Brown targets families in fightback
Written: 14th May, 2008
LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown, seeking to reverse a slump in popularity, offered help on Wednesday for the troubled housing market.
Support for the Labour Party is at a record low and polls suggest the Conservative Party would win a big majority in parliament if an election were held now.
"Our immediate priority -- at a time when food and fuel bills are rising and mortgages more difficult to obtain -- is to help family finances," Brown told parliament.
He announced plans to reform banking regulations, whose failings were exposed last year when Britain suffered its first run on a major bank in more than a century.
Proposals on education, crime and immigration also formed part of his agenda for 2008-2009 that will be formalised later this year.
Brown, who succeeded Tony Blair in June, is battling to win back the support of voters squeezed by rising food and energy prices and anxious about a potential house price crash.
He promised more measures in coming weeks to shore up an economy being buffeted by a global downturn, showing signs of slowing growth, rising inflation and increasing unemployment.
Labour slumped to its worst share of the vote on record in May 1 local council elections amid mounting economic woes and fatigue with Labour after 11 years in power.
Source Reuters