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Ministers back PM pre-conference PM heading for Labour conference
(about 2 hours later)
Cabinet ministers are falling in behind Gordon Brown as he prepares to issue a rallying cry at Labour's last party conference before the general election. Prime Minister Gordon Brown is heading to Brighton for Labour's last party conference before the general election.
Schools Secretary Ed Balls said the prime minister's "authentic" approach would find favour with voters. But BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said Mr Brown still had to convince some delegates that he was the right man to lead Labour into the poll.
The Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said Mr Brown was "the right leader". Schools Secretary Ed Balls insisted the prime minister's "authentic" approach would find favour with voters.
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said Mr Brown had "nothing to fear" from a TV debate between the party leaders. But ex-deputy PM John Prescott has accused Labour MPs of defeatism and warned: "We are drifting."
Mr Brown is expected to arrive in Brighton later for the conference, which starts on Monday. 'Defeatist thinking'
Meanwhile, ex-deputy PM John Prescott has accused Labour MPs of defeatism. Mr Brown is expected to unveil in his speech on Tuesday a promise that patients in England will get key cancer tests within two weeks of seeing their GP.
He told the Independent there was "something lacking" at the top of the party and no direction in campaigning, adding: "We are drifting". His aides say he will pledge that GPs in England will get speedier access to diagnostic tests to help spot less clear-cut cancer cases.
Mr Miliband said Mr Brown had "bags" of resilience to take into the next election. The policy will be funded from savings worth £1bn from the NHS's capital budget over five years.
He told the Daily Telegraph: "I think we've got the right leader in Gordon. He's the man who stopped us going from recession to depression in Britain and around the world." We've got a whole bank of MPs, but everybody seems despondent John Prescott class="" href="/2/hi/health/8275455.stm">Speedier tests for cancer planned
Mr Balls - regarded by most as the prime minister's closest ally - insisted there was "all to play for" in the next election as he geared up for the conference which begins on Sunday in Brighton. Our correspondent added that the prime minister is also expected to claim credit for economic recovery during his address to delegates.
He said the party needed "more fighters, not quitters". The conference follows a summer in which Mr Brown has faced criticism for writing a letter of congratulations to England's victorious Ashes cricket team while keeping silent on the release of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi.
I hope this campaign provides the opportunity for serious debates at every level of the party. Douglas Alexander And as delegates gathered for the conference, which begins on Monday, Mr Prescott suggested in his interview there was a lack of talent and experience among the party's team of advisers.
Mr Brown was criticised this summer for writing a letter of congratulations to England's victorious Ashes cricket team while keeping silent on the release of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi. Mr Prescott told the Independent there was "something lacking" at the top of the party.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson suggested Mr Brown would benefit from being better at public relations.
But Mr Balls told the Guardian the prime minister should not worry about lacking "razzmatazz".
"Gordon is who he is. Gordon is at his strongest when he is being authentic," he said.
Labour could benefit from a proposed direct debate with Tory leader David Cameron, Mr Balls believes.
"The more debates the better," he said.
"David Cameron is better at reading out a script than discussing the detail of policy."
Mr Alexander suggested any televised debate could be part of a series between Labour heavyweights and their opposite numbers ahead of the next general election.
'Game on'
"I don't think Gordon has anything to fear from a TV debate," Mr Alexander, who is also Labour's election co-ordinator, told the Daily Mirror.
"I hope this campaign provides the opportunity for serious debates at every level of the party.
He said the conference would demonstrate that "it's not game over, it's game on".
"This conference is the starting gun for a campaign that will last months, in which there will be competing ideas, competing visions and competing parties and I welcome that contest and welcome the start of that campaign."
However, in his interview, Mr Prescott suggested there was a lack of talent and experience among the party's team of advisers.
He said: "Those who have responsibility for campaigning - it is not reaching out to the depths of the party.He said: "Those who have responsibility for campaigning - it is not reaching out to the depths of the party.
"We've got a whole bank of MPs, but everybody seems despondent. There's too much defeatist thinking. There's no central direction to campaigning.""We've got a whole bank of MPs, but everybody seems despondent. There's too much defeatist thinking. There's no central direction to campaigning."
"There's got to be leadership and there's got to be a message.""There's got to be leadership and there's got to be a message."
'Fighters, not quitters'
But in interviews for Saturday's morning newspapers, cabinet ministers fell behind the prime minister and talked up the party's chances at the general election.
Mr Balls - regarded by many as the prime minister's closest ally - insisted there was "all to play for" at the polls.
He told the Guardian the prime minister should not worry about lacking "razzmatazz" and said the party needed "more fighters, not quitters".
It's not game over, it's game on Douglas AlexanderInternational Development Secretary
Mr Balls added: "Gordon is who he is. Gordon is at his strongest when he is being authentic."
The schools secretary also said he believed Labour could benefit from a proposed direct debate with Tory leader David Cameron.
"The more debates the better," Mr Balls said.
"David Cameron is better at reading out a script than discussing the detail of policy."
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said Mr Brown had "nothing to fear" from a TV debate between the party leaders.
Mr Alexander, who is also Labour's election co-ordinator, suggested to the Daily Mirror that any televised debate could be part of a series between Labour heavyweights and their opposite numbers ahead of the next general election.
He said the conference would demonstrate that "it's not game over, it's game on" and the campaign would provide "the opportunity for serious debates at every level of the party".
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband also insisted Mr Brown was "the right leader" and said the prime minister had "bags" of resilience to take into the next election.
Mr Miliband told the Daily Telegraph: "He's the man who stopped us going from recession to depression in Britain and around the world."