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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Darling: Brown can win election | Darling: Brown can win election |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Alistair Darling says he is optimistic Gordon Brown can overcome his current political difficulties to "turn things round" and win the next election. | Alistair Darling says he is optimistic Gordon Brown can overcome his current political difficulties to "turn things round" and win the next election. |
| The chancellor said Labour needed to set our a clear vision and "recapture that conviction and zeal" it once had. | The chancellor said Labour needed to set our a clear vision and "recapture that conviction and zeal" it once had. |
| Mr Darling, who is deputising for the PM while he is on holiday, said: "I think we can get through this." | Mr Darling, who is deputising for the PM while he is on holiday, said: "I think we can get through this." |
| He refused to be drawn on reports the government is considering temporarily scrapping stamp duty. | He refused to be drawn on reports the government is considering temporarily scrapping stamp duty. |
| In a wide-ranging interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said he was "looking at a number of measures" and had not "concluded exactly what we need to do". | In a wide-ranging interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said he was "looking at a number of measures" and had not "concluded exactly what we need to do". |
| Winning formula? | |
| He also argued that there were problems "in principle" and in "practicality" in relation to calls for a windfall tax on energy companies to counter public anger at record increases in fuel costs. | He also argued that there were problems "in principle" and in "practicality" in relation to calls for a windfall tax on energy companies to counter public anger at record increases in fuel costs. |
| It was suggested last week that the cash generated from this would be used to help poorer families who will struggle to pay their bills this winter. | It was suggested last week that the cash generated from this would be used to help poorer families who will struggle to pay their bills this winter. |
| I think the prime minister is very focused on what we need to do to recapture people's enthusiasm Alistair DarlingChancellor of the Exchequer | |
| Mr Darling said he would be working with energy companies to try to ensure that people could pay higher bills. | Mr Darling said he would be working with energy companies to try to ensure that people could pay higher bills. |
| And asked if Foreign Secretary David Miliband would still have a job in government after his recent article on Labour's future, which failed to mention Mr Brown, he said: "Of course." | |
| Mr Darling said his colleague had been trying to get across that as long as the party was able to "recapture the same enthusiasm and zeal" it could win the next election. | |
| Pressed on whether Mr Brown had that zeal, he said: "He has and that's why I have supported him over all these years. | |
| "I think the prime minister is very focused on what we need to do to recapture people's enthusiasm," he added. | |
| "The prime minister, when he comes back from his holidays, will set out very clearly what he intends to do, but I am very clear in my mind that provided we can get across to people what we're for, the difference that the government can make, the clear principles of fairness that govern everything we can do, then we can turn this situation around ... | |
| "I'm optimistic we can turn things round and we can win." | |
| He conceded that it was "very difficult to speculate" on what would happen to house prices in the coming year, but added that it was "perfectly true" the British economy would slow down. |