Brown battle cry for Labour troops

As a new opinion poll suggested Labour's brief resurgence has been torpedoed by last week's aborted coup against his leadership, Mr Brown last night attempted a show of unity by inviting key members of his cabinet to join him in addressing the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, election co-ordinator Douglas Alexander and deputy leader Harriet Harman were all asked to speak, with Lord Mandelson telling MPs they must not allow others to "drive wedges between us".

Mr Brown made only one brief reference to the failed attempt to oust him by former ministers Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt, joking that he had received a request for assistance from mining firm Salt Union following the grit shortage and that he could think of one or two candidates to be sent down the salt mines.

To laughter, he added that PLP chairman Tony Lloyd would be taking nominations with a secret ballot to choose who would be sent. In a rousing 20-minute speech, Mr Brown attacked the Tory economic strategy and said the recession meant that the context for the general election would be different to that of Labour's previous three victories.

He insisted the issues now coming to the fore, such as jobs, industry, and tackling anti-social behaviour, were all strong campaign points for Labour.

"We will not win by soundbites or slogans, but by answering people's questions out in the country. The choice at the election will not be between change and no change but between the right kind of change and the wrong kind of change for Britain. We can win, we must win and we will win."

In spite of the broadly supportive mood of the meeting, one senior backbencher – David Winnick – did speak out to say that there was a "problem" with Mr Brown's leadership.

While describing the coup as counter-productive, Mr Winnick said that in spite of doing his best, Mr Brown had failed to win over the electorate.

Mr Lloyd, however, said afterwards that the meeting showed the party was now united.

"We have got to now make sure that we are seen as a party that is together, which tonight we demonstrated that we are."

Earlier Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who was criticised for taking seven hours to voice his support for Mr Brown after Mr Hoon and Ms Hewitt issued their call for a leadership election, declared his strong backing for the Prime Minister. "He has enormous strengths, he has very, very strong values, he has real determination to do what is right for people and he also has the ability to think in radical ways in some of the most difficult and pressurised circumstances."

But backbencher Geraldine Smith said the events of the past week had finally "finished" any hopes Mr Miliband may have had of succeeding Mr Brown as leader. "I think people will remember David Miliband.

"He hasn't covered himself in glory, he has behaved in quite an immature way. I think that Labour Party members are very angry about what's gone on."