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'I feel voters' hurt', says Brown Labour 'will recover,' says Brown
(about 2 hours 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 Labour "will recover" after its worst local elections in 40 years, and told the BBC he took the blame.
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 feel responsible. There are no excuses on my part at all," he told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show.
"I do understand this and I feel the hurt that they feel," he said. 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 were topped by Ken Livingstone's defeat by 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.
'Take fight to Tories' Voters' 'hurt'
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 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.
"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 do understand this and I feel the hurt that they feel," he said.
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 threatI'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
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.
"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. Mistakes acknowledged
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. Labour suffered a net loss of 331 seats in local elections in England and Wales on 1 May.
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".
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
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' I think if that was a fight-back, Gordon Brown is now in deeper water Alan DuncanShadow business secretary class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7382950.stm">Brown's punishing fightback plan
But his "first focus and immediate priority" was getting through this "difficult economic time". 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."
"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. 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.
'Stop patronising' No leadership challenge
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 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".
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. 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.
He said government needed "stop patronising them by telling them they have got economic stability when to ordinary families they don't". Gordon Brown had given his backing to Ken Livingstone
And shadow business secretary Alan Duncan told Sky News: "I think if that was a fight-back, Gordon Brown is now in deeper water." 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.
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.
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".
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.