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Brown to rally party on election Brown to rally party on election
(about 2 hours later)
Gordon Brown is set to issue a rallying call to Labour MPs by setting out his election strategy and telling them they can defeat the Conservatives.Gordon Brown is set to issue a rallying call to Labour MPs by setting out his election strategy and telling them they can defeat the Conservatives.
The prime minister will appear with members of his election team before the Parliamentary Labour Party.The prime minister will appear with members of his election team before the Parliamentary Labour Party.
"We cannot and will not fight the election on small ideas but on big ideas," he will say."We cannot and will not fight the election on small ideas but on big ideas," he will say.
Ahead of the meeting his closest ally, schools secretary Ed Balls, denied splits within Labour over strategy.Ahead of the meeting his closest ally, schools secretary Ed Balls, denied splits within Labour over strategy.
Mr Balls said Alistair Darling's weekend warning of the toughest spending cuts in 20 years was not a change of emphasis or policy after the failed call by two ex-ministers for a vote on his leadership. Former cabinet ministers Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt wrote to all Labour MPs last week, urging them to hold a secret ballot on Mr Brown's leadership.
And, at the weekend, Chancellor Alistair Darling warned of the toughest spending cuts in 20 years.
Mr Balls said was this did not represent a change of emphasis or policy following the failure of the Hoon-Hewitt plot.
FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programmeFROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme
He told BBC Radio 4's Today Mr Darling's comments were in line with the pre-Budget report and in line with speeches Mr Balls and Lord Mandelson had made in June. He told BBC Radio 4's Today Mr Darling's comments were in line with last month's pre-Budget report and with speeches Mr Balls and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson had made in June.
Mr Balls said that the "incredible contrasts" were not between him and Mr Darling but between Labour, who he said want to halve the deficit over four years and protect frontline services, and the Conservatives. Mr Balls said the "incredible contrasts" were not between him and Mr Darling but between Labour, which wanted to halve the deficit over four years and protect frontline services, and the Conservatives.
Mr Brown will attempt to boost morale after a turbulent week by saying of the Tories: "We can beat them, we must beat them, and we will beat them." Mr Brown will attempt to boost morale after a turbulent week by saying of the Tories: "We can beat them. We must beat them. And we will beat them."
'Aspiration''Aspiration'
He will be joined by Douglas Alexander as election coordinator, Lord Mandelson as chair of election strategy, and Harriet Harman as the director of the party's day-to-day campaigning.He will be joined by Douglas Alexander as election coordinator, Lord Mandelson as chair of election strategy, and Harriet Harman as the director of the party's day-to-day campaigning.
BBC political correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti said Mr Brown's appearance with senior election figures seemed calculated to rebuff criticisms that emerged during the attempt to unseat him - Cabinet ministers were said to be unsure about their roles in the election campaign. BBC political correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti said the joint appearance seemed calculated to rebuff criticisms that - during the attempt to unseat him - cabinet ministers were said to be unsure about their roles in the election campaign.
Other criticisms had included fears Mr Brown was reverting to a strategy of relying on Labour's core vote. Other criticisms had included fears Mr Brown was reverting to a strategy of relying on Labour's core vote, rather than engage swing voters.
All of this stems from the same thing: politicians having to rewrite their pledges in response to the fact that there is very little money around for them to spend Nick Robinson BBC's political editor Read Nick's thoughts in full See more commentators' predictions in the See Also blogAll of this stems from the same thing: politicians having to rewrite their pledges in response to the fact that there is very little money around for them to spend Nick Robinson BBC's political editor Read Nick's thoughts in full See more commentators' predictions in the See Also blog
But he will tell the PLP that the "aspiration" for every home to have broadband is an indication of the thrust of the campaign.
Tony Blair's former communications chief in Downing Street, David Hill, told BBC Two's Daily Politics the events of last week had "forced the leadership to get their act together".Tony Blair's former communications chief in Downing Street, David Hill, told BBC Two's Daily Politics the events of last week had "forced the leadership to get their act together".
The meeting will follow the launch by Mr Brown and Mr Balls of a scheme to put laptops and broadband in the homes of 270,000 low-income families.The meeting will follow the launch by Mr Brown and Mr Balls of a scheme to put laptops and broadband in the homes of 270,000 low-income families.
"Just as today I set out with Ed Balls Labour's aspiration to make every home a broadband home, so too, from now until polling day, will all the cabinet set out Labour's aspirations for a better future for Britain than the Tories could ever promise," Mr Brown will say."Just as today I set out with Ed Balls Labour's aspiration to make every home a broadband home, so too, from now until polling day, will all the cabinet set out Labour's aspirations for a better future for Britain than the Tories could ever promise," Mr Brown will say.
"We cannot and will not fight the election on small ideas but on big ideas. And so we will contrast Labour, the party of aspiration, with the Tories, the party whose only pledge to the mainstream majority is one of austerity.""We cannot and will not fight the election on small ideas but on big ideas. And so we will contrast Labour, the party of aspiration, with the Tories, the party whose only pledge to the mainstream majority is one of austerity."
Foreign Secretary David Miliband, one of the cabinet members who was accused of giving Mr Brown a belated and "lukewarm" endorsement after the attempt to unseat him, told BBC Radio 4's World at One it was essential that Labour "leads the country forward".
He added: "I have worked with Gordon since the early 1990s - nearly 20 years. He has enormous strengths and very, very strong beliefs and real determination to do what is right for people.
"He has the ability to think in radical ways in some of the most difficult and pressurised situations."
Asked why he had not originally been more positive about the prime minister, Mr Miliband said he had "been absolutely clear that it was important not to over-react" to the letter.