British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sought to turn recent criticism of his leadership style to his advantage yesterday, arguing that it was good to be "impatient and strong-willed" to face times of economic turmoil.
Brown must call a legislative election by June 3 and his Labour Party is trailing the opposition Conservatives in the opinion polls, although the gap has narrowed since January and polls suggest neither party will win an overall majority.
"With me, for better or for worse, what you see is what you get," Brown said in a speech to business leaders, arguing that it was not possible to separate policy from character.