PRIME Minister Gordon Brown today insisted that Labour can recover from its mauling at the local elections, when it suffered its worst result in a generation.
Mr Brown said it was vital for the Government to show voters it understood their anxieties about rising prices and to convince them it had "an unequivocal and strong sense of direction" about how to get Britain through a tough economic period.
He acknowledged that voters were feeling worried about their standard of living and said: "I feel the hurt they feel."
Mr Brown admitted he had made mistakes over the abolition of the 10p tax rate and allowing speculation about a snap election to run on too long last year.
But he insisted he did not expect a challenge to his leadership of the party after leading Labour to a 24% share of the vote in Thursday's elections - its worst result for 40 years.
In the first of a pair of post-election TV interviews today, Mr Brown told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show: "Of course we can recover from this position and I will tell you how.
"First of all by sorting out the immediate problem with the economy and showing people we can come through, as we have in the past, very difficult economic times.
"Secondly by showing people we have a vision of the future that will carry the country - optimistically in my view - into its next phase.
"That is all about chances, opportunities, a fair deal for working families, helping people get onto the first rung of the housing ladder, helping people get opportunity in education - more universities and more colleges - the big building blocks for the future that we are putting in place."
Sense of hurt
Mr Brown told Andrew Marr: "It is undoubtedly the case, going round the country, that there is a sense of hurt and a sense of feeling `What is happening to my daily budget, what is happening to the bill at the supermarket and what is happening to the cost of living?'
"We have got to show, as we have done in the past, that we can come through these difficult economic times, make sure people feel safer in their jobs and their mortgages and make sure that people know that this economic plan we have for the future is taking us out of the downturn and preparing for the upturn."
He added: "What people are most worried about - and I do understand this and I feel the hurt they feel - (is that) petrol prices are going up, food prices are going up, they are worried about utilities bills, they are worried about their standard of living, there is an uncertainty about the economy...
"People's immediate priority is how to deal with the family budgets and the problems we face as a result of what is an economic downturn which started in America.
"My first focus and immediate priority is how we get through this difficult economic time which is causing, I think, so much anxiety and insecurity in this country."
Mr Brown was asked if this week's elections - which saw Labour trailing 20 points behind David Cameron's Conservatives and forced into third place behind the Liberal Democrats - meant his party was now the "underdog" in British politics.
He told Marr: "If we are the underdog, we are certainly fighting and we are fighting hard.
"We are standing up for people facing difficulties, standing up for what I believe - and what I believe is that opportunity for every citizen in this country should be greater than it is at the moment - standing up against a Conservative Party that looks like slick salesmen but actually doesn't have the answers to the real challenges this country is facing.
"That is the choice the country will face over the next few years."
Bruising
Mr Brown said the lesson he had learnt from the bruising dealt him this week at the ballot box was that "you have got to be resilient in the face of adversity but you have also got to understand, and understand very clearly, how people are seeing things".
He added: "I think I am someone who believes passionately in opportunity and fairness. I believe that over the last 10 years, I have shown that I can take people through difficult circumstances, including economic problems.
"I believe that the real Gordon Brown is someone who is standing up at all times for hard-working families in this country.
"That's what makes me tick. That's what I am about. That's what the dividing line in politics is."
Mr Brown admitted he felt to blame for the electoral bloodbath and said: "I feel responsible. There are no excuses on my part at all."
Responding to criticism about his personality, Mr Brown said: "I think its true that I am a more private person in a public arena.
"Perhaps I have spent too much time... looking at the detail to solving people's problems.
"But to solve people's problems you have got to understand their problems.
Listening
"If I communicate to people that, going around the country I am listening to what people are saying and I've hear what people have said and continue to do so.
"I come from a pretty ordinary background, we as a family felt the pinch when things were wrong, we as a family felt under pressure when the economy was going through difficult times.
"I understand what people are thinking and I understand what people are feeling and I believe that I'm the right person to take the country through these difficult times."
He said he would leave the Westminster bubble and go around the country "far more often" in a bid to connect with voters.
"I think it's more important to get out there, to be there in the country listening to what people say."
He conceded he was a "more private" person than his predecessor Tony Blair but realised he had to be an "open book" so people could know who he was and what he stood for.
Mr Brown dismissed talk of a leadership challenge and said he did not think "many MPs" were discussing the issue. He also ruled out standing down because "there's still a job to do".
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insisted that Labour can recover from its mauling at the local elections,
This man brown is totally deluded? his government has set britain back decades with debt,We are now locked into europe and at the mercy of europes powermad politicians.
Britain through a tough economic period.
This is a good one liner? WHO PUT US IN THIS MASSIVE DEBT...?
Labour, supports hard working people !!!! DO ME A FAVOUR !!!
they milk the hard working and give to the long term un-employed, single mums with 8 kids, do you want me to carry on ???
the country needs somebody who is switched onto to things happening in the real world, and at this moment in time thats mr cameron!!!
Let's hope the shackles can be thrown off this caledonian government we have who are running England into the ground whilst looking after the rest of the home nations. I've seen more charisma in a spirit level than is contained within Browns body!
magnanimous in victory ?? you just dont get it all you have given this country is crime drugs illegal refugees who are treated better than your own citizens massive debt and jobs that dont have real value you have created a culture where avoiding work is rewarded young women can become pregnant and encouraged to do so are getting benefits most seniors and the unemployed could only dream of expecting !! not every person is capable of a university or college degree and the type of jobs available are minimum wage the nulabour party needs to take a long hard look at itself
A sliding scale on fuel duty is the obvious solution. They haven't used a sliding scale because when oil prices go up they get more revenue.
Now that recession, credit squeeze, high oil and food prices have all come along at the same time, their greed has led to their demise.
A whopping 66% in the pound spent on petrol is tax. Why should we pay that much on petrol when we pay road tax to drive on the road.
Labour will NOT recover with this arrogant, dour man in charge, a man who represents constituents in another country. The local elections results refelected national issues as well. People are sick to death of paying for the freebies the Scottish and Welsh enjoy that the English are footing the bill for and are not allowed to have ourselves. We are sick of crime and Labour have failed to tackle it. We are sick of the mass immigration of people who do not benefit this country. We are sick of seeing people who cannot access cancer drugs because of the expense. We are sick of pensioners being given an extra 25p a week and made to feel grateful for it. We are sick of rises in fuel duty and working to death, only to be squeezed more and more financially. I could go on but we are sick of you Gordon Brown and they will never win another general election with him in charge. The knives will be out soon and it can't come quick enough.
Saint, Middleton: "A whopping 66% in the pound spent on petrol is tax. Why should we pay that much on petrol when we pay road tax to drive on the road."
Because when we drive we:
(a) use up fuel, which leaves less for everybody else.
(b) pollute the air, which everybody else has to breathe.
I think it's fairer for my contribution to public services to be funded by a tax on my fuel burning, which has a negative effect on other people, than a tax on my work, which harms no one.
Labour, CAN NOT and WILL NOT recover from this. They hate every single member of the British public! They got what they deserved in most of the country. KEEP IT THAT WAY
Black Flag: Weather or not vehicle emissions cause Global Warming is debatable and inconclusive. With all the new cars having more efficient engines (IE using less fuel) your two points are meaningless and provocative.
My point was implementing a Sliding Scale. We can't control oil prices, so what happens if oil goes up to say, $300 a barrel and we continue to pay 66%.
Yes we should pay tax but where on earth is all our money going. Paying this amount of tax on petrol along with all the other taxes we pay is extortionate.
if as he says he is going to listen to the people..once again..let him open his ears to what the people are saying about the referendom WE WANT ONE.. or is that just another load of hot air coming out his mouth as usuall
pack your bags and leave brown then maybe we can recover..but not until u do so your a waste of time
This caledonian could not mange a booze up in a brewery, goes to see Bush on the same day as the pope, gives cash away to the third world to develop their agriculture who have already stopped all exports of rice. Takes money off the low paid who then get onto their feet and vote against him. Sells two thirds of our gold bullion at a very very poor price. Doubles VAT in the first week in office. Says it is OK to cheat the benifits system and the makes people claim what has always been their right.
This man in totally and utterly incompetent, and he cannot speak greek.
Saint, I've never mentioned global warming, so that comment isn't relevant to anything I've said. As for new cars having more efficient engines, that's good, those using them will find themselves paying less duty as they will be using less fuel. High fuel duty plays a part in forcing those improvements in efficiency to happen, by making driving an inefficient car expensive.
The VAT on fuel varies in line with the underlying price, but fuel duty is a fixed amount per litre. I would suggest abolishing the VAT, but increasing the duty element, so the only variation caused by market movements would be the change in the base price.
The amount of tax we pay is a separate debate. My point was that we do need to pay some tax in order to fund public services and fuel duty is a more sensible way of raising it than income tax.
I think the camels back is well and truly broken.
It's too late to try and empathise.
The only way to save Labour's hide is to try and give back some of the money they have wasted to the taxpayer.
And to give back our Casino and stop the Con Charge
Sadly, I fear it is too late as the piggybank is empty.
You all rant and rave about Broon and how useless his government is.
Blackley.
"Mr Sheep. How are you going to vote today. I see that you have a red shirt on?
I will vote with my mind. Who is going to give you money to sit on your mind all day?
Mr Broon of course.
What do you call a Manchester voter with two brain cells?
Pregnant!
Remember the slogan "Labour isn't working"
And it came to pass.
"Labour can recover". Not this time Sherlock! You had your chance Brown (and the last lacky, Blair). Don't vote Labour unless you want even higher community charge and taxes. Give another party the chance to show Britain can stand alone and look after itself and people.
is Gordo eating a peanut in that photo?
who is he, by the way?
Black Flag: Using up fuel and polluting the air isn't relevant to anything I've said.
A sliding scale would ensure we pay the same amount of tax regardless of what the price of oil is.
A simplistic example (because you'd need to be a mathematical genius to solve a problem like tax in a few short sentences)
is-a litre of fuel is £1, tax is 50% {50p}
If oil doubles in price then we pay £2 a litre, and 50% tax, so we pay £1 tax.
So we lose more money to the tax man and have less to spend on our own family's.
A sliding scale would adjust to the change in oil price to make sure we carry on paying the same % in fuel duty.
Simply put, if oil prices go up then duty prices come down to keep to a mean average.
If you belive that Gordon,I`ll have some of that your taking.
Wow its fantastic Gordon I can fly.
Saint: "Using up fuel and polluting the air isn't relevant to anything
I've said."
Yes it is. In case you've forgotten, you asked: "Why should we pay that much on petrol when we pay road tax to drive on the road," to which my response was, because we pollute the air and burn fuel when we drive.
You say "A sliding scale would ensure we pay the same amount of tax regardless of what the price of oil is." That is exactly what fuel duty does at the minute. Fuel duty is a fixed amount per litre, so if fuel prices go up today, the fuel duty remains the same and therefore, the percentage of the price which goes to the treasury is reduced.
It is only the VAT that varies in line with the underlying price and as I said earlier that I would like to see the VAT element abolished and rolled up into the fuel duty, it seems that what you want is exactly what I suggested.
Yes labour can recover? by taking most of the tax off petrol so that our truckers can get a living and people can afford to travel in britain.The price of goods would drop over night ,and stop giving millions if not billions fo foreign aid while we have problems with our ecconomy.Stop giving your ministers so many perks and then maybe people would have more faith in you and your party.rather than just thinking of ideas how to take more tax off the british taxpayers....
Black Flag "Because when we drive we: (a) use up fuel, which leaves less for everybody else."
And how does fuel duty help that? Does higher fuel duty help to produce more fuel for everyone else? I can see your point about pollution but this really make no sense. If that is the case, should we pay more tax on food and drinks as well?
Rubbish, Brown is a failure
alvinlwh: "Does higher fuel duty help to produce more fuel for everyone else?"
No it doesn't, but it encourages people to use it more efficiently, by pushing increases in engine efficiency, encouraging more fuel efficient methods of doing business, encouraging people to drive cars with smaller engines, encouraging car sharing, etc. This reduces the rate at which fuel is depleted, leaving more to use in the future.
"If that is the case, should we pay more tax on food and drinks as well?"
No, because food and drink in themselves are not exhaustible resources. You can grow crops for food this year and then next year, you can do the same again. Once you burn oil, it's gone.