BROWN 'SHOULD ADOPT BOLDER VISION'

A new paper by Labour-supporting think-tank the Fabian Society cautions that the Prime Minister's attempts to appeal across party boundaries and "above politics" will not see off a resurgent Conservative Party.

It sets out a series of initiatives the premier should consider to re-enthuse Labour traditionalists, including a multi-billion-pound spree to eradicate child poverty and firm opposition to US military action against Iran.

Fabian Society chief Sunder Katwala said a "bolder Labour vision" was now a strategic necessity.

"Brown's initial positive appeal was built on leadership, competence and authenticity," he said.

"But political vision is central to the authentic Gordon Brown. The message to his advisers should be 'let Gordon be Gordon' - and that must mean letting Gordon be Labour, too."

The Fabian Society paper will be launched tonight at a debate in Westminster called Not The General Election Night to mark the polling day that Mr Brown pulled back from at the last minute.

The Conservatives sought to capitalise on Mr Brown's discomfort by launching a poster campaign with the slogan "today has been cancelled".

It goes on to list a series of areas where the Tories say change has been set back because of the Prime Minister's decision against an autumn general election.

The Fabian paper warns that swing voters are not enough to keep Labour in power and that focusing on marginal seats will be in vain if it does not invigorate its working-class vote and "disillusioned liberals". With David Cameron's Tories presenting themselves as the agents of change, the Fabian Society says that merely sticking to the New Labour formula of the last three elections will not succeed.