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| Brown marks first year as PM | Brown marks first year as PM |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Downing Street has said it will be "business as usual" as Gordon Brown marks his first year as prime minister. | Downing Street has said it will be "business as usual" as Gordon Brown marks his first year as prime minister. |
| It comes as Labour were pushed into fifth place, behind the Greens and BNP, in the Henley by-election. | It comes as Labour were pushed into fifth place, behind the Greens and BNP, in the Henley by-election. |
| A BBC survey suggests 25% of Labour constituency chairman think Mr Brown should have held an election last year. | A BBC survey suggests 25% of Labour constituency chairman think Mr Brown should have held an election last year. |
| But the poll of 135 chairman for The Daily Politics and the World at One found the majority - 106 - believe he is the right person to lead the party. | But the poll of 135 chairman for The Daily Politics and the World at One found the majority - 106 - believe he is the right person to lead the party. |
| However it also suggested there was unease among the party's grassroots about the direction in which Mr Brown is taking it. | However it also suggested there was unease among the party's grassroots about the direction in which Mr Brown is taking it. |
| 'Tough job' | 'Tough job' |
| The survey - which contacted 38% of local Labour Party bosses - found 70 of them thought the party had become too close to big business. | The survey - which contacted 38% of local Labour Party bosses - found 70 of them thought the party had become too close to big business. |
| Some 89 of the 135 chairman thought Mr Brown was not right to encourage more private investment in the NHS. | Some 89 of the 135 chairman thought Mr Brown was not right to encourage more private investment in the NHS. |
| 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 |
| Mr Brown will be spending the day in Manchester on a series of visits and later plans to attend Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebrations in London. | Mr Brown will be spending the day in Manchester on a series of visits and later plans to attend Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebrations in London. |
| Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, earlier declined to offer any advice, saying he did not want to make things more difficult for his predecessor. | Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, earlier declined to offer any advice, saying he did not want to make things more difficult for his predecessor. |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "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 told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "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." |
| 'Cupboard is bare' | 'Cupboard is bare' |
| 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." |
| 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". |
| SURVEY OF LABOUR CHAIRS Two thirds believe PM wrong to encourage more private involvement in health and educationOne quarter think Brown should have called General Election last autumnThree quarters back Gordon Brown to lead Labour into the next election class="" href="/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/7475081.stm">Results in full | |
| "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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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%. |
| However 61% of those surveyed thought Gordon Brown was a liability to the party, compared with 21% when he came to power a year ago. | However 61% of those surveyed thought Gordon Brown was a liability to the party, compared with 21% when he came to power a year ago. |
| 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. | 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," he said. | "I think that the press and public have both got a downer on him at the moment," he said. |
| "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." | "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." |