Brown has faced 'difficult year'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/8162970.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has admitted it has been a "difficult year" but said he had not shirked any of the "tough decisions" he has faced.

Speaking at his final press conference before the summer break, he said he had been "tested by events" such as the financial crisis and expenses scandal.

He accepted these have had a "short-term" impact on Labour's popularity.

But he vowed to "spend through" the recession, contrasting Labour action on the economy with Conservative policies.

'Taking action'

Mr Brown told journalists that the past year, in which he had seen off several threats to his leadership, had been difficult, but not the "most difficult" he had ever encountered.

He said Labour had taken the "toughest possible" decisions on banking regulation and Parliamentary reform when crises arose in both areas.

You need people that are prepared to make these decisions Gordon Brown

"It has been a difficult year because we have had to make tough decisions and tough choices," he said.

"I think you should report politics as about making decisions and about taking the action. You need people that are prepared to make these decisions whatever the short-term impact on the popularity."

On the economy, he said money earmarked for the future was being spent now in a bid to boost growth.

Tory leader David Cameron has accused the prime minister of not being straight with the public about the government's finances and the spending squeeze which will be required to reduce debt levels.

Spending attitudes

But Mr Brown said the UK was one of the few countries to outline how it planned to cut the deficit over the next five years. He said debt levels were lower than in other leading countries.

He contrasted Labour's approach to the economy with the opposition, who he said would let the recession "run its course" leading to higher unemployment.

"We have got to spend through this recession so that we can invest for the future," he said.

Future spending would depend on growth and employment - but insisted Labour was the party to be trusted with public services.

The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson told Mr Brown a poll had found four out of five voters thought there would have to be substantial spending cuts - and asked him if he thought they were wrong:

"It depends how you ask these questions," he replied.

"If you were asking people do you want your numbers of nurses and numbers of doctors and the improvements in your hospitals to be safeguarded, they would say yes.

"I think the answer from the British public when you look at specific services on which people depend, is that they would prefer to see these services protected."