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| Brown marks first year as PM | Brown marks first year as PM |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Gordon Brown will mark his first year as prime minister later with a series of events in Manchester. | Gordon Brown will mark his first year as prime minister later with a series of events in Manchester. |
| It comes as Labour were pushed into fifth place, behind the Greens and BNP, in the Henley by-election. | |
| Labour MP John McFall said it had been a "very tough year" but many of the problems - like the credit crunch - were not of Mr Brown's making. | Labour MP John McFall said it had been a "very tough year" but many of the problems - like the credit crunch - were not of Mr Brown's making. |
| Former prime minister Tony Blair said all world leaders were under pressure and he was "100%" behind Mr Brown. | Former prime minister Tony Blair said all world leaders were under pressure and he was "100%" behind Mr Brown. |
| A YouGov opinion poll for the Daily Telegraph suggests Labour has closed the gap on the Tories over the past month - up five points on the month at 28% but still 18 points behind the Conservatives who dropped one point to 46%. | A YouGov opinion poll for the Daily Telegraph suggests Labour has closed the gap on the Tories over the past month - up five points on the month at 28% but still 18 points behind the Conservatives who dropped one point to 46%. |
| 'Extremely difficult job' | 'Extremely difficult job' |
| However 61% of those surveyed thought Gordon Brown was a liability to the party, compared to 21% when he came to power a year ago. | However 61% of those surveyed thought Gordon Brown was a liability to the party, compared to 21% when he came to power a year ago. |
| Later Mr Brown will be in Manchester meeting police community support officers and students. | Later Mr Brown will be in Manchester meeting police community support officers and students. |
| I don't believe he is personally unpopular Ben BradshawHealth minister | I don't believe he is personally unpopular Ben BradshawHealth minister |
| Over the past year a series of problems, from Northern Rock and the credit crunch to the decision not to call an election and the 10p tax row have plagued the government. | Over the past year a series of problems, from Northern Rock and the credit crunch to the decision not to call an election and the 10p tax row have plagued the government. |
| In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Blair declined to offer any advice, saying he did not want to make things more difficult for Mr Brown. | In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Blair declined to offer any advice, saying he did not want to make things more difficult for Mr Brown. |
| He said: "I've done this job, I did it for ten years. It's an honour and a privilege to do it but believe you me, it's an extremely difficult and tough job." | He said: "I've done this job, I did it for ten years. It's an honour and a privilege to do it but believe you me, it's an extremely difficult and tough job." |
| He said he was 100% supportive of Mr Brown adding: "I've got the utmost respect for someone who does [the job] because I know how hard it is to do." | He said he was 100% supportive of Mr Brown adding: "I've got the utmost respect for someone who does [the job] because I know how hard it is to do." |
| 'Cupboard is bare' | 'Cupboard is bare' |
| Health Minister Ben Bradshaw earlier told the BBC that the Henley result had been "terrible" for Labour, but Mr Brown had to cope with a "difficult economic backdrop". | Health Minister Ben Bradshaw earlier told the BBC that the Henley result had been "terrible" for Labour, but Mr Brown had to cope with a "difficult economic backdrop". |
| "I don't believe he is personally unpopular, because if you drill down into the opinion polls and the focus groups' work there is almost a complete correlation between (voters') economic situation and their feelings about the prime minister," he said. | "I don't believe he is personally unpopular, because if you drill down into the opinion polls and the focus groups' work there is almost a complete correlation between (voters') economic situation and their feelings about the prime minister," he said. |
| On this unhappy anniversary friends will mutter, foes will shout about the prime minister's misjudgements Nick RobinsonBBC political editor Read Nick's blog in full | On this unhappy anniversary friends will mutter, foes will shout about the prime minister's misjudgements Nick RobinsonBBC political editor Read Nick's blog in full |
| But Conservative leader David Cameron, whose party won the by-election, said Mr Brown had been in charge of the economy for ten years but "didn't put aside money in the good years". | But Conservative leader David Cameron, whose party won the by-election, said Mr Brown had been in charge of the economy for ten years but "didn't put aside money in the good years". |
| "As a result, at the time when people need help, the cupboard is bare. I think that is the most damning thing of all," he said. | "As a result, at the time when people need help, the cupboard is bare. I think that is the most damning thing of all," he said. |
| Labour MP Mr McFall, chairman of the Treasury committee, who have been investigating Mr Brown's unpopular decision to axe the 10p tax rate, said that had been "a mistake" and not holding an early general election had been "his judgement". | Labour MP Mr McFall, chairman of the Treasury committee, who have been investigating Mr Brown's unpopular decision to axe the 10p tax rate, said that had been "a mistake" and not holding an early general election had been "his judgement". |
| He told the BBC: "It's been a very tough year, and in fact it will be a tough 18 months or two years ahead because of the situation we find ourselves in with the credit crunch and the global problems with food and energy prices." | He told the BBC: "It's been a very tough year, and in fact it will be a tough 18 months or two years ahead because of the situation we find ourselves in with the credit crunch and the global problems with food and energy prices." |
| But he said after "an unprecedented era of growth" over ten years, it was hard to explain to people that there were global reasons why they had to pay more for their energy bills. | But he said after "an unprecedented era of growth" over ten years, it was hard to explain to people that there were global reasons why they had to pay more for their energy bills. |
| And Martin Linton, Labour MP for Battersea - which he held with a 163 majority in 2005, said if politicians were judged by results, Mr Brown ought to be "riding high", because of his record on getting pensioners out of poverty, rebuilding schools and hospitals and on the economy. | And Martin Linton, Labour MP for Battersea - which he held with a 163 majority in 2005, said if politicians were judged by results, Mr Brown ought to be "riding high", because of his record on getting pensioners out of poverty, rebuilding schools and hospitals and on the economy. |
| "I think that the press and public have both got a downer on him at the moment. I think that the mood will pass because at the end of the day he is doing a good job and people are not giving him the credit that is due to him," he said. | "I think that the press and public have both got a downer on him at the moment. I think that the mood will pass because at the end of the day he is doing a good job and people are not giving him the credit that is due to him," he said. |