Brown vows to battle on

2008-07-25 16:28

London - A wounded Gordon Brown vowed on Friday to "get on with the job" as Britain's prime minister after a stinging defeat for his ruling Labour Party in his native Scotland.

The Scottish National Party (SNP), which seeks independence from England, unseated Labour in the socially deprived constituency of Glasgow East, which had been a Labour stronghold for more than 60 years.

"This could be the knock-out blow for a prime minister on the ropes," said the Independent newspaper on Friday.

One analyst described Brown's one-year tenure as a "limbo-dance premiership".

The SNP classed its victory as a "political earthquake", but Brown said in London that the fall-out from global economic problems, most keenly felt in rising fuel prices, was to blame for the result.

"I think my task is to get on with the job of taking us through these difficult economic times," said Brown. "I'm getting on with the job."

Brown, who is off to a summer family beach holiday in Britain on Friday, will have plenty of time to reflect on the reasons for his government's unpopularity, which has been confirmed by a series of local and by-election setbacks, as well as in opinion polls.

'It's time for change'

Brown's string of reverses started with local elections in May and the London Mayoral elections, which were won by the Conservatives, followed by severe setbacks in two by-elections, prompted by the resignation - or death - of the sitting member of parliament (MP).

While Labour officials insist that a by-election result should not be "over-interpreted", the opposition Conservative Party on Friday urged Brown to call a general election because "it's time for change".

"Whenever people have had a chance to speak, they have said we want change," said David Cameron, the Conservative leader who would be Brown's challenger.

There are signs that Labour members of parliament (MPs) are growing increasingly restless about Brown's leadership and their party's chances to win the next general election, due in May 2010 at the latest.

"We are walking towards disaster," said Graham Stringer, a Labour MP for Manchester on Friday. "We are not having the renewal we were promised."

Stringer, and others, have said openly that the Labour Party was "damaged" when Brown took over from Tony Blair a year ago - without a leadership contest.

Analysts predict that over the summer holiday period, there will be a "a lot of phone roaming from various beaches and Tuscan villas" as worried MPs discuss the leadership question.

'The party does not have the stomach for a leadership challenge'

"Senior members of the cabinet should get together with Brown to discuss policy, presentation and the leadership issue," Stringer said.

But others are doubtful that dissatisfied Labour figures would be prepared to "shoot from the hip" and confront Brown with a leadership challenge at a crucial party conference at the end of September.

"The party does not have the stomach for a leadership challenge," said Meghnad Desai, a Labour member of the House of Lords who has in the past criticised Brown's "weakness and indecisiveness".

Desai said most critics within the party were resigned to the fact that "we will not win the next general election".

Brown would be "limping on" until 2010, he predicted.

"Nobody will challenge a sitting leader ... Brown would first have to admit that he is the problem," said Desai. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA