LABOUR grandee Lord Kinnock has urged party members not to react like Corporal Jones from Dad's Army to Gordon Brown's recent woes.

The former leader predicted the prime minister would bounce back in the polls and prove the people's choice when the global economic waters got rough.

In a wide-ranging interview, Lord Kinnock - a former transport commissioner for the European Union - also BACKED calls for a congestion charge in Greater Manchester.

And he predicted Labour would do well in the region in the local elections on May 1 because Manchester was a "city-state" that looked at its own interests first.

Lord Kinnock, who as Neil Kinnock led Labour to two general elections losses in 1987 and 1992, said it was "absolutely natural" a government should hit a rocky patch in its 11th year in charge.

"I am not saying there is nothing to be concerned about, but it is important to put it into proportion and not to do a Corporal Jones act," he said. "I am dismissive of over-reaction.

"What is clear is that Gordon must really emphasise what he had proved to be his best attribute, which is developing a consistent record of economic growth and stability.

"We have got record employment and low inflation. That is something people will understand.

"If you had to pick a captain for the ship, it would be Captain Brown."

Lord Kinnock said Mr Brown - who this week saw off a backbench rebellion over his scrapping of the 10p income tax band - remained "very well equipped to be prime minister".

"It is true that prime ministers have to make the weather," he added. "Gordon is accustomed to doing that, and that is what we will see him doing."

Investment

Lord Kinnock said he supported plans for a congestion charge in Greater Manchester as a way of tapping into massive investment in public transport.

He said Manchester's economic success - including a raft of new commercial buildings - meant "more and more people" would move to the city.

And he claimed introducing a charge - in return for £3bn investment in transport - would mean the city was "second [to London] in what is going to become a longer and longer chain of cities in the UK that will impose charging systems".

"From what I have seen of the [Greater Manchester] proposals they fulfil the most important criteria," said Lord Kinnock.

"The cost is not excessive - even if you pay the maximum it will be about one third of what you pay to park in Manchester.

"It is proportionate.

"The second commitment is to dedicate the revenue to [transport] infrastructure. And thirdly the charge is related to peak-time travelling, unlike the blanket charging system in London."

Mr Kinnock said he did not expect major changes in the elections on May 1, since Labour were starting from a low base. But he said he expected the party's vote to hold up particularly well in Manchester.

"Manchester voters have very substantially voted on the interests of the city and the future of the city," he said. "People respect [our] very good record in Manchester.

"Manchester is almost a city-state. There's a couple of cities like that, with Birmingham close behind, where there are a large number of people and businesses that think - rightly in my view - firstly in terms of the broad local community.

"It means in local elections people are voting, not exclusively but very substantially, on the basis of that community's concerns."