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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
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| 'I feel voters' hurt', says Brown | 'I feel voters' hurt', says Brown |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he understands people's "hurt", in the aftermath of Labour's worst local election results in 40 years. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he understands people's "hurt", in the aftermath of Labour's worst local election results in 40 years. |
| Mr Brown told the BBC it had "not been the best weekend", adding that voters were worried about rising petrol and food prices and utility bills. | Mr Brown told the BBC it had "not been the best weekend", adding that voters were worried about rising petrol and food prices and utility bills. |
| "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. |
| 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 were topped by Ken Livingstone's defeat by Boris Johnson in London's mayoral race. | Labour's poor local election results were topped by Ken Livingstone's defeat by Boris Johnson in London's mayoral race. |
| 'Take fight to Tories' | 'Take fight to Tories' |
| In his first interview following the results, Mr Brown told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "Of course we can recover from this position and I'll tell you how. | In his first interview following the results, Mr Brown told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "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. |
| 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 given new tax revolt threat | 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 given new tax revolt threat |
| "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." |
| Labour suffered a net loss of 331 seats in local elections in England and Wales on 1 May and their projected share of the vote at 24% put them in third place behind the Liberal Democrats. | Labour suffered a net loss of 331 seats in local elections in England and Wales on 1 May and their projected share of the vote at 24% put them in third place behind the Liberal Democrats. |
| 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. |
| No leadership challenge | No leadership challenge |
| 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". | 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 Mr Brown should consider stepping down if he 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 Mr Brown should consider stepping down if he could not turn the party around within six months. |
| I think if that was a fight-back, Gordon Brown is now in deeper water Alan DuncanShadow business secretary | I think if that was a fight-back, Gordon Brown is now in deeper water Alan DuncanShadow business secretary |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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". |
| 'Fighting hard' | 'Fighting hard' |
| But his "first focus and immediate priority" was getting through this "difficult economic time". | But his "first focus and immediate priority" was getting through this "difficult economic time". |
| "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," he said. | "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," he said. |
| 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." |
| Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman said it would be wrong to talk about a leadership challenge as voters "don't want us looking inwards to ourselves and navel gazing" and because Mr Brown was "the very best placed person" to lead the country through economic turbulence. | Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman said it would be wrong to talk about a leadership challenge as voters "don't want us looking inwards to ourselves and navel gazing" and because Mr Brown was "the very best placed person" to lead the country through economic turbulence. |
| 'Stop patronising' | 'Stop patronising' |
| And Labour backbencher Diane Abbott told Sky News it would be "madness" to remove Mr Brown as leader less than 18 months before an election, and urged her colleagues to "stick with Gordon". | And Labour backbencher Diane Abbott told Sky News it would be "madness" to remove Mr Brown as leader less than 18 months before an election, and urged her colleagues to "stick with Gordon". |
| Earlier, shadow defence secretary Liam Fox told the BBC Mr Brown was "caught in a mental rut" repeatedly claiming a record of economic stability at a time when families were being hit by rising prices. | |
| He said government needed "stop patronising them by telling them they have got economic stability when to ordinary families they don't". | He said government needed "stop patronising them by telling them they have got economic stability when to ordinary families they don't". |
| And shadow business secretary Alan Duncan told Sky News: "I think if that was a fight-back, Gordon Brown is now in deeper water." | And shadow business secretary Alan Duncan told Sky News: "I think if that was a fight-back, Gordon Brown is now in deeper water." |