CBBC are launching new children's drama 'Jamie Johnson', an aspiring footballer, with appearances from famous faces including Gary Lineker and Ruud Gullit.

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Jamie Johnson will hit TV screens alongside Euro 2016 and follows the life of 11-year-old Jamie, who is starting a new school with dreams of being a footballer.
You can watch it on BBC iPlayer from 17:00 BST on Wednesday, 8 June or on CBBC from Monday, 13 June.
Feeling inspired to try football? Have a look at our guide.


Falkirk remain third in the Scottish Championship after overcoming Dunfermline Athletic.

Craig Sibbald struck from John Baird's pass to give the Bairns the lead midway through the first half.
And Myles Hippolyte fired in the second for Peter Houston's side early in the second period.
Farid El Alagui's effort gave Dunfermline hope in the final 15 minutes but the Pars could not draw level.
Match ends, Falkirk 2, Dunfermline Athletic 1.
Second Half ends, Falkirk 2, Dunfermline Athletic 1.
Foul by Kallum Higginbotham (Dunfermline Athletic).
Luke Leahy (Falkirk) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Lewis Martin (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Robert McHugh (Falkirk).
David McCracken (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Farid El Alagui (Dunfermline Athletic).
Attempt missed. Andrew Geggan (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Andrew Geggan (Dunfermline Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Andrew Geggan (Dunfermline Athletic).
Craig Sibbald (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Jason Talbot (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Scott Shepherd (Falkirk).
Robert McHugh (Falkirk) is shown the yellow card.
David Hopkirk (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Craig Sibbald (Falkirk).
Substitution, Falkirk. John Rankin replaces Tom Taiwo.
Substitution, Falkirk. Scott Shepherd replaces Myles Hippolyte.
Nicky Clark (Dunfermline Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Myles Hippolyte (Falkirk) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Nicky Clark (Dunfermline Athletic).
Attempt saved. Nicky Clark (Dunfermline Athletic) header from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner,  Dunfermline Athletic. Conceded by David McCracken.
Attempt missed. Nicky Clark (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Substitution, Falkirk. Paul Watson replaces Lewis Kidd because of an injury.
Kallum Higginbotham (Dunfermline Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Kallum Higginbotham (Dunfermline Athletic).
Luke Leahy (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!  Falkirk 2, Dunfermline Athletic 1. Farid El Alagui (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal.
Attempt blocked. David Hopkirk (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Robert McHugh (Falkirk) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Substitution, Dunfermline Athletic. Gavin Reilly replaces Michael Paton.
Foul by Kallum Higginbotham (Dunfermline Athletic).
Craig Sibbald (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Craig Sibbald (Falkirk) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt saved. Robert McHugh (Falkirk) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt missed. David Hopkirk (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Foul by Andrew Geggan (Dunfermline Athletic).
Mark Kerr (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the attacking half.


Lights from Blackpool Illuminations have been donated to Margate to be used in the Kent town's heritage theme park due to open at Dreamland next year.

The idea came from designer Wayne Hemingway, part of the Dreamland planning team, who found the old illuminations in a yard in Blackpool.
"There were a fair amount basically rotting outside on an industrial estate near the airport," he said.
Blackpool councillor Graham Cain said it was a pleasure to be involved.
Dreamland closed in 2003 and its Grade II* listed Scenic Railway ride was damaged in an arson attack in 2008.
The site is being redeveloped with historical rides from around the UK as well as classic sideshows, vintage cafes, restaurants and gardens.
"We haven't got an awful lot of money to play with and one of the ideas was to see if there were any old seaside artefacts not being used around the country," said Mr Hemingway, who grew up in Morecambe.
"Obviously I know a lot about Lancashire and I thought 'I wonder what happens to all those illuminations in Blackpool?'."
The donated lights include light fountains, giant snowflakes, angels and devils and lettering from one year's Hawaiian theme.
"We've got all these big things that say 'aloha' but we are cutting them up and changing the letters round and spelling new things," said Mr Hemingway.
Mr Cain said Blackpool had many more illuminations than it could use in its six-mile display, which this year will be switched on on 29 August.
"We have got some great jewels here but its just that we haven't got the the space for them," he said.
"I'd like to see what our illuminations are like in another town.
"We're really really proud to be part of it and I'm looking forward to visiting Dreamland."


Scotland's new SNP MPs have sworn allegiance to the Queen during the traditional oath taking ceremony at the House of Commons.

There are 50 new nationalist members at Westminster, joining six SNP MPs who were re-elected from the 2010 intake.
The MPs took their oaths in the Scottish style, which involves holding the right hand in the air.
Each was required to read the passage in English, but a number also performed it in Gaelic and Scots.
The first MP to swear in at the second Commons session of oath taking was the Conservatives' Europe minister David Lidington.
The first of the new SNP intake was Ian Blackford, representing Ross, Skye and Lochaber, followed by Angela Crawley, MP for Lanark and Hamilton East.
Livingston MP Hannah Bardell had to retake her oath after the "genuine mistake" of omitting the word "Queen" while reading the passage of allegiance.
The vast majority of the nationalist MPs read the non-religious version: "I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law."
Among the new intake:
The traditional Scottish swearing in, or "oath in the Scot's form", was a traditional feature in courts in Scotland, although it is rarely used nowadays.
Non-Scottish MPs asked the female clerk if they needed to raise their hand during the oath. She informed them it was not necessary and only the Scottish MPs were opting for that gesture.
Former BBC journalist John Nicolson  - now SNP MP for East Dunbartonshire - was just behind former Tory minister Ken Clarke in the chamber. They shake hands and speak. Here is their exchange....
JN: "I am John Nicolson." [Offers his hand]
KC: "Pleased to meet you, I have met you before. Been here before?"
JN: "No, I have interviewed you before, I am a journalist.  I presented BBC breakfast news, saw you a few times."
KC: "Whose side are you on?"
JN: "I am Jo Swinson [former Lib Dem MP], for the new parliament - I am SNP."
KC: "I am going to get that reply from an awful lot of people."
JN: "Yes you are Mr Clarke."


A film being shot at Malta airport about a plane hijacking was disrupted amid the real hijacking of a Libyan Airbus A320, an official told the BBC.

"It's very ironic because then there was the real hijack on," said Magda Magri Naudi, the mayor of Lija.
The movie - Entebbe - is based on a hostage situation that occurred 40 years ago in Uganda.
Unlike that hijacking, the two hijackers in Friday's incident surrendered peacefully to police.
In 1976, Israeli forces freed 105 hostages in a surprise raid at Uganda's Entebbe airport, killing about eight hostage-takers and 20 Ugandan troops.
According to internet movie data base, IMDB, Entebbe - which is expected to be released next year - stars Rosamund Pike, Vincent Cassel and Daniel Bruhl.
Ms Naudi said the Entebbe film crew had to halt filming on the airport grounds when the Libyan Afriqiyah Airways plane landed at Malta International Airport.
The domestic flight with 118 people on board had taken off from Sabha and had been bound for the Libyan capital Tripoli.
The mayor of Lija said that the Maltese armed forces were well able to cope with such events.
"We've had five hijackings landing here and ironically today they were actually filming Entebbe on the airport grounds - and that had to be stopped," she told BBC World TV.
The Malta Friday hijacking ended peacefully within a few hours after all the hostages were released
But in Uganda in 1976 the hostage situation dragged on for about a week after Palestinian hostage-takers hijacked the flight from Tel Aviv to Paris and diverted it to Entebbe.
The Air France had 250 passengers - with many of whom were Israeli - and 12 crew. The hijackers demanded that release of 54 militants held by Israel and four other countries and a $5m ransom.
In one of the most daring operations in its history, Israel secretly despatched a unit of elite commandos - led by Yonatan Netanyahu, the brother of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - to rescue the hostages.
They flew eight-and-a-half-hours over 4,000km (2,500 miles), through hostile territory and beneath the scope of enemy radar, to mount a surprise raid.
The commandos killed all the hostage-takers as well as 20 Ugandan troops before flying the freed passengers and crew back to Israel.
Three hostages lost their lives in the operation, as well as Yonatan Netanyahu, the only fatality among the troops.
A TV movie was produced of the dramatic events the following year, called Raid on Entebbe.
The Times of Malta reports that then-Prime Minister Dom Mintoff banned its screening because it "glorified violence".


Championship side Nottingham Forest have signed striker Ross McCormack on loan from Aston Villa and Bolton forward Zach Clough for about £2.5m on a four-and-a-half-year contract.

Scotland international McCormack, 30, has recently been left out of Villa's side for disciplinary reasons.
The ex-Leeds and Fulham man, who signed for Villa for £12m in August, last scored on 26 December.
Clough, 21, has scored 21 league goals in 59 appearances for Bolton.
He was close to leaving the Macron Stadium 12 months earlier, but turned down an offer from Bristol City after a £2m bid was accepted by the club.
Meanwhile, Forest have confirmed the signing of Benfica midfielder Joao Teixeira, 22, who has joined on loan until the end of the season, while Reds have also signed 22-year-old Chesterfield winger Gboly Ariyibi for an undisclosed fee on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.


A man who raped a woman multiple times over a three-year period has been jailed for 12 years.

At Bristol Crown Court, 31-year-old Nermesh Singh, of Brigstocke Road in the city, was found guilty of five counts of rape.
All of the offences relate to the same victim and happened between 2007 and 2009.
Singh also received an extra four-year extended licence and was put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Avon and Somerset Police said Singh's victim "suffered horrific crimes" at his hands, but had shown "courage and dignity" throughout the investigation.
Det Con Dan Watts said: "Singh has refused to take any responsibility for his actions. He abused the trust his victim had in him for his own sexual gratification.
"I hope the sentence today sends a strong message that we will always robustly investigate any allegation of sexual assault and offer unwavering support to victims of crime."


Newcastle manager Steve McClaren should be sacked as the club embark on a "rescue operation", according to former Magpies owner Sir John Hall.

Saturday's 3-1 home defeat by Bournemouth left McClaren's side above only Aston Villa in the Premier League.
It was a third successive loss for the Magpies, and Hall told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek: "You need change.
"Steve is not getting them to play and it's probably time he goes. You've got to find someone to harness the team."
Former England coach McClaren, 54, was appointed as John Carver's successor in June last year but has presided over only six league victories this season.
The defeat by Bournemouth was Newcastle's eighth loss in the past 11 matches, and their tally of 24 points is their lowest at this stage of a Premier League season.
McClaren described Saturday's performance as "going down material" and admitted his side are in a "four-team league" at the bottom with Sunderland, Norwich and Aston Villa.
Legendary former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer said on Match of the Day the club is in "a mess from top to bottom".
Hall, 82, sold his stake in the club to Mike Ashley in 2007.
He said: "I'm like every fan - utterly depressed. If I was Mike Ashley, I would be tearing my hair out.
"Something is not right there. Mike Ashley has put money in and they are not gelling.
"It's got to come down to management. I would have someone in mind to bring in. At this moment we are prime candidates for relegation."
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Former Everton and Manchester United boss David Moyes, who was sacked by Real Sociedad in November, has been linked with the job.
"I'm out of touch with the managers but you need someone who can motivate the players and change the tactics," said Hall.
"Moyes is a nice fella. Whether he has got the strength of character, I don't know. But I say again to the fans - you've got to get behind them, it's no good booing, that won't help.
"We should not be in this position and we should be asking why."


An application to conduct field trials of a genetically modified crop containing Omega-3 fatty acids normally found in oily fish has been submitted.

If approved by the government, the trials could begin at Rothamsted Research agricultural institute in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, this year.
The initial aim of the crop is to benefit the fish farming industry, the researchers said.
But in a decade it could end up in food products, such as margarine.
The scientists at Rothamsted Research - who have been working on the project for 15 years - modified seeds from Camelina sativa (false flax) plants using genes from marine algae - the primary organisms that produce the fatty acids.
By substituting synthetic versions of up to seven genes from marine algae, the researchers have engineered Camelina plants to produce two key Omega-3 fatty acids normally obtained from oily fish, EPA and DHA.
Both are said to have important health benefits, including protection against heart disease.
Lead researcher Prof Johnathan Napier said: "The next really exciting challenge for us is to say, 'We know it works in the glasshouse. Does it work in the real world?'
"We have applied to Defra for permission to carry out a field trial."
If the regulatory hurdles are crossed, the first crop could be sown in about three months.
Plants such as flax and linseed contain Omega-3 fatty acids, but they are not the same as the long-chain compounds in fish oil.
Oily fish such as tuna, mackerel, and sardines do not produce long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids naturally either.
They only obtain them by consuming certain types of marine algae and the molecules then move up the food chain.
Currently, farmed fish are given fish oil, rather than feeding on the algae, in order to get their Omega-3.
About 80% of available supplies of fish oils are taken by the industry as a result.
The Rothamsted Research scientists believe genetically modified plants like Camelina have the potential to make fish farming more sustainable and ease the pressure on wild fish populations.
Prof Napier said he doubted Omega-3 supplements would be a "natural market" for fish oil nutrients produced from GM plants.
But he said he could imagine the fatty acids being incorporated into food products such as margarine.
"By the end of this decade, there's a possibility that people will be able to obtain a GM plant-based source of fish oils," Prof Napier said.


Tube and train strikes are causing travel misery, with the entire London Underground network shut down and many rail services cancelled.

Tube services were halted on Wednesday evening after a walkout by Underground staff over pay and conditions. They will not resume until Friday morning.
The Tube dispute centres on night services, set to begin in September.
A walkout by First Great Western staff has halved high-speed services between London, the west of England and Wales.
Click here for the latest updates on the London Underground strike
Click here for the latest on the First Great Western strike
Click here for how to beat the shutdown
Read about how Londoners took to social media to share their travel highs and lows
An extra 200 buses are being laid on, as well as additional river services, to help cope with demand in the capital, TfL said.
London Overground, DLR, TfL Rail and tram services are unaffected by the industrial action.
Those able to travel outside peak times are being urged to do so.
On Thursday morning Mike Brown, managing director of London Underground, said: "I am very sorry your journey has been disrupted. This strike is unnecessary."
The strike began at 18:30 BST on Wednesday when members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Unite walked out in a 24-hour action.
At 21:30, members of the train drivers' union Aslef began their own 24-hour stoppage.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "The strike action on London Underground is rock solid across all lines.
"That means an end to the attempt to bulldoze through new working patterns."
This Tube strike is as much about personalities as it is about the deal they are trying to hammer out.
The team negotiating for London Underground is new to this. The chief operating officer Steve Griffiths joined from Virgin Atlantic earlier this year, and my understanding is that no-one on the management side of the table has experience with rail deals.
Not that long ago, bosses on both sides would have got together, informally, away from the negotiating table - maybe over a beer - to see if they could smooth the path for an agreement.
That has not happened this time.
So we have got a group of frustrated unions, led it seems by Aslef, who feel they are being pushed around, a frustrated London Underground who say the unions refuse to talk about the main issues and four million tube passengers in the middle.
London mayor Boris Johnson has refused to rule out a delay to the opening of night Tube services, which are at the centre of the dispute between unions and London Underground.
Asked whether he expected the 24-hour service to launch on 12 September as planned, Mr Johnson said: "We will get it done this autumn."
The Tube strike coincides with a separate, 48-hour walkout by First Great Western staff, which began at 18:30 on Wednesday, causing disruption to rail services between London, the west of England and Wales.
Wimbledon spectator attendance is lower than last year and officials have not ruled out whether the travel disruption is a contributing factor.
A Wimbledon spokesman said: "There will be a reduction in the queue today because tickets are not available to buy for the show courts.
"We can't tell if it is down to the Tube strike."
Just over 37,000 spectators were at the All England Club on Wednesday, compared with a record attendance of 40,477 in 2014.
TfL warned that rush hour was likely to start earlier on Thursday as people made alternative arrangements to get home. It said buses, Overground services, river and Emirates Air Line services, as well as the cycle hire scheme were all likely to be in high demand when people headed home.
LU chief operating officer Steve Griffiths thanked Londoners for their patience and said: "We are, as we always have been, ready to talk at any time to sort out this dispute."
On Monday, members of all four unions rejected a "final" pay offer from LU which included a 2% rise this year and £2,000 for drivers on the weekend night Tube service.
The typical salary for a Tube driver is £50,000 a year, the RMT said, but the unions maintain the new plans would be disruptive to their members' lives.
They claim some employees are concerned they will have to work more overnight shifts and may have to work on their own at some stations.
The disputed weekend night services are set to begin on 12 September on sections of the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the strike was of benefit to no-one.
"We stand shoulder to shoulder with workers, families and commuters who want to go about their lives without disruption. I urge the strikers to accept the good offer that employers have made and get back to work," he said.
Aslef organiser Finn Brennan said the responsibility of the strikes "rests squarely with London Underground management" who "squandered the window of opportunity" to resolve it.
About 20,000 Tube workers are expected to walk out during the course of the strike.
Talks are set to resume on Friday.


Thousands of Wales fans have travelled to France for the biggest football match in the nation's history.

Wales will appear in their first semi-final of a major tournament when they play Portugal in Lyon at 20:00 BST.
The winners of that game will face either France or Germany in Sunday's Euro 2016 final.
Fan zones have been set up around Wales, including at Cardiff's Principality Stadium which will hold 27,500 fans who obtained tickets.
An extra 7,500 tickets made available for the Cardiff venue sold out on Wednesday morning in just over an hour.
Those who have secured tickets have been advised to arrive early as extra security measures are in place which may delay entry to the stadium.
Westgate Street in Cardiff will close from 18:00 until 23:30 and Arriva Trains Wales is adding capacity to services where possible.
But Mark Jones, the Blackwood student who campaigned for a Cardiff fan zone, did not manage to get a ticket.
"It's not just gutted for myself but I'm gutted for what seem to be the vast majority of fans who haven't been able to get a ticket and had been to the previous games," he said.
"I can't understand why the council can't open Coopers Field [where the fan zone previously was] as well."
There will also be fan zones in Singleton Park, Swansea, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Denbighshire, Aberystwyth, Anglesey, Newport, Pontypridd and Wrexham.
One of the many proud Welshmen watching tonight will be Michael Davies - the head teacher at Joe Allen's former school, Ysgol Y Preseli in Crymych, Pembrokeshire.
He said: "His performances have been quite inspirational - he's the man that brings everything together in terms of the Welsh midfield."
Insurance giant Admiral is closing its Cardiff, Swansea and Newport offices at 19:00 instead of the usual 22:00 so the 600 employees in those sites can watch the game, with staff outside Wales covering customer calls.
Prince Charles has sent a message to the team, saying: "Throughout the whole championship, you have set an inspiring example of teamwork and sportsmanship and I have no doubt that in this latest game you will continue to give your country even greater cause for pride."
First Minister Carwyn Jones said, after waiting 58 years for a place in a major football tournament, "Euro 2016 really is turning into a dream come true for Wales".
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns added: "You have to look to the fairytale triumph of Leicester City Football Club for something similarly inspiring. This Welsh team truly are the history boys."
At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, David Cameron said: "They have played superbly and we wish them all the best."
The Football Supporters' Federation Cymru said it expected more than 20,000 Welsh fans to head to Lyon.
John Welch, 57, who has made the trip from Australia, said he was "getting goosies" thinking about the game.
Mr Welch, originally of Cardiff but now of Perth, flew from Australia to Lyon after his wife, Jacqui, surprised him with a flight ticket.
The father of five said he was desperate to "be here and taste the atmosphere" - even if it was just in the city's fan zone.
"I didn't think it was possible and then the wife said, 'I've booked this. It's one chance in a lifetime. You might never ever go again.'"
The flight cost Â£1,400 (2,500 Australian dollars).
Martyn O'Rourke, 61, of Ogmore-by-Sea, said it was "fantastic" to be in Lyon.
He said: "I think we'll win. Belgium [who Wales beat 3-1 in the last round] are stronger than Portugal."
His wife, Karen, 59, said it was "definitely" time for Bale to outshine his Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.
The face value of tickets in the semis range from Â£55 (65 euros) to Â£420 (495 euros).
Vince Alm, of the Football Supporters' Federation Cymru, said the pricing was not fair on "real fans".
The prices for those who bought a Follow My Team voucher before the tournament were, however, much cheaper.
Lower category tickets were being sold via ticket agencies, touts and private individuals at about double the face value, he said.
Mr Alm said he expected 12,000 Wales fans to pack into the 59,183-capacity stadium and outnumber those from Portugal.
The fan zone in Lyon's Place Bellecour has a capacity of 20,000, with a big screen and pre-match entertainment.


John McCain has urged Donald Trump to apologise to US military veterans after he appeared to question the "war hero" status of captured soldiers.

Mr Trump sparked anger by attacking the military record of Senator McCain, a former prisoner of war, saying: "I like people who weren't captured."
The Republican presidential candidate said his remarks were misrepresented and Mr McCain is a "very brave man".
Rival Republican contenders have hit out at Mr Trump over the comments.
He made them while addressing a gathering of conservatives in Iowa on Saturday when the moderator referred to the Arizona Republican as a war hero.
Mr McCain was held for more than five years after his plane was shot down in Vietnam. Mr Trump avoided military service through student and medical deferments.
"He's not a war hero," Mr Trump said to gasps from the audience. "He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured."
Meet the US presidential contenders
Mr McCain played down the attack on Monday, telling the MSNBC TV news network: "I think he may owe an apology to the families of those who have sacrificed in conflict and those who have undergone the prison experience in serving our country."
Mr Trump, who has portrayed himself as an outspoken, outsider Republican candidate, has since tried to reframe his attack on Mr McCain.
Writing in the USA Today newspaper on Monday, he accused the Mr McCain of abandoning the nation's veterans, making the US less safe, and sending "our brave soldiers into wrong-headed foreign adventures".
He also lashed out at his Republican rivals, calling them "failed politicians" and saying he did not need "to be lectured by any of them".
Jeb Bush, the current Republican frontrunner, led the criticism of Mr Trump's remarks, tweeting: "Enough with the slanderous attacks".
"It's not just absurd," Florida Senator Marco Rubio said. "It's offensive. It's ridiculous. And I do think it is a disqualifier as commander-in-chief."
Rick Perry, another Republican candidate, said: "We're seeing an individual who's more interested in throwing invectives and this hyperbolic rhetoric out there, rather than laying out solutions."
There are currently 15 people running to be the Republican presidential candidate.
Mr Trump has led in some early polls, although analysts have predicted his appeal is likely to wane as the contest develops.


Labour needs more than principles if it is to win power again, and must ensure its programme for government resonates with voters, Gordon Brown has said.

The ex-prime minister said it was natural when losing an election for a party to "go back to first principles".
But he said Labour needed to come up with policies that "meet the challenges of the time" and appeal to the public.
He did not mention Jeremy Corbyn by name, but his remarks have been seen as veiled criticism of the Labour leader.
Mr Brown stepped down after three years as Labour leader and prime minister following the 2010 general election.
He remained as a backbench MP but resigned his seat at the general election in May.
In a speech to the Child Poverty Action Group on Wednesday, Mr Brown cautioned that a party could not rely solely on principles to get in to government.
"While you cannot deliver policies without principles you cannot deliver principles without having power.
"You have quickly to move to a stage where emphasising your principles, you build a programme then call for popular support.
"Making the desirable possible requires us to make the desirable popular, electable, credible and something that people want to hold on to."
Later, in an interview with BBC deputy political editor James Landale, the former PM emphasised that "when you lose an election you tend to think how can we go back to first principles, look at what we're really about and then decide what we do next".
"The most important thing we've got to do," he said, "is to have a programme and then have policies based on that programme and show to people that they meet the challenges of the time, suit the circumstances they face and appeal to them for what they can do for them and their families.
"Once we have done that then I think we can give people what is sadly lacking in British society today, and that is hope that we can have a better future."
Labour should focus on "British values", he said, to show that the party supports work, personal responsibility, independence and "compassion" to children.
"Once you have a programme that is based on these principles, then because the Conservatives have moved so far away from the promises they made even a few months ago at the general election, then people would want to turn to a party that had that programme."


Oscar nominee Isabelle Huppert says women's voices need to be heard more clearly in the film world.

Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival, she also said she had never personally experienced sexism in the industry.
There are 12 films by female directors being shown at Cannes, up three from last year.  In 2012, there had been none.
Huppert told the BBC: "I think the message has been clearly heard. But on the other hand, you don't want to bring women just to bring women."
The French actress, nominated for an Oscar for her role in controversial drama Elle earlier this year, continued: "You have to strike the right balance between awareness and the reality of the situation...
"A good film is a good film. But we have to create the best possible conditions so there are more female films."
Asked why the issue of equality was still an issue in 2017, she said: "A lot has been done already, but there's still so much to do.
"And maybe not only in [the UK and France] but in poor countries, where most of the time women pay a strong price for difficult economic conditions and political conditions. Women are the first victims - it's no secret."
Huppert was speaking after her talk at Cannes as part of the Women in Motion programme, which highlights women's contribution to the film industry.
The actress said she had never been subject to sexist behaviour within the industry, saying she did "everything possible" to avoid those situations.
"I can figure it out from very, very far - I manage to never get close to it. I avoid it," she said.
Huppert said she was glad the issue of equality was being talked about more.
"There's no reason why women, for the same work, should be paid less. And it's good that people talk about how difficult it is to make a film."
Huppert has two films showing at Cannes this year: Claire's Camera, which was filmed in Cannes, and Happy End, directed by Michael Haneke.
Happy End, in competition for the Palme d'Or, is a family drama set in Calais amidst the refugee crisis.
Huppert told the BBC: "I just wanted to do a Michael Haneke film. I have a very privileged relationship with him as a director."
Asked if there was a dream role she would love to play, Huppert replied: "I don't have dreams. Things happen or don't happen - most of the time they happen unexpectedly and there is nothing that can be done about it before."
The festival in the south of France is celebrating its 70th year.
Huppert said: "For me, it's very important as I have been to Cannes so many times, and had so many movies in competition or out of competition.
"Cannes really is in the centre of my life."
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Hashim Amla's unbeaten 157 helped South Africa frustrate England, who took only one wicket on day three of the second Test in Cape Town.

The Proteas captain batted through the day to lead the hosts to 353-3, trailing by 276.
Dropped on 76 and 120, Amla added 183 with AB de Villiers, who fell for 88 to Steven Finn shortly before tea.
Faf du Plessis ended the day on 51, having helped Amla add an unbroken 85 for the fourth wicket.
South Africa, who trail 1-0 in the four-match series, require a further 77 to avoid the follow-on at Newlands, where the past six Tests have produced a positive result.
Day two saw 453 runs scored, the most in a day of Test cricket in South Africa, yet the hosts - resuming on 141-2 - added only 212 on Monday in reply to England's 629-6 declared.
Amla's elegant and stoic style was markedly different to the fearless hitting of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow on Sunday, but proved effective as South Africa continued their defiant response.
After being reprieved by James Anderson off Joe Root's off-spin, Amla punished England in the steely manner of old to reach his first century in more than a year.
In reaching 50, De Villiers went past 8,000 Test runs as he and Amla put on South Africa's first century stand since 2014.
Having scored 251 runs in eight Tests at an average of 22.81 in 2015, he went past 150 for the seventh time in his career.
Amla scored only three runs in 40 balls after bringing up the landmark, while Du Plessis played watchfully as England toiled in hot conditions.
The part-time off-spin of Root drew Amla, on 76, into a rare flashing drive, but Anderson could not hold on to a sharp chance at slip.
The Proteas skipper was also put down on 120 by a diving Nick Compton at backward point off Finn, England's third drop of the match after Root reprieved De Villiers on Sunday evening.
"England dropped catches which at this level should have been taken," former England captain Michael Vaughan said on BBC Test Match Special.
"If they had taken them they would have been in a really strong position."
England looked threatening with the new ball before tea, Finn bowling with pace and bounce to have De Villiers caught via a mistimed pull to a juggling Anderson at square-leg.
England could not sustain the pressure, though, and the decision to throw the ball to opening batsman and part-time spinner Alex Hales late in the day was indicative of their struggles on a lifeless wicket.
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew
"It was not a great watch but Test cricket is all about playing the situation. South Africa were tremendous; they showed an awful lot of character.
"England dropped catches and half-chances which, in situations like this, are what win games. If you drop both De Villiers and Amla you are effectively saying you can double your average.
"Steven Finn was the pick of the bowlers. He really had De Villiers hopping around, ran in well at good pace and was outstanding in conditions not giving him very much.
"The problem for England now is that they have some tired bowlers. Even when they bowl South Africa out, whenever that may be, will they have the energy left to do anything on the last day if the opportunity arises?"
Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott on Test Match Special: "Alastair Cook tried everything: unorthodox fielding placings and he tried Alex Hales and Joe Root. What else can the lad do? Don't blame the captain of England. He couldn't do any more.
"It's not over but England need to bowl them out by lunch so they've a smidgen of a chance of winning."
Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "It was a really good day for South Africa, in particular a captain that has been under pressure. Amla occupied the crease with a presence we have seen for so many years."


Refuse workers in Sheffield have walked out in a 24-hour industrial action in a row over pay.

Strike action started at 06:00 BST on Wednesday affecting bin collections in Mosborough, Halfway, Southey Green, Foxhill and S6 postcode areas.
The GMB union said its members wanted a 2% pay rise this year but the employer was only offering 1.5% over two years.
Veolia said it was disappointed with the move and believed its "offer of 3% over a two year period is fair".
It is the second strike held by workers this year. In April, a 24-hour strike was staged over "aggressive" management practices.
The company, which runs waste management for Sheffield City Council, said it was "working hard to minimise any disruption" and asked residents to put their bins out as normal.
Peter Davies, from the union, said: "The workers feel very, very angry. We've been fighting for this pay rise since January."
He added further strikes could follow if a deal was not reached.
Debbie Doohan, general manager of Veolia in Sheffield, said: "We have worked hard to try and resolve this dispute having had numerous meetings with the GMB and have involved ACAS.
"We apologise for any inconvenience this strike may cause to residents and will do our best to get the services back to normal as soon as possible."
The firm said extra crews would be working at the weekend to complete any missed collections.
Councillor Bryan Lodge said: "We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and we are working closely with Veolia so that this dispute can be brought to a satisfactory conclusion as quickly as possible."


Manager Mixu Paatelainen has faith in his defenders and remains convinced Dundee United will win their fight to fend off relegation.

United have only kept two clean sheets this season and lost 2-1 at at home to Hamilton to slip seven points adrift at the foot of the Premiership.
"When you look defensively, our display against Hamilton it was solid," explained Paatelainen.
"We were comfortable, so from that respect the players get plenty belief."
Despite suffering a sixth loss from the seven games he has overseen since replacing Jackie McNamara, the Finn saw other positives in the performance against Accies.
"Attacking-wise we created loads of chances and clear-cut opportunities," he added.
"We just need to erase those stupid mistakes and we have no problem at all."
In their next four matches United face the teams directly above them starting with a trip to Rugby Park on Saturday to take on Kilmarnock.
Paatelainen said the aim is simply to collect as many points as possible.
"We will try and win every match," he continued. "It's a very tough challenge but that's our target, absolutely.
"The way we have played in the last couple of matches has given us belief. Those teams, they are fighting like us and they won't be easy matches but that's our target, to win them all."
Paatelainen confirmed that the club has received international clearance for Florent Sinama Pongolle but was non-committal on when the former Liverpool forward and fellow new arrival Guy Demel would be fit for first-team duties.


A kidney specialist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary has been suspended for three months after it was ruled he had developed an improper emotional relationship with a female patient.

Dr Colin Millar admitted making repeated visits to the 19-year-old in hospital, which were clinically unnecessary.
He sent her text messages and invited her to join him on a coastal walk.
He also sent her a present of rubber ducks on her birthday.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) suspended his registration for three months, with a further review hearing to be held before the suspension concludes.


US activist group Invisible Children has released a sequel to its video highlighting the activities of Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony.The first 30-minute film attracted some 100 million views online, but was criticised for simplifying the issue.

Thefollow-uphas been made without input from the group's co-founder, who suffered a mental breakdown following publicity generated by the film.
The film-makers pledged to include more context in the latest video.
The first film profiled Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army, a militia operating in several African countries which has kidnapped thousands of children, forcing girls to become sex slaves and boys to fight as child soldiers.
Some criticised the video for oversimplifying a complex issue. Uganda's Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi said that the video wrongly gave the impression that the country was still at war.
Titled Kony 2012: Beyond Famous, the new release begins with the huge media reaction to the initial release, highlighting the mainstream media coverage the video gained across the US.
By Martin PlautAfrica editor, BBC News
This film is a huge improvement on the first version. Still very slick, it uses African voices to make the case for ending the threat from Joseph Kony. As the former Ugandan presidential candidate Norbert Mao puts it: "Let those who are the professors write their books and create academic awareness. But this one grabs your gut and shakes you until you are forced to pay attention."
The campaign says it has already chalked up achievements: two resolutions in the US Congress signed by nearly 100 members. Without this kind of pressure political support for the US special forces tracking Kony could easily evaporate. It's claimed that since the first film was shown another 57 people have been abducted by his murderous group - the Lord's Resistance Army.
The need for action is real and immediate, even though the campaign is somewhat vague about whether it wants Kony dead or in custody. But who can argue with the basic message: "The human connection extends around the world?"
But it quickly switches focus to Africa, with more voices from Uganda than were featured in the emotive first release.
That film struck a chord with a younger generation not often engaged with the traditional news agenda.
"This generation has responded to the call to make Joseph Kony famous," the group said, promising to take the "next step" on 20 April.
"Part II gives a closer look at the Lord's Resistance Army, the international efforts to stop them, the progress that has already been made, and what we can all do to help," the group said.
Some US senators claimed to have been alerted to the problem by their children amid the popularity of the first release.
"All three of my kids, in different context and different times have said: 'So what are you doing about Joseph Kony and the LRA?"' Senator Chris Coons told the Associated Press.
Mr Coons is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations African affairs sub-committee. He has travelled to Africa to hear about the issue firsthand.
A recent report from the US Pew Research centre concluded that the first film represented a new way for young people consume news.
It found that 40% of 18-29 year-olds had heard about the video, compared with 20% of 30-49-year-olds and 18% of 50-64-year-olds.
The younger age group was also far more likely to have viewed the video. The majority had heard about it via social networks such as Twitter.
"The 30-minute video... provided striking evidence that young adults and their elders at times have different news agendas and learn about news in different ways," the report said.
Invisible Children's co-founder Jason Russell is currently in hospital after he was found semi-naked and screaming at traffic in the streets of San Diego.
He made himself the focus of the first film and came in for some heavy criticism from other advocacy groups and aid agencies.
Many criticised the Kony 2012 project for prescribing a "colonialist" approach to the issue of the LRA without empowering Africans to fix their own problems.


Drivers of foreign-owned supercars are being blamed for helping rack up almost £4m in unpaid parking fines in London.

Westminster council said in central London supercars were often illegally parked in bus lanes, on double yellow lines and in residents' parking bays.
But the authority is unable to recoup the money as it does not have the power to trace overseas vehicles.
The council wants the law changed to give it access to overseas driver and vehicle registration information.
According to the authority, foreign-owned cars and motorbikes owe almost £4m in unpaid fines handed out over the past three years, with more than 80% of overseas drivers given tickets refusing to pay for them.
Revealing several "high-profile" offenders, the council said the owner of a £300,000 Rolls Royce Phantom, with the number plate 3HVB, had accumulated 18 tickets and more than £2,000 in fines.
And it said the owner of a £1.2m Bugatti Veyron L'Edition Centenaire, with the number plate 444, had an outstanding ticket for parking outside a main entrance to Selfridges department store in Oxford Street in March.
Kieran Fitsall, of Westminster City Council, said: "The best thing that we can ask for is for the government to do something about this.
"It's not just Westminster that has a problem, it's right the way across the UK. We can't trace these vehicles and they are causing a problem."


Ten men have been charged with 56 offences following police raids related to child sexual exploitation claims.

Warrants were carried out at addresses in Banbury, Oxfordshire, on Tuesday before further arrests were made on Wednesday.
The men were arrested on suspicion of rape and other offences relating to three females between 2008 and 2015.
Eight of the men - seven from Banbury and one from Birmingham - appeared before Oxford magistrates earlier.
They are Leon Cole, 19; Atiq Hussain, 23; Qamran Hafiz, 24; Abdul Sarfraz, 31; Nasser Younis, 37; Tafail Mohammed, 23, and Marcelo Suarez, 20, all from Banbury, and Ahsan Raza, aged 19, from Birmingham.
They were remanded in custody and are due to appear at Oxford Crown Court on 25 April.
Two other men, Amir Arfi, aged 23, of no fixed abode and Atique Akhtar, aged 23, of no fixed abode, will appear at Oxford Magistrates' Court on 2 May.
Det Supt Paul Hayles, of Thames Valley Police, called it a "complex investigation into non-recent child sexual exploitation" in the town.
The raids are part of what the police are calling Operation Nautical.


"I'm studying, so I can work when I want and for how long I want to. There aren't really any downsides for me at the moment," she says.
Hannah works for Deliveroo, one of the best-known companies in the business thanks to protests by drivers in the summer against proposed changes to the way they are paid.
She is part of a growing army of such workers.
According to new research by global consultants McKinsey, the popular concept of work as a traditional nine-to-five job with a single employer bears little resemblance to the way in which a substantial share of the workforce makes a living.
The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) estimates that the independent workforce is some 162 million people, up to 30% of the working-age population in the United States and most of Europe. Official UK figures bear this out, with almost five million people in the UK employed in this way.
The report looked at the full spectrum of ways in which individuals earned income outside traditional employee roles. It says independent workers fit into four key segments:
Hannah Jones picked up this casual way of working after losing interest in her job in corporate finance and deciding to study for a Master's degree in developmental psychology.
She reckons she fits into two of the categories.
She has savings from her previous well-paid finance job, but still needs to top that up. Essentially, she's a casual who is earning supplemental income. She is also a "reluctant" in the sense that her aim is for a traditional job in the mental health field.
Appropriately, perhaps, she mentions the mental health upside to working outdoors delivering on her bike: "I've been outdoors all summer, it's been great for producing endorphins."
But there are plenty who find there are downsides to working for companies like Deliveroo, Uber and any of the other companies that pull together workers with services.
Although workers are classed as self-employed, some companies expect their workers to be freely and regularly available, to such an extent that there is no time to work for anyone else.
Meanwhile, they get none of the benefits, such as sick pay and pensions, that workers for other companies do.
Frank Field MP has called such practices "bogus self-employment". He is among those who want a parliamentary inquiry into this new world of casualisation.
McKinsey says its survey found the majority of independent workers in all countries participated by choice and were attracted by the flexibility and autonomy.
But it says solutions will need to be found to the problem of benefits, income security and training, whether that be through government or new technological innovation of the type that created these platforms in the first place.


Motorcycle racer Ryan Farquhar, who was hurt in a high-speed crash in the North West 200, is seriously ill and has returned to intensive care, the Belfast Trust have said.

The Dungannon rider suffered chest and pelvic injuries in the crash on 12 May.
His condition was described as stable on 16 May and he was moved out of intensive care.
The 40-year-old and Dan Cooper came off their bikes on the the Black Hill section of the course.
English rider Malachi Mitchell-Thomas was killed in a crash at the same part of the course on Saturday, 14 May.
Cooper was taken to the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine with shoulder injuries but was later discharged.
Farquhar is a well known-figure in motorcycling and has won five races at the North West 200.
He retired from the sport in 2012 following the death of his uncle Trevor Ferguson at that year's Manx Grand Prix in the Isle of Man.
However, Farquhar resumed his road racing career in 2014, saying that his family backed his decision to return.


The number of jobs lost as a result of the downturn in the UK oil and gas sector could top 120,000 by the end of this year, according to a report.

Oil & Gas UK estimated 84,000 jobs linked to the industry went in 2015, with 40,000 losses expected this year.
It said the offshore industry supported 453,000 jobs at its 2014 peak - either directly, in its supply chain or in trades such as hotels and taxis.
The new figures suggest 330,000 jobs would be supported by the end of 2016.
The analysis was carried out by marketing services company Experian.
Last week a Bank of Scotland/Lloyds Banking Group survey suggested that a third of UK oil and gas businesses planned to cut jobs further during this year.
Many companies have been struggling under the weight of a sustained fall in the price of oil.
Brent crude is currently trading at about $50 a barrel, less than half the price it was in 2014 when jobs linked to the sector peaked at over 450,000.
Oil & Gas UK chief executive Deirdre Michie said: "The industry has been spending more than it is earning since the oil price slump towards the end of 2014.
"This is not sustainable and companies have been faced with some very difficult decisions.
"To survive, the industry has had no choice but to improve its performance.
"It is looking to find efficiencies to restore competitiveness, to attract investment and stimulate activity in the North Sea.
"With up to 20 billion barrels of oil and gas still to recover, this region is still very much open for business."
Oil & Gas UK is due to hold its annual conference in Aberdeen next week to consider how it manages its way through the current downturn.
Ms Michie added: "The interventions we make now will be critical to shape the industry's direction and help stem future losses.
"Everyone in the sector can play a part. Effective workforce engagement is vital onshore and offshore, as is greater cooperation - within teams, within companies, across the industry and with the regulators and governments."
Tommy Campbell,  who chairs the offshore coordinating group of trade unions, said a major summit was needed to plot the industry's future.
He added: "He need the main players around the table, and we have to remember that the cause of all this downturn isn't just the global economy.
"There are major oil operators in this area dictating the terms to other employers, to the contractors, in order for them to maintain their huge profit margin."
A spokesman for the Scottish government said oil prices had been "recovering from their previous low levels" and there had been "some improvement in investor sentiment", but acknowledged it was a "challenging time for the industry and the workforce".
He added: "We are focused on creating a competitive and supportive business environment and promoting innovation throughout the supply chain - however, it is the UK government that retains control of the key taxation levers affecting the sector, and that must take the action needed to incentivise investment to protect jobs."


Colombia's civil conflict has lasted more than five decades, drawing in left-wing rebels and right-wing paramilitaries.

The rebels have been weakened and the paramilitary forces officially demobilised. However, recent years have seen the emergence of criminal gangs who have moved in to take over drug-trafficking operations previously run by the paramilitaries.
The Colombian government says these criminal bands, which it calls "Bacrims", are now a major threat.
The Farc is the oldest and largest group among Colombia's left-wing rebels and is one of the world's richest guerrilla armies.
The group was founded in 1964, when it declared its intention to overthrow the government and install a Marxist regime.
But tactics changed in the 1990s, as right-wing paramilitary forces attacked the rebels, and the Farc became increasingly involved in the drug trade to raise money for its campaign.
President Alvaro Uribe, who swept to power in 2002 vowing to defeat the rebels and was re-elected in 2006, launched an unprecedented offensive against the Farc, backed by US military aid.
The group had about 16,000 fighters in 2001, according to the Colombian government, but this is believed to have dropped to about 8,000, mainly as a result of desertions.
The Farc, which is on US and European lists of terrorist organisations, has suffered a series of blows in recent years.
The most dramatic setback was the rescue by the military of 15 high-profile hostages, including the former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt in 2008. The hostages had long been seen as a key element in the rebels' attempts to exchange their captives for jailed guerrillas.
The group's founder and long-time leader, Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda, died that same year of a heart attack.
On 23 September 2010, the group's top military leader, Jorge Briceno, also known as Mono Jojoy, was killed in a raid on his jungle camp in the eastern region of Macarena.
In November 2011, Alfonso Cano, leader of the group since Marulanda's death, was killed in a bombing and ground raid in Cauca province. He was replaced by Rodrigo Londono, better known under his alias of Timochenko.
The rebels still control rural areas, particularly in the south and east, where the presence of the state is weak, and have stepped up hit-and-run attacks in recent months
However, in what was interpreted by analysts as a major concession, the Farc announced in February 2012 that it was abandoning kidnapping for ransom.
In November 2012, the Farc and the government opened peace talks, focussing on six key issues: land reform, political participation, disarmament of the rebels, drug trafficking, the rights of victims, and the implementation of the peace deal.
The left-wing group was formed in 1964 by intellectuals inspired by the Cuban revolution and Marxist ideology.
It was long seen as more politically motivated than the Farc, staying out of the illegal drugs trade on ideological grounds.
The ELN reached the height of its power in the late 1990s, carrying out hundreds of kidnappings and hitting infrastructure such as oil pipelines.
The ELN ranks have since declined from around 4,000 to an estimated 1,500 to 2,000, suffering defeats at the hands of the security forces and paramilitaries.
However, in October 2009, ELN rebels were able to spring one of their leaders from jail, indicating that they were not a completely spent force.
In recent years ELN units have become involved in the drugs trade, often forming alliance with criminal gangs.
The group is on US and European lists of terrorist organisations.
Shortly after the Farc entered into peace talks with the Colombian government in November 2012, the ELN leader said that his group was also interested in negotiating a deal with the government.
The group was rebuffed by the president, who said it needed to show actions rather than words before it could sit down at the negotiating table.
Nine months later, after the release of a Canadian mining executive the ELN had been holding, President Juan Manual Santos said the government "was ready to talk" to the ELN.
He said he hoped negotiations could start "as soon as possible".  So far, no more details about the framework of the planned talks have been released.
This right-wing umbrella group was formed in 1997 by drug-traffickers and landowners to combat rebel kidnappings and extortion.
The AUC had its roots in the paramilitary armies built up by drug lords in the 1980s, and says it took up arms in self-defence, in the place of a powerless state.
Critics denounced it as little more than a drugs cartel.
The AUC's influence stemmed from its links with the army and some political circles, and its strength was boosted by financing from business interests and landowners.
The group carried out massacres and assassinations, targeting left-wing activists who speak out against them.
In 2003, a peace deal was signed with the AUC, under which paramilitary leaders surrendered in exchange for reduced jail terms and protection from extradition.
However, the Colombian authorities have extradited more than a dozen former paramilitary leaders to the US to face drug trafficking charges since 2008, saying they had violated the terms of the peace deal.
Some 32,000 paramilitary fighters have been demobilised, but the legal framework underpinning the process has been widely criticised for allowing those responsible for serious crimes to escape punishment.
The Colombian government regards the "Bacrims", as it refers to criminal bands, as the new enemy and the biggest threat to security.
The gangs, who include former paramilitary fighters, are involved in drug-trafficking and extortion.
In September 2010, a local think-tank, Indepaz, said a dozen or so new narco-paramilitary groups had quickly replaced the AUC in much of Colombia and were now responsible for more violence than left-wing rebels.
This echoes an earlier report in 2007 by the International Crisis Group, which highlighted concerns that former paramilitaries were joining forces with drug-trafficking organisations.
With names like the Black Eagles, Erpac and Rastrojos, they combine control of cocaine production and smuggling with extreme violence, but do not have any apparent political agenda.
The authorities believe in some regions they have joined forces with left-wing rebels to run drug-trafficking operations, while in other areas the new gangs and the guerrillas have clashed.


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in Pakistan on Saturday for a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, as Ankara repositions itself as a key player in the region, writes author and journalist Ahmed Rashid.

Less than two years ago Turkey was a major player in Central and South Asia.
Turkish diplomats were mediating peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government and between India and Pakistan.
Turkey was creating a new regional co-operation over Afghanistan through its Istanbul process, while shoring up the resolve of the five Central Asian republics and making sure they did not all fall into the hands of Russia.
It was even mediating internal political disputes in Pakistan between the government and the opposition. Everyone it seemed trusted Turkey.
Then suddenly it all stopped.
Turkey disappeared from the world stage and became enmeshed in multiple political problems of its own.
Most importantly for the region, Ankara did nothing to stop foreign fighters crossing its border and joining the Islamic State (IS) group, which was wrecking havoc in Iraq and Syria and rapidly spreading its tentacles to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia.
Turkey's disappearance and then its apparent connivance in allowing IS fighters through its borders caused enormous consternation in the Central Asia region, because these countries were seeing hundreds of their youth joining up with IS every month.
Afghanistan became a virtual free for all, with Iran forcing Shia Hazara youth to fight for President Bashar al-Assad, while other mullahs recruited Pashtuns and Tajiks to fight for IS.
Meanwhile, China began to play a major role in the region - pursuing the same goals as Turkey - but more methodically, such as brokering peace between the Taliban and Kabul and between India and Pakistan and finally giving full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to India and Pakistan.
Now at long last Turkey may be back as a key regional player.
In the last few days it has re-established its military presence in the Middle East by doing a much awaited U-turn against the IS.
It has promised to stop infiltration of foreign fighters through Turkey, crack down on IS cells and pledge to play a leadership role against IS in the entire region.
Only Turkey has the half a million strong army, NATO-level fire power and equipment and the will to take on IS and put boots on the ground to do it.
IS now represents, ''a national security threat to Turkey'' a senior official in Ankara told the New York Times recently.
All this is music to the ears of governments in South and Central Asia who are looking for a natural leader like Turkey to help forge a common strategy against IS.
The US is seen in the region as a retreating power, as it pulls out from Afghanistan and ceases to play any major role in mediating an end to conflicts either in Afghanistan or between India and Pakistan.
Moreover, there is little competition between Turkey, China and the US, as all want to achieve the same goals.
All these governments are deeply worried at the infiltration of IS into their countries. Afghanistan is already seeing an intense power play with young Taliban deserting their leaders and joining IS.
In Pakistan there is a race amongst some groups to declare themselves the leaders of the IS movement, even though, in reality IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has not anointed any such leader or group.
In Central Asia IS has penetrated the top echelons of government, with the desertion to IS of Colonel Gulmuod Khalimov, the commander of Tajikistan's Special Forces.
Even though these countries are facing similar threats from IS, al-Qaeda and the Taliban, there is no common strategy and only a minimum of military and intelligence co-operation.
This is where Turkey, which is well trusted by these states, could play a major role.
Turkey's Istanbul process, which aims to bring all the countries of the region together, could now enhance its role to bring about a joint military strategy to combat IS.
The next summit meeting of its members is due to take place in Islamabad in December.
IS has always been much clearer about its intentions.
It has always wanted to drag Turkey into the regional conflict zone, so that its Islamist government could be exposed as being pro-Western.
IS has also wanted to undermine Turkish power in the region and attack the seat of the last caliphate - the Ottomans - who ruled Turkey for half a millennium, so that IS can install its own caliphate.
IS has established cells in Turkey, one of which carried out the provocative suicide attack on 20 July that killed 32 and wounded 100 people in the border town of Suruc.
Turks held massive demonstrations demanding the state protect the people  - a factor that led to the Turkish U-turn.
Now Turkey will bomb IS positions in Syria and those of Turkish Kurds.
It has allowed US fighter bombers to use its Incirlik air base in southern Turkey to bomb IS targets - hugely shortening the flying time for US aircraft.
Turkey's involvement could tilt the battlefield against IS and certainly contain the foreign recruits trying to join it.
All these reasons are why the leaders of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia have welcomed Turkey's return to playing a role against IS in the Middle East region.
They are hoping it can help coordinate their multiple wars against IS into one seamless strategy, which will effectively combat this latest menace to stability in the region.
Ahmed Rashid is a Pakistani journalist and author based in Lahore.


Just before midnight on September 17 1940, the Bech children were among 100 evacuees on board the SS City of Benares, who were woken from their sleep by a German torpedo.

Minutes later Sonia and Derek were clinging to their mother in the North Atlantic, while their elder sister Barbara had disappeared down a rope that they prayed had led to a lifeboat.
Four days earlier they had set sail from Liverpool destined for Canada where they were to begin a new life - far away from deadly German bombs.
In the event they were the only entire family to survive a tragedy that would claim the lives of 87 children and 175 adults - and put an end to the short-lived policy of overseas evacuation.
The steam passenger ship was holed by the torpedo and sank in the early hours of 18 September, 600 miles off Ireland after its Royal Naval escort had deployed elsewhere.
It was one of the worst sea tragedies involving children of World War II.
The German U-48 submarine's repeated torpedo shots caused wide-scale panic and terror among the 400 passengers as lifeboats were launched and children and grown-ups scrambled for life jackets.
The evacuees, many of whom were travelling with their mothers, had ironically been selected for the voyage because of their vulnerability to bombing in their home towns and cities.
The Children's Overseas Reception Board, which had been set up just three months earlier to co-ordinate the evacuation of 210,000 British children to Canada, New Zealand and Australia, was disbanded following the tragedy.
"The idea was that by evacuating children out of the way it would somehow stiffen British resistance and we'd be much better equipped mentally and physically to face off a German invasion," explained Imperial War Museum historian Terry Chapman.
The Merseyside Maritime Museum estimates that 170,000 children were evacuated to the British Dominions or the US during World War II.
But the children on board the SS City of Benares never reached Canada.
Sonia said: "Little did we know at 10 o'clock that night that a U-boat had spotted us and was out for us."
"We rushed out onto the deck and the lifeboats had already been lowered into the sea which was very rough and we were on a sinking ship with no lifeboat and we wondered what was going to happen next."
Barbara managed to climb a rope onto a lifeboat, while her mother, Sonia and Derek spent six hours in the Atlantic before being picked up by HMS Hurricane - but not before despair had set in.
Derek said: "Our mother told us 'let's just undo our lifebelts and we'll go to sleep in the water'."
It was Sonia who refused to let the family die and urged them to keep hoping until the Royal Navy lights appeared out of the dark.
Safely on board and recovering from hypothermia, they waited for news of Barbara.
Derek said: "My mother kept on calling 'has anyone seen Barbara?' A report came in that some people had died in their lifeboat and then another report came in that everybody had died in another boat.
"It went on and on and my mother was virtually giving up hope until in the last minute a sailor came down to my mother and said 'here's your Barbara'."
"The story of the sinking of the City of Benares is so important that everybody needs to be reminded of it from time to time," said Derek.
"It is one of those stories that never fades in the retelling and is a stark reminder to all of us of those dark days of the Second World War when terrible things happened to men, women and children."


Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir have announced a one-month ban on 22 social media services, including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.

The state government said the services were being misused by "anti-government elements" to incite violence.
Graphic videos claiming to show abuses on both sides have been shared extensively.
At least nine people have died in widespread violent clashes with the security forces in the disputed region.
Other social media services, communications tools and websites to have been banned under the order include YouTube, Skype, Telegram, Snapchat and Reddit.
The state government order said "objectionable contents" were being distributed to "spread disaffection" with the authorities.
Confrontations in Indian-administered Kashmir have become frequent since the killing of popular militant leader Burhan Wani by security forces last July.
The latest bout of violence began on 9 April when eight people were killed and scores injured after police clashed with protesters during a by-election in the city of Srinagar.
Since then, hundreds of students have protested on the streets, chanting anti-India slogans and throwing stones at the security forces.
Graphic videos claiming to show abuses on both sides have been shared extensively on social media and have added fuel to the conflict.
In recent weeks, schools have been set on fire and police say three politicians have been killed by unknown gunmen.
Muslim-majority Kashmir is at the centre of a decades-old territorial dispute between India and Pakistan.
India accuses Pakistan of supporting separatist sentiment in Kashmir, but Islamabad denies this. Both countries claim Kashmir in its entirety and control different parts of it.


HSBC is closing its private banking arm in India, where the increasing number of wealthy individuals has led to intense competition for their business.

Clients will be given the choice to move to HSBC's retail arm.
The future of the wealth management unit's 70 staff will be decided early next year, when it is due to close.
It follows the lead of RBS and Morgan Stanley, which have sold their onshore private operations in Asia's third-largest economy.
Despite the growth in the number of multi-millionaires and a fast-growing wealth management market in India, it has been hard for foreign banks to attract business.
Indian companies can appeal to investors in small as well as large cities. They are not weighed down by high costs and international regulatory restrictions.
In June, HSBC chief executive Stuart Gulliver announced the bank was going to cut thousand of jobs from its global workforce as part of his restructuring programme.
Since taking over his role in 2011, he has sold scores of businesses and taken on more compliance staff to deal with the increased regulatory oversight of the industry.
An HSBC spokesperson in India said: "This marks further progress in the HSBC group strategy to simplify business and deliver sustainable growth."
The bank employs about 32,000 people in India, where it offers corporate, retail and investment banking services.


Former workers of a Fife paper firm have been awarded £1.5m in compensation after they were made redundant with just one day's notice.

A total of 374 employees lost their jobs when Tullis Russell Papermakers, based at Markinch in Fife, went into administration in April 2015.
Each employee received the equivalent of eight weeks' wages in compensation for their loss.
The award follows a judgement from an employment tribunal in Dundee.
Lawyers said that despite the company directors being under an obligation to provide employees with at least 45 days' notice - as more than 100 workers were losing their jobs - this was ignored, meaning each employee was entitled to sue for compensation.
However, acting alone would have meant each affected worker lodging "an extremely complex" and expensive employment tribunal claim, so they made a joint bid.
David Martyn, a senior employment lawyer at Thompsons, the firm that represented the workers, said: "The more notice the workforce have to prepare for these devastating changes, the better they can organise their financial responsibilities to soften the blow.
"This award of compensation will be paid by UK administration service.
"That means that the taxpayer has picked up the tab because company directors have played fast and loose with the rules.
"This has to stop and I believe we need to see more criminal prosecutions of companies that behave this way."
Paul Reilly, Unite branch secretary said: "This is a great result for my members and it goes a long way towards the hurt that happened."


Two men have been found not guilty of murdering newlywed Michaela McAreavey in her honeymoon suite in Mauritius.

The 27-year-old teacher from Northern Ireland was killed in January 2011.
She was the daughter of one of Ireland's best known sports figures, Mickey Harte, manager of the Tyrone gaelic football team.
Avinash Treebhoowoon, 32, and Sandip Moneea, 43, both worked at the hotel where Mrs McAreavey was killed.
In a statement, the McAreavey and Harte families said that following the endurance of "seven harrowing weeks of this trial" there were no words, which could "describe the sense of devastation and desolation now felt by both families".
The trial at the Supreme Court in Mauritius lasted more than seven weeks. It was initially expected to last two weeks but turned into one of the longest trials in Mauritian legal history.
There were cheers from the public gallery in court after the two men were found not guilty.
The McAreaveys have left the court.
Both Avinash Treebhoowoon and  Sandip Moneea said they were happy at the verdict but sad for the McAreaveys.
The lawyers of the two men were carried down the stairs of the court on the shoulders of jubilant supporters.
The police and prosecution said Mrs McAreavey had been murdered after disturbing thieves in her room.
The doctor who carried out the post mortem examination said she died as a result of asphyxiation caused by compression to the neck.
Her said her bruises and tissue damage showed this was caused by the grip of a hand to her throat and the pressing of a forearm around her collarbone.
Avinash Treebhoowoon said he had confessed to the murder only after being beaten and threatened by police.
A key witness was another man initially arrested, former room attendant Raj Theekoy.
He had been charged with failing to come to Mrs McAreavey's aid after claiming to have heard her cries for help.
However, he was granted immunity in return for his testimony.
He said he saw both accused leaving the McAreaveys' room around the time of the murder.
Oxfordshire-based forensic scientist Susan Woodroffe said no DNA from either of the accused was found in the McAreaveys' hotel room or on Michaela's body.
Mrs McAreavey's father, Mickey Harte, is one of the most respected figures in gaelic football, a sport which is hugely popular in Ireland.
Thousands of mourners attended Michaela's funeral near her family home in Ballygawley, County Tyrone.
The 27-year-old had married John McAreavey just 12 days before she was murdered, and was buried in her wedding dress.


This is an interesting month in India's diplomatic diary.

After a successful visit to Japan earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday.
He will be following this up with his visit to the US at the end of September. And it is being claimed that both Mr Xi's visit to India and Mr Modi's visit to Washington will pack quite a punch.
Given the recent history of turbulence in Sino-Indian ties, the visit of the Chinese president to India will be closely watched and analysed.
As chief minister of Gujarat, Mr Modi travelled to China five times, more than to any other nation, and he has been visibly impressed by China's economic success.
His landslide electoral victory in May was viewed by some in Beijing as a harbinger of better times, with Mr Modi being described as India's "Nixon" who will take Sino-Indian ties to new heights.
This early exuberance has now given way to a more realistic appraisal but Beijing views Mr Modi as a strong leader who can deliver.
An early outreach to Mr Modi was, therefore, seen as essential in making sure that Delhi does not gravitate rapidly to an emerging anti-China coalition in the larger Indo-Pacific as the US fashions its strategic rebalance to the region.
Mr Xi will start his visit from Modi's home state of Gujarat on Mr Modi's 64th birthday on Wednesday where he will be personally welcomed by the Indian prime minister and treated to a sumptuous traditional dinner on the banks of the Sabarmati river.
Mr Modi and Mr Xi have already met previously at the Brics summit in Brazil where they were able to develop a personal rapport which they would like to use to make this visit a success.
Much like Mr Modi, Mr Xi is also a strong nationalist leader who has a hardline orientation on national security but remains eager to co-operate on economic issues.
Mr Modi's room for diplomatic manoeuvering is considerably higher than that of his predecessor, Manmohan Singh, who was constrained by his lack of political authority and his party's seeming foreign policy ineptitude.
Where the Congress Party has been paralysed by an almost irrational fear of offending Chinese sensitivities and in the process ended up jeopardising Delhi's ties with its partners like Japan and the US, Mr Modi has taken a more confident position from the very time he assumed office.
Where he has openly talked of Chinese "expansionism" and has started taking concrete measures to insulate India from the negative effects of China's rapid military modernisation, he has also made it clear that he would be going all out to woo Chinese investments into India.
Mr Modi's energetic diplomacy in his first few months in office seems to have put China on notice that Delhi is not without options in a rapidly evolving global geostrategic context.
It has increased India's strategic space which Mr Modi would now like to leverage in his engagement with Beijing.
In a sign that the focus of Mr Xi's visit will be on energising trade ties, the Chinese president will be accompanied by more than 100 Chinese businesspeople.
China is likely to announce several major investment initiatives in India as the Chinese corporate sector starts looking at India with renewed interest under Mr Modi.
India has been averse to Chinese participation in many sectors of the economy, thereby reducing the flow of Chinese foreign direct investment into India despite its dire need for it.
Chinese companies will now be encouraged to invest in India by unveiling dedicated industrial parks in India.
China is India's largest trading partner but with an increasing trade deficit hovering around $40bn. This is something that Mr Modi remains focused on rectifying.
This focus on trade and economic issues does not mean that Mr Modi's government can afford to soft pedal on strategic issues.
Last week, India's Foreign Minister, Sushma Swaraj, made it clear China must respect India's territorial claim over Arunachal Pradesh.
"For India to agree to a one-China policy, China should reaffirm one-India policy," argued Ms Swaraj.
The Sino-Indian relationship faces a number of challenges - from the vexed boundary issue to a growing trade imbalance.
Public perceptions have turned negative as mutual distrust between China and India has grown in the last few years.
According to the Indian Home Ministry, there have been 334 "transgressions" by Chinese troops over the Indian border in the first 216 days of this year.
China's growing naval presence in the Indian Ocean poses its own challenge to India.
Mr Xi's visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka before coming to India underscores Beijing's commitment to develop close links with the island states of the Indian Ocean.
China's plans for a "maritime silk road" connected by cross-border infrastructure will further cement Beijing's role in the region as both Male and Colombo have lapped up China's invitation to join this initiative.
India has been invited too but it remains ambivalent about the project and is yet to make up its mind.
The challenges are immense but so is this opportunity which is presented by the emergence of strong political leaderships in Beijing and Delhi.
Both Mr Modi and Mr Xi have recognised this. It remains to be seen if they will be able to grasp the nettle this week.
Harsh V Pant is Professor of International Relations at King's College, London.


Scotland's largest health board has been heavily criticised by an inquiry into the country's worst Clostridium difficile (C. diff) outbreak.

The probe, led by Lord MacLean, looked into care at Dunbartonshire's Vale of Leven Hospital between 2007 and 2008.
Of the 143 patients with C. diff, it was a contributory factor in 34 deaths.
Lord MacLean said NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) had "badly let down" patients. The health board apologised unreservedly for a "terrible failure".
The judge said: "The inquiry has discovered serious personal and systemic failures.
"Patients at the Vale of Leven Hospital were badly let down by people at different levels of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who were supposed to care for them."
He added: "There were failures by individuals but the overall responsibility has to rest with the health board."
Lord MacLean said "systems were simply not adequate to tackle effectively a healthcare associated infection" like C. diff.
He added: "The major lesson to be learned is that what happened at Vale of Leven Hospital to cause such personal suffering should never be allowed to happen again."
Lord MacLean also expressed his view that the figure of 34 deaths was probably an underestimate as medical records were not available for all of the patients during the period in question.
He cited poor facilities, such as a lack of wash hand basins and a lack of commodes, as well as issues with the fabric of the building as evidence of poor management.
The judge said that prolonged uncertainty over the future of the Vale of Leven hospital contributed to poor morale and recruitment.
Poor leadership among NHS GGC managers, the judge said, contributed to substandard nursing care and deficiencies in medical staffing.
He said inexperienced junior doctors had too much responsibility and consultants were stretched.
Lord MacLean also said antibiotics were prescribed in cases where it was inappropriate.
His report identified a number of failings:
There are 75 recommendations in his report, including recommendations on infection prevention and control, nursing and medical care, antibiotic prescribing, communication with patients and relatives, and death certification.
Lord MacLean added: "An effective inspection regime, I am convinced, would have been able to identify the dysfunctional nature of infection prevention and control at the hospital.
"There must be an effective line of reporting, accountability and assurance.
"This was lacking for the Vale of Leven Hospital. In addition, repeated warnings over a number of years about the importance of prudent antibiotic prescribing had no impact."
C. diff Inquiry
C. diff is a bacteria which lives harmlessly in the gut of 10% to 15% of adults.
It causes diarrhoea when the delicate balance of gut flora is disturbed, often following a course of antibiotics.
It is easily spread via airborne spores.
The inquiry into the C. diff outbreak at vale of Leven was delayed five times.
The eventual cost of the inquiry is estimated to be just under Â£10m.
Lord MacLean acknowledged that improvements had been made since the C. diff outbreak.
He said: "NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde did introduce more effective reporting systems for CDI (C. diff) after June 2008 but the message should be reinforced that systems must ensure that important information is relayed from ward to board (NHS GGC).
"I am convinced that the adoption of the recommendations proposed will result in a significantly improved focus on patient care, and in particular, care of patients who contract an infection such as CDI.
"Although it was the failures in how CDI was managed at the hospital that governed the work of the inquiry, the recommendations should, I hope, have a more far-reaching impact."
Andrew Robertson, chairman of NHS GGC, said: "On behalf of the board and our staff, I would like to offer an full and unreserved apology to the patients affected and to the families who lost a relative to C. diff in the months between January 2007 and late 2008.
"This was a terrible failure and we profoundly regret it.
"I can give the firmest of assurances that, as a result of the lessons that have been learned, this could not happen again."
Health board chief executive, Robert Calderwood, added: "Re-iterating my personal apology I hope the relatives can take some comfort that the lessons learned from this outbreak have resulted in significant improvements in clinical practice, for instance, in more prudent prescribing of antibiotics.
"These major improvements introduced since the tragic events of six years ago have made the Vale and all of our hospitals in Greater Glasgow and Clyde safer for patients than they have ever been."
In a statement issued by Thompsons Solicitors, families affected by C. diff at the Vale of Leven said: "There are no words we can say to you today that will accurately convey the anger, hurt and grief we have felt for the past seven years over the suffering that our loved ones endured as they succumbed to this terrible outbreak.
"Many of us watched completely powerless as our dearly loved family members died in distressing and degrading circumstances as hospital staff struggled to cope.
"We have reached the stage today after seven long years where Lord Maclean has identified many of the causes for the outbreak and has made recommendations which we sincerely hope will mean no other families will ever have to suffer the hell we have been through."
The families said the 75 recommendations were "detailed and far reaching" and they expected the health authorities to "fully implement" them.
They added added: "The events at Vale of Leven that began in the late months of 2007 are a shame on the conscious of the Scottish NHS.
"We all believe in the NHS but our faith has been shaken to its very core. As a group will continue to fight until our campaign for justice for loved ones is satisfied.
"We are sincere in our belief that if we can prevent something like this from ever happening again then at least it will be a fitting tribute to their memories."
Newly-appointed Scottish Health Secretary Shona Robison also apologised to the patients and families affected, saying she was "truly sorry".
She said: "Our NHS failed in its duty of care for all of these patients and their families. As the cabinet secretary for health, that is a matter of deep regret for me, this government and indeed the whole of the health service.
"That is why we will accept all 75 recommendations and go further where we can. As well as creating our implementation group, I am today writing to all health boards to ensure they review their services against the report and respond to the government within eight weeks."
Ms Robison acknowledged that Lord MacLean's report had shown "a clear picture of the failings in the system that led to the C. diff outbreak".
These included a "lack of investment in the hospital, which was simply no longer fit for its purpose...a lack of managerial oversight and a fundamental breakdown in the links between what was happening at ward level and those in positions of authority at the board".
"The report highlights those who either abdicated their responsibilities or failed to carry them out effectively," Ms Robison said.
"There is no place for this conduct in our NHS, which fell below even the minimum standards we expect. It is for the health board as the employer to consider the implications and we would expect them to consider the report's findings on this aspect urgently."
The outbreak of clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven hospital was one of several across the UK at the time.
Authorities often say that much has changed, but this time it really has.  Levels of C. difficile are 75% lower than they previously were.
This has been achieved through better hygiene and infection control, but by far the biggest impact in Greater Glasgow was made through a change in the kind of antibiotics prescribed.
The relatives of those who became ill, or died, rightly want to know why these changes weren't in place earlier.
However, the public may end up asking a bigger question - whether it was worth Â£10m for an inquiry which took so long that by the time it reached its conclusions, the problem had already largely been fixed.
The health secretary noted that at the time of the outbreak, "there was no effective inspection regime at the time to pick up these failings".
"We now have an effective inspection routine through the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate that completes unannounced, comprehensive inspections and demands urgent actions," she said.
Ms Robison added: "Our top priority is that lessons are learned so that what happened at the Vale of Leven can never be allowed to happen again."
The health secretary will give a ministerial statement on the inquiry on Tuesday afternoon, which can be watched live or on demand on BBC Scotland's Democracy Live website.
A full Scottish government response to the report will be published in spring 2015.
Jackie Baillie, the Labour MSP for Dumbarton, said the findings had "vindicated" the families who had called for a public inquiry.
"The C. diff outbreak at the Vale of Leven Hospital was the worst in the UK due to the high mortality rate," she said.
"The families deserve nothing less than a full apology from the hospital management, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the Scottish government for the mistakes which compromised patient care."
She added: "What happened at the Vale of Leven should never be repeated anywhere in Scotland so it is vital we learn lessons and implement MacLean's recommendations in full."
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw, said the report would be "extremely difficult reading" for those who lost loved ones.
He said: "Failing after failing is set out here, and there are very tricky questions for both the health board and the Scottish government."
Mr Carlaw said that as Scotland's new First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was health secretary from May 2007 she would "have to explain why the infection control and inspection regimes were so inadequate, and why the Scottish government wasn't paying attention to lessons being learned south of the border".
He added: "Many of the recommendations set out will already have been acted upon, and I'm sure NHS staff across Scotland are absolutely committed to an outbreak like this never being repeated."
Dr Charles Saunders, chairman of the BMA's Scottish public health committee, said the report was "uncomfortable reading for all of us involved in the provision of healthcare".
"Whilst we recognise, since the beginning of this inquiry, a number of steps have been taken to improve patient safety and the standards of care, it is important that the NHS and the Scottish government are not complacent.
"Some of the circumstances that led to the challenges which were experienced at the Vale of Leven Hospital still exist, and not just in small district general hospitals."
Unison regional organiser, Matt McLaughlin, said: "It is fair to say that NHS Glasgow and Clyde has now put in place systems that would recognise a similar trend were it to occur today and this is to be welcomed.
"However, the report also identifies many issues that are sadly not uncommon across Scotland and that our nursing members have been raising for a long time: short staffing, lack of equipment, wrong skill mix and little or no extra staffing when clinical needs on the ward change."
Campaigners frequently call for a public inquiry to be held following a scandal or tragedy.
But only four have been held since the current law governing them was passed in 2005.
The problem for the government is that inquiries are costly and lengthy.
Lord Penrose's inquiry into the infection of blood for transfusions with the hepatitis C virus has yet to report, although it has reportedly cost Â£12m and has taken five years so far.
But public inquiries, which are chaired by a judge, are able to make recommendations which become legally binding.
During the ICL inquiry into the Stockline explosion, evidence about badly-maintained underground gas pipes prompted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to inspect other premises and issue enforcement notices.
In 2012 the Scottish government announced it would consult on improvements to the public inquiry system to make them more responsive, quicker and cheaper.
But nothing has so far been done.


An estates owner has sought to overturn Scottish government approval for a 22-turbine wind farm within wild land in the first case of its kind.

Danish billionaire Anders Povlsen has raised a judicial review in a bid to have the decision set aside.
His Wildland Ltd, which owns the Ben Loyal, Kinloch and Hope and Melness estates, has challenged approval of Creag Riabhach Wind Farm.
It is to be developed on a site on the Altnaharra Estate.
Wildland Ltd was among objectors to the wind farm in the Highlands.
Scottish National Heritage (SNH), the government's statutory landscape adviser, warned of adverse impact on wild land areas and wider Sutherland landscape.
In the court action, it has been claimed that ministers have shown "clear and consistent decision-making and safeguarding of wild land" in rejecting other projects in different parts of Scotland.
It has also been claimed that Creag Riabhach Wind Farm was the first case in which consent was given for "commercial wind-scale turbines within wild land".
James Findlay, counsel for Wildland Ltd, told the Court of Session in Edinburgh: "There is no justification here for why, in this case, significant impacts are outweighed by what, on the face of it, are normal benefits from a wind farm of this size.
"In this case, where one is promoting development in an area which is subject to significant policy protection, one requires clear and cogent reasons."
He told the judge, Lord Boyd of Duncansby: "The hear of my complaint is that there are no reasons for rejecting SNH's view."
The ministers maintain that they did give proper and adequate reasons for their decision in October last year in granting consent.
They said they did not fail to take into account any relevant material consideration and were entitled to reject the advice of SNH.
The ministers accepted that the visual impact at two viewpoints would be "major and significant" but said "those views would be experienced by a relatively small number of physically able climbers and walkers".
They said "the lone mountain landscape character area" of Ben Klibreck would remain and "key views would be unaffected".
They said they found the landscape and visual impact of the wind farm to be acceptable and considered that it will make a significant contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and had the potential for substantial economic benefit.
Ruth Crawford QC, for the ministers, urged the judge to refuse the orders sought by the estate owner.
Ms Crawford said: "What we are dealing with here is the paradigm case of the exercise of planning judgement."
Lord Boyd continued the case until next week when he may be in a position to give a decision.


Two Chinese diplomats have been killed and a third wounded in a shooting at a restaurant in Cebu in the Philippines.

The deputy consul and the finance officer for the Chinese consulate in the city were killed and the consul general wounded, police said.
The consul general, Song Ronghua, who was celebrating his birthday at the restaurant, is in a stable condition after being shot through the neck.
Police have arrested a woman who works at the consulate and her husband.
Reports vary as to who fired the shot.
"We're still trying to determine the motive for the shooting," said Chief Superintendent Prudencio Banas.
The consul general's male deputy, Sun Shen, was shot in the neck and finance officer Li Hui, a woman, was shot in the head, police said.
A handgun has been recovered from the scene, police spokesman Wilben Mayor told AFP news agency.
The attack occurred at 13:30 (05:30 GMT) at Lighthouse, a popular restaurant.
Restaurant manager Stephen John Patero said the shooting occurred in a private room, which is a favourite among local politicians.
He said waiters who served the diners heard the guests shouting at each other before the shots were fired.
"They are all friends who apparently figured in an argument," he said.
Both the Chinese embassy in Manila and the Philippine foreign ministry have declined to comment on the incident.