I considered election, says Brown

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Mr Brown said his "first instinct" was always that he needed more time to show voters how he was governing the country before going to the polls.

But he refused to blame advisers for the election frenzy which built up ahead of his announcement this weekend that there would be no poll.

He said: "I take full responsibility for everything that has happened."

Following his announcement on Saturday that he would not go to the country this year, Conservatives accused Mr Brown of being a "bottler".

Tory leader David Cameron said he was treating the voters like fools by trying to claim that his decision was not driven by Labour's sudden slump in the polls.

In his regular monthly press conference at 10 Downing Street this morning, Mr Brown said: "Yes, I did consider holding an election. Yes, I looked at it.

"My first instinct, if I were honest with all of you, was that I wanted to get on with my job of putting my vision of what the future of the country was to the people of the country and deliver on it before there was ever an election.

"But I did listen to people. I looked at what people were saying. I heard from candidates in marginal seats - those candidates in marginal seats were telling us we would win the election.

"I happen to believe we would win at any time. I made my decision on this basis: I wanted more time to set out my vision for the future of the country."