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Brown pledges action on economy Brown pledges action on economy
(about 1 hour later)
Gordon Brown has opened Labour's annual conference in Manchester with a pledge to do "whatever it takes" to sort out Britain's financial system.Gordon Brown has opened Labour's annual conference in Manchester with a pledge to do "whatever it takes" to sort out Britain's financial system.
The PM hailed the action his government has taken to help stabilise the money markets in the past week.The PM hailed the action his government has taken to help stabilise the money markets in the past week.
But he said he would now push for reforms to the global finance system and vowed to help UK workers at failed bank Lehman Brothers get paid. But he said he would now push for reforms to the global finance system.
He faces questions about his leadership as the conference gets underway.
The gathering is being seen as a crucial five days for Mr Brown, and a chance to prove his authority by seeing off potential leadership rivals.The gathering is being seen as a crucial five days for Mr Brown, and a chance to prove his authority by seeing off potential leadership rivals.
The conference got off to a good start, with the news that Harry Potter author JK Rowling had donated £1m to the Labour Party. The conference got off to a good start for Mr Brown, with the news that Harry Potter author JK Rowling had donated £1m to the Labour Party.
'Dramatic change' Unity urged
In an article for The Guardian, Mr Brown said the past week's financial turbulence provided the "starkest demonstration yet that we are living in an era of dramatic global change". And Mr Brown was greeted by a standing ovation as he walked on stage at the Mancheste Central conference centre, where he took part in a Q&A session with Chancellor Alistair Darling and four other ministers.
One delegate stood up to urge party unity - a reference to the 13 Labour MPs who have publicly called for a leadership election - and in a show of unity from the platform the prime minister was praised by several cabinet colleagues who said voters would not understand "navel gazing" at a time of economic turbulence.
We have absolutely the right team of people and we have the right leader in Gordon Yvette Cooper
In his speech, which opened the conference, Cabinet Office Minister Ed Miliband praised Mr Brown's "resolve, toughness and deep sense of fairness" and said the party had a "duty" to support its leader.
And chief secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper told delegates: "We have absolutely the right team of people and we have the right leader in Gordon, making touch decisions and leading us through what is really a tough time throughout the world".
'Different world'
Mr Brown said in the past week the world economy had been changing "almost by the day and almost by the hour".
He said when he got the call that HBOS was facing difficulties he realised "we are in a different world".
The people in the UK want to feel confident somebody, somewhere knows what the problem is and is dealing with it. Sir Stuart RoseChairman, Marks and SpencerThe people in the UK want to feel confident somebody, somewhere knows what the problem is and is dealing with it. Sir Stuart RoseChairman, Marks and Spencer
He said the US government now owned much of the US mortgage market and a large part of the world's biggest insurer, and two of Britain's biggest banks and mortgage lenders have had to merge. He said his "first concern" was for people struggling with their mortgages, people worried about their jobs and mothers worried about food bills.
He added: "Just as when we stopped Northern Rock going to the wall...we have acted to secure people's savings, support the housing market and underpin liquidity in the banking sector. "So when people ask what we will do to sort out the financial system, what we will do to ensure there is responsibility and not irresponsibility I tell you in three words, whatever it takes."
"And with our support, the Financial Services Authority has banned short-selling of financial stocks." Short selling
Continuing criticism He also said, once conference ended, he would go to the US to talk to financial institutions and other governments about "global financial supervision of what is a global financial system".
But criticism of Mr Brown's financial competence has continued, with harsh words from the chairman of Marks and Spencer, Sir Stuart Rose. He said he hoped to get money back from Lehman Brothers to pay, not "high flying financiers" but the cleaners and other workers who otherwise would not be paid.
And he said other countries had followed after Britain temporarily banned short selling, and said his government had taken action to rescue Northern Rock and help people facing repossession, while the Conservatives would have left people "isolated".
HAVE YOUR SAYI remember when conferences made decisions and changed people's minds. That was the sign of a confident partyKathleen Bell, NottinghamSend us your comments
But Mr Brown's financial competence has been questioned by the chairman of Marks and Spencer, Sir Stuart Rose.
Sir Stuart told the BBC the government should have acted quicker when it became clear last year that Britain was entering a period of sustained economic weakness.Sir Stuart told the BBC the government should have acted quicker when it became clear last year that Britain was entering a period of sustained economic weakness.
Speaking before this week's unprecedented financial upheaval, Sir Stuart said: "The recognition that this was a more deep-seated issue was a bit long in coming."Speaking before this week's unprecedented financial upheaval, Sir Stuart said: "The recognition that this was a more deep-seated issue was a bit long in coming."
"The people in the UK want to feel confident somebody, somewhere knows what the problem is and is dealing with it." But the Work and Pensions Secretary, James Purnell, said he believed the country is still behind the prime minister and the Conservatives could not match his 10 years' experience managing the economy.
But the Work and Pensions Secretary, James Purnell, said he believed the country is still behind the prime minister.
"I've been talking to people in my constituency and they're saying quite clearly, at a time when they're worried about the economy, if they've got a choice between Gordon Brown and David Cameron, about who can manage the economy better, they know whose side they're on.
"They're on Gordon Brown's side, because he's got the experience over ten years of being able to run the economy in a way which the Conservatives have never been able to match," Mr Purnell said.
Virtual manifesto
The BBC's political correspondent, Vicky Young, says delegates to the Labour Party's conference in Manchester are likely to be told that instead of in-fighting, they should show the people of the UK they care about the same thing - the economy.
But the speculation over Mr Brown's future shows no signs of dying down with a newspaper article from Foreign Secretary David Miliband which is being interpreted by some as a virtual manifesto for the post of Labour Party leader.
HAVE YOUR SAYI remember when conferences made decisions and changed people's minds. That was the sign of a confident partyKathleen Bell, NottinghamSend us your comments
Across four pages of Saturday's Daily Mirror, Mr Miliband - seen as a front runner for Mr Brown's job - sets out his views on the future, on education and on the Conservative leader David Cameron.
He also talks about his background, his wife, his children and his love of Arsenal football club.
But just in case there was any doubt, he said there was no "vacancy" for the top job.
Writing in the Times, the Health Secretary Alan Johnson, who is also seen as a potential leadership contender, ruled himself out of a bid for the job and called on the party to get behind Mr Brown.
United front
More support for Mr Brown has come from the former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who has launched a loyalist campaign together with former Downing Street press spokesman Alastair Campbell, MEP Glenys Kinnock and former minister Richard Caborn.More support for Mr Brown has come from the former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who has launched a loyalist campaign together with former Downing Street press spokesman Alastair Campbell, MEP Glenys Kinnock and former minister Richard Caborn.
They have enlisted twenty Labour MPs, all of whom have sent letters to their parliamentary colleagues, urging them to "stand up and be counted" by joining the campaign. They have enlisted 20 Labour MPs, all of whom have sent letters to their parliamentary colleagues, urging them to "stand up and be counted" by joining the campaign.
The signatories come from all sides of the party, and include prominent backbencher Jon Cruddas - seen by some as a possible future left-wing candidate for the leadership. The letters warn that internal party divisions will "serve the interests of the Tories".
The letters warn that internal party divisions will "serve the interests of the Tories" - a message to the dozen Labour MPs who last week asked for nomination papers to be sent out for a leadership contest. As Labour delegates were arriving, thousands of anti-war demonstrators staged a noisy protest outside the conference centre calling on Mr Brown to end the "catastrophic" conflict in Iraq and withdraw British troops.