Brown attempts to end leadership debate

Gordon Brown will try to shake off questions about his leadership and refocus Labour's local election campaign as it enters its final few days.

After a weekend of damaging headlines, the Prime Minister will be visiting a crime prevention project in the North-West as he stresses his commitment to policing.

Allies have been forced to deny his job is at stake amid more dire polls and claims that Tony Blair had written off Mr Brown's chances of beating David Cameron.

Mr Blair insisted that was not true, but the assertions of his former chief fundraiser Lord Levy could hardly have come at a worse time for Mr Brown.

Labour MPs are still struggling to convince low earners they will not lose out from tax changes and there are predictions the party could lose up to 200 council seats on Thursday.

Mr Brown is also facing the prospect of defeat in the Commons over moves to extend the detention of terror suspects without charge to 42 days.

Ministers indicated that the Government still felt the plans were necessary, despite suggestions that Mr Brown was planning a U-turn.

The Prime Minister said he was always "ready to listen", as he had demonstrated over the abolition of the 10p tax rate.

As local body polling day draws near, he will return to a major theme of Labour's election push - the introduction of neighbourhood police teams for every community in the country.

He will be visiting a project by one such team in Bolton which is working with a community centre to set up activities for local youngsters to keep them out of trouble.

Mr Brown will say he wants to see the scheme replicated across the country.

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