Just hours after suffering one of the biggest by-election upsets in political history, Mr Brown pledged to do “whatever is necessary” to help people struggling with rising food and fuel prices.

And he fired a broadside at Conservative leader David Cameron, saying he didn't want Britain to "wake up in 24 months time" to find the economy had been ruined by the Tories.

He said: "We know that, while the problem is global, it affects people in every local community.

“And that’s why, over the next few months, we will see in housing and in gas and electricity bills and in energy, us doing more to help the hard-working families of this country.”

Glasgow East winner John Mason

“I don’t want any of us to wake up 24 months from now and find the Sure Start centres, 3,500 of which we are planning to 2010, are closed because the Conservatives have already announced that they will cut the budget.”

His comments came after Labour lost the Glasgow East by-election - prompting Tory leader David Cameron to call for a general election.

The seat had been one of Labour’s safest with a majority of more than 13,500, but a massive swing of over 22 per cent  saw the nationalists secure it by a margin of 365.

We understand and we hear people’s concerns

Prime Minister Gordon Brown

If the performance was repeated at a general election, Mr Brown and a slew of Cabinet ministers would be kicked out of the Commons.

But the Prime Minister insisted that he understood popular concerns at a time of global economic problems.

Addressing Labour’s National Policy Forum at the Warwick University campus in Coventry, he promised new measures in the coming weeks to help people cope with the pressures of energy costs.

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He said: “We understand and we hear people’s concerns.

“We will do whatever is necessary over the next few months to help hard-working families through these difficult times.”

The Prime Minister insisted that Labour had come up with the most important ideas of the 20th century, including the National Health Service and universal suffrage.

“What the great idea of our time is, is instead of just some people having the opportunity to develop their talent and all of their talent, but all people in our society, all people in Britain should have chance to develop all of those talents,” he said.

Labour loser Margaret Curran

Earlier Tory leader Mr Cameron said: “I think the Prime Minister should have his holiday but then I think we need an election.

“I think we need change in this country, and that’s how change should come about.”

The defeat - the worst for a by-election in Labour’s Scottish heartlands since Glasgow Govan in 1988 - is also set to overshadow his talks with US presidential hopeful Barack Obama tomorrow.

The victorious SNP candidate, John Mason, and his party leader Alex Salmond said they had achieved a “political earthquake” and the tremors would be felt “all the way to Downing Street”.

WRECK BRITAIN,HOW COULD THEY?

08.08.08, 10:12pm

Any other party,other than this one,could not wreck Britain.
Taking note of all that is wrong and has been for some considerable time with this goivernment, despite their bragging, any party could cash in on their mistakes and not falling into the same pit but able to improve on them,that can only be good as who would want to end up like this party,
they would try their darndest for that not to happen

• Posted by: Maggie • Report Comment

WHAT A COMPLETE & UTTER TIT!

26.07.08, 11:58am

"we will do everything to help hard working families" , "we understand and feel peoples concerns" ,"we feel you're pain" WHAT A COMPLETE AND UTTER LOAD OF CRAP!!!!.

This comes from the un-skilled,un-qualified ,**** in Number 10 along with all the other un-skilled , un-qualified wasters in the cabinet,who have done nothing but destroy the hopes ,dreams aspirations ,and futures of every hard working,law abiding member of society since they came into office in 1997 with ever increasing taxes,red tape,beauracracy,billions (actually is now 1.5 TRILLION POUNDS ) of our hard earned taxes wasted on incompetence,lies and spin (most of which has gone into the pockets of friends and donors in the way of brought contracts).

The sooner this shower of S*** is got rid of the better,and as for Brown on his holiday in Southwold ,the currents in the sea are very strong and unpredictable,i hope he goes for a swim ( doubt he will venture out of his lodgings) and gets swept out to sea and drowns.....good B***** ridance to bad rubbish!

• Posted by: jonG • Report Comment

GOOD EXAMPLE

26.07.08, 9:40am

The comment by BROWN about the tories wrecking Britain probably illustrates more than anything else the complete inane knowledge by a typical labourite.
The loss of Glasgow illustrates clearly there is no longer a BRITAIN there is just an England, Scotland & Wales - the current labourites have achieved what they and the TUC had attempted for years & years taking the GREAT out of Britain and UNITED out of Kingdom.
The main concern regarding that election must surely be that several thousands of people actually voted for a Labourite - terrible.
To be fair to BROWN he had to follow, deal with and accept the results of Blairs time as PM and he obviously wants to stay in his position mainly because he realizes (much experience) of the complete inefficiency, unsutability etc of his Ministers and other labourites.

• Posted by: nowyouknow • Report Comment

GORDON ! YOUR PARTY HAS ALREADY WRECKED BRITAIN.

26.07.08, 9:09am

HOWEVER SINCE THE GLASGOW DEFEAT I HAVE TO SAY THIS.

Gordon please dont do anything stupid like resigning. You MUST stand fast and face those within your party who denounce you.

The People of Glasgow have spoken and Kicked your Incompetence Party Candidate into touch.

By being resolute standing fast YOU WILL BE DOING A FAVOUR TO EVERY VOTER IN BRITAIN BY ALLOWING THEM TO ALSO BOOT YOUR INCOMPETENCE PARTY INTO OBLIVION AT THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION.

Thus the people of Britain will gain much satisfaction from being given the opportunity to anihilate your party and YOU will have the satisfaction of knowing THAT FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING FAVOURABLE FOR THE BRITISH ELECTORATE.

• Posted by: EmperorMing • Report Comment

GET THE MEN IN WHITE COATS

26.07.08, 4:38am

Although it has long been obvious that anything Brown and the rest of his ZanuLabour morons have said is either spin, distortion, plain bull**** or out and out lies I at least thought that they knew this. I'm now starting to think that they are seriously delusional and actually believe the crap they come out with. 'Carry on working for hard working couples'. This has got to be the utterings of a seriously unbalanced mind surely?Does Brown really not know that his govt. has NEVER started doing anything for hard working couples. Freeloaders yes. Asylum seekers yes.Hard working couples?, he's having a laugh isn't he?

• Posted by: Voltigeur • Report Comment

SUNKEN WRECK

26.07.08, 3:15am

What is Mugabe Brown burbling about . He has already wrecked the country and we are sinking towards the sea-bed . He is so big-headed that he cannot see that he has been a disaster even bigger than 'President' Blair. Lets have an election and he will see what the people of this country think.

• Posted by: ozibill041 • Report Comment

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