UK-Politics
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is confident he will still be the leader of the Labour Party at the next general election despite the barrage of rising criticism, his official spokesman insisted Monday.

Speaker at his daily briefing, the spokesman said that Brown would not be distracted from the "big issues" following a series of character assassinations.

Veteran former Labour minister Frank Field told BBC World Service on Sunday that he would be "very surprised" if the prime minister was still in office at the next election, which he forecast would he held at the latest possible date in May 2010.

Brown's personality was a "mega problem" for the government, Field said. He suggested that the prime minister should talk to his friends and "act on their advice."
Speculation about his leadership followed other disparaging comments made about Brown in the memoirs of the Cherie Blair, the wife of the former premier, former deputy prime minister John Prescott and Tony Blair's Middle East envoy Lord Levy.

"The prime minister's view is that he's not going to be distracted by this kind of stuff and what he is focusing on are the big issues facing the country and are of concern to the people of this country," his spokesman said.

Asked whether the Brown remained confident that he would lead the ruling Labour Party at the next election, the spokesman replied: "Of course he is."
Also defending the prime minister, Health Secretary Alan Johnson told the BBC that people are tired of "character assassination" and said that "some of it premeditated."
The growing criticisms of the prime minister come after Labour lost heavily in recent local elections and opinion polls showing overall dissatisfaction with Brown's performance since replacing Blair less than 12 months ago.