Brown pressured to outline government plans

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will unveil his legislative plans tomorrow in an attempt to restore faith in his government following a local election drubbing and attacks on his character.

Mr Brown will unveil draft proposals that are expected to help families and low-paid workers who are hurting from rising living costs and recent changes in income tax bands.

Less than a year after he succeeded Tony Blair, Mr Brown is struggling to retain the confidence of a restive Labour Party that is openly questioning whether he is the man to lead it into the next general election, due by May 2010.

Labour suffered its worst local election defeat on record on May 1 as voters vented their anger over rising food and energy prices and frustration with a government in power since 1997.

Senior Labour figures have since cast aspersions on Mr Brown's personality and one Labour lawmaker - albeit an old enemy - even suggested he would be gone before 2010.

"He is not going to be distracted by this sort of stuff," Mr Brown's spokesman said when asked about the attacks, adding there was no doubt Mr Brown would lead Labour at the next election. "What the Prime Minister is focusing is the business of government and the big issues that are facing the country."

Economic stability and inflation are high on Mr Brown's agenda and the outlook is worrying for the former Finance Minister.

Data yesterday showed that British manufacturers raised their prices at the sharpest rate in at least 22 years, denting the chances of an interest rate cut next month.

Britons are worried about an economic slowdown and a housing market slump. Polls show they want a change in government.

The opposition Conservative Party's performance in the May local council polls put it on track to win a landslide in a general election, if voting patterns were repeated.

Some political pundits are now suggesting the tide has turned against Labour and that no policy or relaunch will be enough to win the party a fourth straight term.

"On the one hand you could say it's reached a tipping point and there's nothing you can do to rescue it. On the other hand, there's always a chance that it could be pulled around," said David Denver, politics professor at Lancaster University.

"I think the odds must be against him pulling this round."

Labour minister Ed Balls called for unity on Monday, saying the party must not allow in-fighting to tear it apart as the Conservatives did under John Major in the 1990s.

He spoke after Labour lawmaker Frank Field told BBC Radio that Mr Brown was unhappy and prone to rages. Mr Field said he would be "very surprised" if Mr Brown were in charge come the election.

Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and Cherie Blair, the wife of Mr Brown's predecessor, also attacked Mr Brown's character in memoirs published in past days.