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| Defiant Brown will 'keep going' | Defiant Brown will 'keep going' |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown has signalled that he will "keep going" as leader even if Labour fails to secure a majority at the general election. | |
| He was speaking on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. | He was speaking on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. |
| Asked if he would quit if he failed to get "a decent majority", he said "I'll keep going" before being interrupted and asked the question again. | Asked if he would quit if he failed to get "a decent majority", he said "I'll keep going" before being interrupted and asked the question again. |
| Mr Brown replied: "I will keep going. I will keep going because I want a majority." | Mr Brown replied: "I will keep going. I will keep going because I want a majority." |
| The election is widely expected to take place on 6 May and there has been growing speculation about a possible hung parliament - where no-one party has a majority - after recent opinion polls. | The election is widely expected to take place on 6 May and there has been growing speculation about a possible hung parliament - where no-one party has a majority - after recent opinion polls. |
| 'Comfortable with women' | 'Comfortable with women' |
| The Times reported on Monday that ministers had said Mr Brown intends to resist pressure to step down swiftly as Labour leader after an election defeat. | The Times reported on Monday that ministers had said Mr Brown intends to resist pressure to step down swiftly as Labour leader after an election defeat. |
| Asked, at the end of a wide-ranging half hour interview, whether he owed it to the Labour Party to stand aside if he did not secure a majority he said: "I think I owe it to people to continue and complete the work that we've started of taking this country out of the most difficult global financial recession. | Asked, at the end of a wide-ranging half hour interview, whether he owed it to the Labour Party to stand aside if he did not secure a majority he said: "I think I owe it to people to continue and complete the work that we've started of taking this country out of the most difficult global financial recession. |
| "And to be honest, going around the country, I feel there's more to do to improve the health service, more to do to give people better opportunities, more to do for women on maternity pay and equal pay, more to do on the discriminations that still exist." | "And to be honest, going around the country, I feel there's more to do to improve the health service, more to do to give people better opportunities, more to do for women on maternity pay and equal pay, more to do on the discriminations that still exist." |
| I think they're pretty good for you... as an alternative to chocolate Prime Minister Gordon Brown, on his love of bananas | I think they're pretty good for you... as an alternative to chocolate Prime Minister Gordon Brown, on his love of bananas |
| Earlier in the interview Mr Brown was asked about his attitude to working with women, following ex-Europe minister Caroline Flint's claim Mr Brown treated women in his Cabinet as "little more than female window-dressing". | Earlier in the interview Mr Brown was asked about his attitude to working with women, following ex-Europe minister Caroline Flint's claim Mr Brown treated women in his Cabinet as "little more than female window-dressing". |
| Asked whether he was simply more comfortable around men than women, Mr Brown said: "No, I feel more comfortable with women, I've got to tell you. Right throughout my life I've worked very closely with the women who've worked with me. | Asked whether he was simply more comfortable around men than women, Mr Brown said: "No, I feel more comfortable with women, I've got to tell you. Right throughout my life I've worked very closely with the women who've worked with me. |
| "Some of the most senior people working with me are not only women, but extremely, extremely professional and competent women." | "Some of the most senior people working with me are not only women, but extremely, extremely professional and competent women." |
| Mr Brown was asked why he had chosen to take part in an interview with Piers Morgan last month in which he talked about matters in his personal life, including his marriage and the death of his daughter. | Mr Brown was asked why he had chosen to take part in an interview with Piers Morgan last month in which he talked about matters in his personal life, including his marriage and the death of his daughter. |
| "I felt that how people understood me was being mediated by a number of newspapers that were presenting me in a way that's just not me. | "I felt that how people understood me was being mediated by a number of newspapers that were presenting me in a way that's just not me. |
| "I felt that I should be prepared to do like any other person who's in politics and do interviews, open myself to any questions that people had.... and be prepared to show that nobody could be as one-dimensional as newspapers were presenting." | "I felt that I should be prepared to do like any other person who's in politics and do interviews, open myself to any questions that people had.... and be prepared to show that nobody could be as one-dimensional as newspapers were presenting." |
| The PM said was also quizzed about his love of bananas, following reports that he ate up to nine a day. | The PM said was also quizzed about his love of bananas, following reports that he ate up to nine a day. |
| Asked how many he ate each day, the PM replied: "I don't know, quite a few. I think they're pretty good for you... as an alternative to chocolate." | Asked how many he ate each day, the PM replied: "I don't know, quite a few. I think they're pretty good for you... as an alternative to chocolate." |