Gordon Brown denies angry outburst claims
Updated on 20 February 2010
Exclusive: amid allegations that the prime minster swore at one adviser and hit another, Gordon Brown tells Krishnan Guru Murthy "I have never hit anybody in my life".
The prime minister, who was this morning launching Labour's election slogan, firmly denied claims believed to be contained in a new book by journalist Andrew Rawnsley that he angrily hit an adviser.
He did admit that when he gets angry "I throw the newspapers on the floor or something like that," but told Channel 4 News: "Let me just say absolutely clearly, so that there is no misunderstanding about that, I have never, never hit anybody in my life."
"I don't do these sorts of things," he added. "The heat of the moment you say things some time. Of course you do get angry, mostly with yourself.
"But I'm very strong willed, I'm very determined, I think the country wants someone that will push things forward, and not allow things to be stagnant and stale, and every morning I get up with a determination to do my best for this country.
"Any allegations that have been made about hitting people or anything are completely untrue."
The prime minister also said he did not regret the intimate interview with Piers Morgan broadcast last week.
"I've always said that people who vote at an election have got a right to know who they are voting for, what they think, what lies behind the views they take, what are they about.
"To be honest, I've had people's presentation of me mediated by a group of newspapers who are pretty hostile to me.
"I felt it was right to say 'Look if you've got any questions to ask me, if you've got any points you want to raise with me, here I am and ask these questions'.
"I will continue to be available to answer questions, because as I've said I want the public to have a very clear view of the choice that is available to them."
Speaking about the challenges of the economy, Mr Brown said: "We are the party that is prepared to intervene. We've re-written the rules for the financial system, we will continue to try to seek a global consensus on that.
"I find nothing to suggest that the Conservative party have any idea what to do about these problems."
"We've made announcements about the tax changes. Of course, with the chancellor we will have a budget in due course, but we've made announcements that raise substantial sums of money and we're being perfectly straight forward with people.
"We want to continue to improve our hospitals and our schools and our policing. National Insurance is the means by which we've done it in the past and we'll do it in the future, and at the same time we will cut the deficit by half."
