UK will ‘lead the way’ over finance meltdown, says Brown
Great Britain will ‘lead the way’ as Europe looks to tackle the global financial crisis, according to prime minister Gordon Brown.
Speaking ahead of an emergency meeting of European leaders in Paris, the British prime minister said he planned to ask his European counterparts to follow the UK’s example of offering a multimillion pound bailout package to banks.
The eurozone meeting takes place after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that the global financial system was “on the brink of systemic meltdown”.
Writing in the Sunday Mirror newspaper, Mr Brown echoed president George Bush’s call for unity.
“For Europe, the stakes could not be higher and this is a moment of truth,” he said.
“No country – not even the biggest – can make it just on their own at a time like this.
“We are all in it together and have to work to solve it together.”
The prime minister said it was clear the British public were “worried” but paid tribute to their resilience.
“I’ve seen in the cities and towns I’ve visited a calm, determined British spirit; that while this is a world financial crisis that started in America, Britain will lead the way in pulling through,” he added.
The UK will not take part in the meeting of eurozone ministers – having not adopted the single European currency – but Mr Brown has been invited by French president Nicolas Sarkozy to attend part of the summit, Downing Street confirmed.
A meeting between Mr Brown and his French, German and Italian counterparts last weekend failed to result in a common plan.
However, Mr Brown’s handling of the global financial crisis has improved his popularity with the British public, with he and chancellor Alistair Darling seen as more capable of running the economy than the Conservatives, by 33 per cent to 27.
