

Details of Mr Brown's visit were only made public yesterday afternoon.

The visit is part of the Government's Let's Talk programme, which tries to get communities involved in debate over the future of their regions.

Topics under discussion today included how to get the best for Medway out of the 2012 Olympic Games and how people can do more to help shape their community.

FULL REPORT AND PICTURES IN FRIDAY'S MEDWAY MESSENGER