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| Labour will recover, says Brown | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said Labour "will recover" after its worst local election results in 40 years, and told the BBC he took the blame. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said Labour "will recover" after its worst local election results in 40 years, and told the BBC he took the blame. |
| "I feel responsible. There are no excuses on my part at all," he told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show. | "I feel responsible. There are no excuses on my part at all," he told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show. |
| He admitted to some mistakes but said he had the "conviction and ideas" to take the country forward. | He admitted to some mistakes but said he had the "conviction and ideas" to take the country forward. |
| For the Tories, Liam Fox said Mr Brown was "caught in a mental rut" and should "stop patronising" voters. | For the Tories, Liam Fox said Mr Brown was "caught in a mental rut" and should "stop patronising" voters. |
| Labour's poor local election results - in which their projected share of the national vote dropped to 24%, pushing them into third place behind the Lib Dems - were topped by Ken Livingstone's defeat by Conservative Boris Johnson in London's mayoral race. | Labour's poor local election results - in which their projected share of the national vote dropped to 24%, pushing them into third place behind the Lib Dems - were topped by Ken Livingstone's defeat by Conservative Boris Johnson in London's mayoral race. |
| Voters' 'hurt' | Voters' 'hurt' |
| In his first interview after the results were announced, Mr Brown said it had "not been the best weekend", adding that voters were worried about rising petrol and food prices and utility bills. | In his first interview after the results were announced, Mr Brown said it had "not been the best weekend", adding that voters were worried about rising petrol and food prices and utility bills. |
| I'm not going to be put off by a few days' headlines from the job that I'm determined to do for this country Gordon Brown Brown's punishing fightback plan | I'm not going to be put off by a few days' headlines from the job that I'm determined to do for this country Gordon Brown Brown's punishing fightback plan |
| "I do understand this and I feel the hurt that they feel," he said. | "I do understand this and I feel the hurt that they feel," he said. |
| But he told the BBC: "Of course we can recover from this position and I'll tell you how. | But he told the BBC: "Of course we can recover from this position and I'll tell you how. |
| "First of all by sorting out the immediate problem with the economy and showing people we can come through as we have in the past very difficult economic times. | "First of all by sorting out the immediate problem with the economy and showing people we can come through as we have in the past very difficult economic times. |
| "Secondly by showing people that we have the vision of the future that will carry this country optimistically in my view into its next phase." | "Secondly by showing people that we have the vision of the future that will carry this country optimistically in my view into its next phase." |
| Mistakes acknowledged | Mistakes acknowledged |
| Labour suffered a net loss of 331 seats in local elections in England and Wales on 1 May. Mr Brown said he would be "taking the fight to the Conservative Party" over the next few months, which he said was "slick" and "impressive in its salesmanship" but short on substance. | Labour suffered a net loss of 331 seats in local elections in England and Wales on 1 May. Mr Brown said he would be "taking the fight to the Conservative Party" over the next few months, which he said was "slick" and "impressive in its salesmanship" but short on substance. |
| I think if that was a fightback, Gordon Brown is now in deeper water Alan Duncan,Shadow business secretary href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7382627.stm">MP threatens to renew tax revolt | |
| He acknowledged he had made mistakes over the decision to axe the 10p tax rate, spending "too little time" thinking about getting his message across to the public and allowing speculation about a possible early general election "go too long". | He acknowledged he had made mistakes over the decision to axe the 10p tax rate, spending "too little time" thinking about getting his message across to the public and allowing speculation about a possible early general election "go too long". |
| But he added: "I'm resolute and determined, and I've got convictions and ideas, and I'm not going to be put off by a few days' headlines from the job that I'm determined to do for this country." | But he added: "I'm resolute and determined, and I've got convictions and ideas, and I'm not going to be put off by a few days' headlines from the job that I'm determined to do for this country." |
| Asked if Labour was now the underdog, he replied: "If we are the underdog, we are certainly fighting and we are fighting hard." | Asked if Labour was now the underdog, he replied: "If we are the underdog, we are certainly fighting and we are fighting hard." |
| No leadership challenge | No leadership challenge |
| Left-wing MP John Cruddas wrote in an article in the Sunday Mirror that the party was "sinking fast" and working-class voters felt "let down" as Labour sought the middle-class vote. | Left-wing MP John Cruddas wrote in an article in the Sunday Mirror that the party was "sinking fast" and working-class voters felt "let down" as Labour sought the middle-class vote. |
| And various newspapers have speculated about plans to oust Mr Brown as Labour leader - but the prime minister told the BBC: "I don't believe many MPs are saying that". | And various newspapers have speculated about plans to oust Mr Brown as Labour leader - but the prime minister told the BBC: "I don't believe many MPs are saying that". |
| Left-wing Labour MP John McDonnell denied he was considering a possible "stalking horse" leadership challenge but told the BBC the whole cabinet should consider their positions if they could not turn the party around within six months. | Left-wing Labour MP John McDonnell denied he was considering a possible "stalking horse" leadership challenge but told the BBC the whole cabinet should consider their positions if they could not turn the party around within six months. |
| Gordon Brown had given his backing to Ken Livingstone | Gordon Brown had given his backing to Ken Livingstone |
| But Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman said voters did not want Labour to look "inwards to ourselves" and said Mr Brown was "the very best placed person" to lead the country through economic turbulence. | But Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman said voters did not want Labour to look "inwards to ourselves" and said Mr Brown was "the very best placed person" to lead the country through economic turbulence. |
| And Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who has been tipped as a future Labour leader, said Mr Brown was "the right man to take us forward into the next general election" and urged the party to pull together. | And Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who has been tipped as a future Labour leader, said Mr Brown was "the right man to take us forward into the next general election" and urged the party to pull together. |
| He also said the whole cabinet should take responsibility for the "big beating" Labour took in the local elections. | He also said the whole cabinet should take responsibility for the "big beating" Labour took in the local elections. |
| Labour backbencher Diane Abbott told Sky News it would be "madness" to remove Mr Brown as leader less than 18 months before an election. | Labour backbencher Diane Abbott told Sky News it would be "madness" to remove Mr Brown as leader less than 18 months before an election. |
| Earlier, shadow defence secretary Liam Fox told the BBC Mr Brown was "caught in a mental rut" by repeatedly claiming a record of economic stability at a time when families were being hit by rising prices. | Earlier, shadow defence secretary Liam Fox told the BBC Mr Brown was "caught in a mental rut" by repeatedly claiming a record of economic stability at a time when families were being hit by rising prices. |
| He said government needed to "stop patronising them by telling them they have got economic stability when to ordinary families they don't". | He said government needed to "stop patronising them by telling them they have got economic stability when to ordinary families they don't". |
| Shadow business secretary Alan Duncan told Sky News: "I think if that was a fightback, Gordon Brown is now in deeper water." | Shadow business secretary Alan Duncan told Sky News: "I think if that was a fightback, Gordon Brown is now in deeper water." |
| Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said the Labour Party was "in some turmoil", but as 71 Labour MPs would need to call for his resignation to trigger a leadership election he thought it likely Mr Brown would lead the party into the next general election. | Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said the Labour Party was "in some turmoil", but as 71 Labour MPs would need to call for his resignation to trigger a leadership election he thought it likely Mr Brown would lead the party into the next general election. |