Brown insists: 'I'm the man for the job'

Updated 19.35 Thu May 15 2008

Keywords: gordon brown

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has insisted he is still the right man to lead Britain through tough economic times but admitted "mistakes" over the 10p tax rate abolition.

Mr Brown said he was ready to take "unpopular decisions" to make sure people suffered as little as possible from rising prices and the credit crunch fallout.

"I feel that I am in the right position to be able to sort out the problems that we have now" - Gordon Brown

He also hit out at "gossip" over his position, stressing he would not be "put off" from doing his job.

Speaking at his regular Downing Street press conference, Mr Brown said he had a record of handling the economy competently.

"I feel that I am in the right position to be able to sort out the problems that we have now," he said.

"We will not hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to take the British economy through difficult times."

Asked if any of his Cabinet colleagues were capable of leading the country, Mr Brown replied: "Of course they are capable of doing the job, but I'm doing the job.

"To be honest, I'm not going to be put off by the sort of gossip you are indulging in."

Meanwhile, Mr Brown appeared to hint that British troop levels in Iraq could be cut soon.

The Prime Minister said the planned reduction in UK numbers had been temporarily "stalled" because of a rise in violence in Basra, but revealed that he would be making an announcement "in due course".