Gordon Brown begs voters to forgive his mistakes

GORDON Brown has begged voters to forgive his mistakes and give Labour a second chance as Downing Street braced itself for more allegations about his bully-boy tactics.

Gordon Brown has begged voters to forgive his mistakes and give Labour a second chance Gordon Brown has begged voters to forgive his mistakes and give Labour a second chance

The Prime Minister’s remarks, in a speech at a party rally in Coventry yesterday, come ahead of the serialisation of a book bringing revelations about his behind-the-scenes foul mouth and foul moods.

The book, by respected Left-wing journalist Andrew Rawnsley, could wipe out any poll gain Mr Brown made after his emotional television interview with Piers Morgan last week.

The Prime Minister’s appeal came as an opinion poll last night revealed the Tory lead over Labour had narrowed to just six points, the narrowest margin since December 2008.

The YouGov survey showed Labour up two points to 33 per cent while the Tories were down one at 39 per cent. A similar showing at the general election would deny the Conservatives a majority.

Observers put the bounce in Mr Brown’s fortunes down to his performance during his interview with Morgan on ITV last week.

Mr Brown, whose personal rating has greatly increased to minus 21 from minus 50 last June, last night denied accusations that his dark moods had fuelled bullying and even acts of violence against colleagues.

“I have never hit anyone in my life,” he told Channel 4, insisting if he ever got angry it was “at himself”.

His Coventry speech, delivered on his 59th birthday, was aimed at what he called the “mainstream majority”.

He confessed: “I know Labour hasn’t done everything right. And I know – really, I know – that I’m not perfect. But I know where I come from, I know what I stand for, and I know who I came into politics to represent. If you, like me, are from Britain’s mainstream majority, from an ordinary family that wants to get on and not simply get by, then my message to you today is simple. Take a second look at us and take a long, hard look at them.”

Seeking to hijack the Conservatives’ call for change, he said Labour were the “change makers” of 2010. Under the slogan of A Future Fair For All, Mr Brown outlined Labour’s themes. Promises to secure the recovery, protect jobs and frontline services and to “stand up for the many not the few” are the cornerstones of the campaign.

Tory leader David Cameron said: “It’s ‘the many’ who’ll be paying back Labour’s debts for years to come. It’s ‘the many’ who can’t find a good school place for their children. It’s ‘the many’ who can’t get on the housing ladder.”

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said: “The truth is that Gordon Brown has failed on fairness and does not deserve a future as Prime Minister.”

The odds of a poll being held earlier than May 6 have shortened with April 22 emerging as a possible date.

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