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Own up to mistakes, Blears tells the PM
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent18 Mar 2009
GORDON Brown faced fresh pressure today to admit mistakes on the economy after a Cabinet minister warned "you can't just pretend you weren't there".
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears also called for the Government to focus on wider problems facing Britain rather than the global economic crisis.
Bluntly making clear that she believes ministers need to own up to errors which may have contributed to the financial turmoil, Ms Blears said: "You can't just pretend you weren't there."
In an interview in The Guardian, she added: "It is about acknowledging that we had a regulatory system. We actually put it in place...Was it as tough as it should have been?
"You need to be prepared to say that maybe you could have done more."
The Prime Minister's critics have compared him to TS Eliot's Macavity The Mystery Cat, claiming he has a habit of disappearing when there is trouble.
Mr Brown has said he takes "responsibility" for his actions over the British financial system but has stopped short of an admission of shortcomings.
Ms Blears branded calls for him to apologise over financial regulation failures as a "BBC obsession" but she believes an admission of mistakes would help to connect with voters.
The Prime Minister is hoping the G20 summit of world leaders in London next month will boost Labour in the polls.
However, Ms Blears believes the Government must "sooner rather than later" put a greater emphasis on other issues facing Britain.
An ICM poll today found that two thirds of voters will not change their minds even if there are signs of recovery by the next election. Labour were on 30 per cent and the Tories on 42.
Reader views (1)
Like most people in this country I no longer care what Labour and their unelected PM says or does. I just count the days to vote them out.
- Thomas, London, 18/03/2009 13:52
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